Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

WEDNESDAY, 8 JULY 1914

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Special Adjoumment. l8 JULY.] Questions. 33

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.

WED"l<ESDAY, 8 JnY, 1914.

The SPHKER (lion. \V. D. Armstrong, Lockyer) took tbe chair at half-past 3 o'clock.

PAPERS.

The following papers, laid on the table, were ordered to be printed:-

Report from the Joint Parliamentary Buildings Committee.

Rc>port from tlw Joint Parliamentary Library Committee.

Report from the Joint Parliamentar.r Refreshment-rooms Committee.

Correspondence in connection with the alternatiYe routes across thn Main Range (direct line to Warwick).

Q'CESTIOXS. OIL FIELDS OF THE ::\l.iRAXOA.

::\lr. IICXTJi:R (Jlaranoa) a·,Jmd the Chief Secretary-

'• If, having regard to tho delay that has taken place to matorialioe the repeated promise of tho Government to test tho oil fields of the ::\Iaranoa, and in view of wide-spread int('rPst evinced by i·esidents of this State, as well as through­out the CommomYealth, he will-

" 1. Lay on the table of the House a copy of the findings of Mr. W. H. Dalton, colleague of Sir Boverton Redwood, on the data supplied through the Agent-General in re­ference to the aboYe field?

"2. State if it is tho intention of the Government to commence boring operations at an early date, and whether the necc'·sary plant and 1naterial is in rcadin0ss or on order, and with whom was the order placed?

" 3. Have any recent negotiations taken place between the Govern­ment and Mr. \Vade, the oil expert engaged by the Fede~al Govern­ment to suney and rc>port on the New Guinea oilficlds, with a view to

Quest-ions. [ASSEl\1BLY.] P1·inting Committee.

secure his services to this State before he leaves Australia, as originally promised by the Chief Secretary?

"4. Is the Chief Secretary aware th:,t Mr. \Vade has completed the ouncy of New Guinea fields, and is reported to be in Melbourne, and will shortly be leaving Australia?"

The PREMIER (Hon. D. F. Denham, Oxley) replied-

" 1. Yes. "2. Yes, as soon as parliamentary

authority is given. "3. No recent correspondence has

taken place, "4. Yes."

ROCKHA:lfPTON HARBOUR BOARD AcT.

Mr. ADAMSON (Rockhampton) asked the Treasurer-

" Is it the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill to amend the Rock­hampton Harbour Board Act so as to bring it more into line with other and more detnocratic .... .\.cts at present; in existence in this State?"

The TREASCRER (Hon. W. Jl. Barne;, Bulimba) replied-

" The policy of the Government will be disclosed bv the Bill when intro-duced." ,

AMEND:UEKT OF THE Fnc:cATION AcT.

M1·. ADAMSOK asked the Secretary for Public Instruction-

" 1. Is he aware that the Tasmanian Government is proposing to pay teachers in the Education Department in that State according to sen ice, and not according to sex ?

"2. \Viii he adYise the Government, of which he is a member, to introduce, during this session, a Bill to amend the Education Act of this State, embodying such a just, humane, and democratic principle?"

The SECRETARY FOR PFBLIC I:::\­STRUCTIOK (Hon. J. W. Blair, !zJSlcich) replied-

" 1. No; but I shall make inquiries. "2. I shall giYe the matter earnest

consideration.''

NEW RAILWAY STATION AT ROCKHAMPTON.

Mr. ADAY1SO:'-J asked the Secretary for Railways-.

" Seeing that fine, large, and com­modious stations are being erected in different towns in the State, is it the intention of the Government to erect a new station at Stanley street, Rockhamp. ton, more in keeping with the importance -of the city, and thus provide for the -comfort of the tr a veiling public, and the safety and comfort of the employees who have to perform their duties there?"

The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS ·(Hon. W. T. Paget, Mackay) replied-

" The erection of a new station at Stanley street, Rockhampton, is in­·oluded in the scheme for improvements, Rockhampton Station yard, round house, :and new workshops-which work is now :progressing."

SuRVEY OFFICE INQUIRY.

::\lr. THEODORE (Chillagoe) asked the Secretarv for Public Lands, without notice-

" Is it the intention of the Secretary for Public Lands to publish the pro­ceedings in connection with the recent inquiry into the Survey Branch of the Lands Department?"

The SECRETARY FOR P'CBLIO LAXDS CHon. J. Tolmie, 1'oon·oomba) replied-

,, Xo, it is not my intention to pub­lish it, but I will lav the whole of th<:> papers on the tab!'e; and they can be ~een bv anv hon. member. The report of the" proceedings is too Yoluminou~, and it would be too costly to have 1t printed."

JOIXT cmniiTTEES. MESSAGE FRO}I THE COUNCIL.

The SPEAKER announced the receipt of a lll(}ssagc frorn the Council, intimating that-

" The Presicl<>nt. ::\lr. Brentnall, and :\Ir. Fowles be appointed members of the joint committee for the management of the Parlianwntary Library; that the President. ::\lr. ::\Iurphy, and :'vir. Fahey be appoint<>cl lll"mbcrs of the joint com­mittee for. thl' management of the Par­liamentarv· RPfreshnwnt-rooms; and that thP Presiclent, :'.Ir. C'owlishaw, and Mr. Hall be appointed members of the joint committee for the management and superintendence of the Parliamen­tarY Building'; and requesting that the Assf'mbh- nominate a like number of members, with a view to gh·e effect to the 8th Joint Standing Order."

On the motion of the PRE;\IIER, it was formally resoln'd-

" That a messagE' be returned to the LegislatiYe Council. intimating_ that tho LegislatiYe Asspmbly had appomted Mr. Speaker, :'.Ir. Gur;n. a;:td Mr. ,Lenn?n as m('mber" of the J omt Lrbrary Commrttee; :'.Ir. Speaker, )fr. Booker, and Mr. May as members of the joint committee for the management of the _ refreshment­rooms; and Mr. Speaker, ;\Ir. Petrie, and :'.Ir. Pavne as members of the joint committee for the management and superintendence of the Parliamentary Buildings.''

DAYS OF SITTIXG. On the motion of the PRE:i\IIER, it was

formallY resolved-".That, unless otherwise ordered, the

House 1\ ill meet for the despatch of business at 3 o'clock p.m. on Tuesday, ·wednesday. and Thursday in each week, and that on Tuesday and 'Wednesday, and after 7 o'clock p.m. on Thursday, Government business do take pre<>edence of all other business."

PRINTIKG CO:i\IMITTEE. On the motion of the PREMIER, it was

formally rcsolvod-".1. That, in compliance with Standing

Order No. 298, a Select Committee be appointed to a;&;ist Mr. Speaker in all matters which relatP to the printing to be executed by order of the House; and for the purpose of selecting, and arrang­ing for printing, returns and papers pre­sented in pursuance of motions made by members.

Suspension of Standing Orders. [8 JULY.] Supply. 35

" 2. That ouch committee consist of the following members :-:Mr. SpcakPr, the Chairman of Committee-s, :Yir. Bar­her. ::'.fr. Cribb, Mr. Hamilton, :Ylr. Murphy, :Ylr. 'Winstanley, .Mr. Gray,on, and the nlo\ er."

STAXDI.:>!G ORDERS COlVHHTTEE.

On the motion of the PRE::\1IER it was :formally resolvNl- '

" That the Standing Orders Committee for the prpsent se"sion consist of the following mf·mbers :-Mr. Speaker, the Chairman of Committee,, :Mr. Hardacre, Mr. Swaym•. ::\1r. Ryan, ::\Ir. Bouchard, :Yir. Dougla>. :Ylr. G. P. Barnes, and the 1nover, 1vith lPa ve to sit durinrr anv adjournment of the House, and <mtlwrit~­to confer upon subjects of mutual co,;. cernrnt•nt with any Committee appointe-d for sin1ilar purposes bv thp Lc{rislative Council." " c-,

SCSPEXSIO::\ OF STA::\DI::\G OHDERS.

The PRE:vliER in moving-,, That RO much of the Standing Orders

be suspended for this da v as would otlwr­,.-ific prevent the imnwdiat0 constitution of Cornmittl'es of Supply aJHl Vi'ays and }leans, the receiving of resolutiOns on tho eame clay on which thev shall have passed in t'hose committees, and the passing of an Appropriation Bill throuo·h all its stage, in one day," "

~aid : I apprehPnd that the rP-ason whv the kadPr of tlw Opposition callt'd '• ::\ot fm:mal" to this motion \Vas to get information con­<'<'!'ning tho Bill which will lw introduced. The period covered bv the motion will be for .\btmt two months. and the amount asked for will be such es is Cctimatcd to be requirt'd to carr~· on tlw functions of tlw State for that period. hoth from revenue and from lotn account. It is scarcely )lossihlB that we could have met earlier under the circum­,tances. I returnt'd from Englund some four WPrks a~o, e:_tnd in the intcrin1 nlY ti1ne has !.eon fully occnvied in getting 'read0- the lmsinc,s to come before the House. Then again, \Ve could not lea Ye our n1eeting for a later date', because of the railway pay. It just ha]lpens that tho ne·xt fortnight!~· rail­way pay comes on next Saturday, and it is cOJ!Vc;nicnt that the amount wo are asking for to-day should be granted.

Mr. THEODORE: Why euspend the Stand­ing Orders?

The PRE:YIIER : I do not wish to get away from the old-established practice, not merely in this State but in the other States and the Commpnwcalth as well. It is a convenient method of doing it, and I do not think it wise to break awav from it. Whether the House will regard' it as desir­able to get away from that desirable prac­tico is another matter altogether. What. ('Ver their desires may be we are up against it this time, at any rate, because, unless Supply is granted, then certain in·conveniencc must follow to certain members of the pub­lic service. It is a protest that has been repeatedly made in this Chamber. We aro quito familiar with it. But so far as I am aware, there is nothing that would justify onr departure from such a time-honoured ·usage.

Mr. RYAN (Barcoo): The Chief Secretary is correct in having come to the conclusion

that I called •· ::\ot formal " to this motwn in order to get some information ao to why the Standing Orders should be sus1wndcd in this \\ ay. As you are a>Yare, :\Ir. 8peakcr, I have always protested against thi::; sort of thing. It may be suitab'le enoug·h for the pa1:tlcular GoYernnient in lJO\.Yer, but, in n1~ opinion, it is not desirablo that Parliament should have to pa's largo sums of money on fmeh short notice as we arc g·etting· when the Standing- Orders aro suspended. I now wish to entPr my protest again. At the same time, I think that the ('hid Secretary has given sufficient l'l'amn why he has fol­lowed that course on this occasion. If only for tho fact that the pay day is falling duo within a few days for a. largl' body of public servant>, I can see we haYe nothing else to do but to consL•nt to tht• motion going­through. I think that thP Chid SPcrctary was \VisP in waiting· until his rPturn lwforo calling Parlianwnt togetlwr. E>"cn though there is a. large majority on'r tlll'l'e, I think he was very wise in being; herl' to sPc what is going on at the opPning of Parlian1ent. (Laughter.) I do not intr·nd to rr-,ist tho motion.

Question put and passell.

Sl'PPLY.

APPROPRIATIO:X BILL ::\0. 1. The TREA8l'RER: :Hr. Speaker.---! beg

to 1nov0 that ~,on do now lPa YP thP chair, and tho Hous;, n•c,olw itself into a Com­mittee of tlw ·whole to consider the Supply to bt' granted to IIis :Yfajcsty.

Mr. THEODORE: Before von lca>o the chair, ::Ylr. 1-\p('akE'l'. I dPsir<> t~ raise a. qut•s­tion 'vhich intPrfh,t:-:;, a large numbPr of people. It is a grie,-ance that should be ventilated herr at this early opportunity at the meeting of Parliament. I rder to tlw inquiry into tllf' allC'p:atiQns 1nad<• against certain officers in tho SurYPVOr-Gcncral's Office. I am not at all satisfied that the Secretary for Public Lands carri<>d out hi• undertaking to this House last B0ssion. ·when he was asked if he would take steps to have a full im·c"tigation made into those charge,,, the hon. membc>r made a CE'rtain promise. \Yhen the resolutions were being received from Supply last session, I asked the Secre­tarv for Public Lands what he intended to do 'in the matter, and tho hon. g-entleman answered me as follo\YS :-

" The SECRETARY FOR P'CBLIC LANDS : I mav sav that in a. verv short time an inquiry ,\-ill be held into tho whole matter.

"Mr. Ryan: ·what form will it take? " The SECRETARY FOR P'CBLIC LANDS :

There is one person seriously ill at the present time, and as soon as he has re­covered we will be able to go on with the inquiry.

" Mr. Theodore: Will it be before a. police magistrate?

" Th+' SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : It will be higher than a police magis­trate. That is the present intention, at any rate."

I know that the feeling in tho minds of most members was that the inquiry would be regarded as of sufficient importance to call in the services of one of the judges of the Supreme Court or the District Court, in order that there could be a full investi­gation into the charges, which were of a ver:;- serious cl)aracter. It was thought, also, that the inquiry should be held in

Mr. Theodore.}

36 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.

public. It was accepted as a general assumption, an~ how, during the course of the debate on the matter last session, that the inquiry would be of a public character -would not be held behind closed doors and in secret. 'the Secretary for Public Lands did not tell us that the matter would be inv0stigatcd in secret. I under,tancl that the late lliir. Thomas :Mowbray, who was then a police magistrate, held an inquiry into the matter. I understand that it was of a very protracted character, extendmg over a period of seventeen or eighteen da "''• and that a great many witnesses were examined. :'\o information, however, was given to the public, ""ot a scintilla of information leaked out of what was hap­pening at the inquiry, or what was the nature 0f the finding-whether he ;ound that

the charges were prov2d, what [4 p.m.] was the character of the evi-

dence, or how the proceedings were conduct<:'d ; nothing, in short, bearing on tho inquiry was allowed to be made public. Once or twice the newspapers com­mented on the absence of information, but were given no satisfaction whatever. 'l'he report of the chairman of the first inquiry, the late ::\fr. ::\Iowbray, was tabled yesterday, and from the summary, which appeared in the daily papers, ono gathers that he re­garded the charges as bPing of a serious character ; and he also found, to a certain extent, that they were proved. As a result of tho first inquiry a second inquiry was set up, and that second inquirv \vas held before Mr. l'vlacfarlarw, an cx-iJO!icc magis~rate and a supt'rannuated ofl'iccr of the public service, and Ire appears to han' whitc­washPd the individual who was charged. It seems to me that the proceedings were alto­gethPr nn;;:.ati~factor;v. SPriouc;; charges were rnacJc in thi, Ilou,c ]a,t session. and the ::\Iinistf'r reganled them with due gravity at that tinlP. Th<' House occupied a \Yholc day in disr:n:;;-.;ing tho~\' C'harg0s, and they ha(l the hon. gputlPnEul \:, a~:-;uran{'P. and abo thP a""nranep 'o~ t}w 1~on. thP Prf'tnier. that thP H'attPr would Ill' n'rv fullv invc,tio-atccl. ]\;ow, hro appears to look' at t};(' \Yho!e thing as a Vf'l'Y light tnattcr--as a tnatt('r of very tninor inlportuncP. That does not apprar to be satisfactorY at. all. Before going furtlwr, I would likP to eomment upon the prc•fprential tn•:rtmPnt as gh·en by the present G<~vpt·nntent and 2\Iini..;;tpr for Lands in refer­Pn('-fl to ('ertain indiyiduals in regard to offPIWPS. ThP <Joyernnlcnt do not Lll~J' into ('on~idcl,'ttioll the feelings of a pe13on who might b<' ch,trgcd \Yith an off em" if that per~on happr>n'~ to br, a labourer--a wharf la b-:urf'r. for in·"tanC'P -·but. when it C'Olllf''-l to b,-, a chargc against a. profPssional nu1n, tlwv h1ve a tenclc>r regard for his fpf'!­ing-e. and tlw inquiry is conduct0d in thee 1no~t po1itC> and synlllathctic n1anncr-in a mamH'r calculated not to cause verY much inrDnYenience or di~turbance to they pcrR{)J1 charged. I want to call the attention of hon. member• to th0 action taken by tho Governnwnt through, I presume, whoevr•r was af'ting as AttornPv-GPneral, in cir­cularising the poJic,, magistrates in reference to allPrrrd pi!f0ring on the wharves. (Hear, hear !) The police magistratf's were askPd to have due regard to the seriousness of this offence, and to impose the Beverest penalty th<' law allowE'd. I do note know that that is the <'Xact wording of tho circular, but that is the effect. and that is a direct inter­f'<'rencc with the business of the magistrate3.

'[Mr. Theodore_.

Only last week one man, who had thirty vears unblemished record. was sentencE'd to six months, without thee option of a fine, for stealing a pot of g·reaot'. He was a wharf labourer. The evidence was taken in public in that case, and he was hounded down and given no chance, a' though he wa> an unmitigate-d scoundreL Xo consideration was shown to that man-no consideratiJn for his past good charactE'r. Xo one can condone his offence-stealing cannot be ''on· cloned-but discrimination should not b0 shown bv the Government as between wharf labourers and, say, profl"sional men. , The charges against men who haYe been gmlty­it was admitted bv those who held the first inquiry that they were guilt~'-Of a charge of falsification involving hundreds of pounds-in such cases the inquiry is held behind clo"Jd doors, and the public know nothing what­ever about the evidence, and they really know nothing about the charges that were, made, and know nothing of the comments of thr magistrate who presided at th0 inquiry; that comes along months after the· inquiry is closed. No one can gainsay the scrioumess of the <'hargcs ancl the truth of the charg0s that were made in Parliament last sc,sion regarding the matter of which I am speaking. :Mr. :Mowbray. in the com·sc of his report, says-

" In regard to the na turc of the irre­gularities and the persons blamable, tlw report states that the irregularities com­ing under this heading constituted tlw most important tlltbject of tlw inquiry ait falsification. at all times serious, becamC'e "'pecially grave in the case of inter­ference with permanent land."

Further on he comments ll>' follows :-

" Sub,equent to tlw cli:-<·ovcry of thee aboYP falsification;', the :--;urvevor-Gen­pral instructed ~h. II. .\. ::>iajor toe <'Xamine the fi0lcl boob of certain sur­YPyor~ \Vho \V('l'P ~::HlSpt.'('tt'd of ha Yin:.t ('lllployPd agPnts in tlw }H't\paration of thPie plan~ and Youchf'r~. This Sf'areh Pxtcnc!c d bnck to abe>'.lt th<' vcar 1906. and n,..;u1tcd in the di::_..coYPTy of .,,usp?cted f:lsifi< ations in a numlwr (thirtePn) of il.Pld book~ conneetNl ·with surveys pffpded bv ::\Jr. Amhoris<>d Survevor Burbank during tlw years 1909 to lfl12, ancl furt hor falsification' in a field book lod.t;ecl bv ::\Ir. J. A. Gorringe of hi• sun<'~' of portions 26 to 30. paric,h of Gol<;Pn. and portions 6 L> 9 and 16 to 23. pari h nf flollow. county of Aberdeen, Taroon1. Th0 fa1~ifieation~ in t.he-.o ('aReE havP !wen examinee! and iclentifiecl as fal~ifi('ation~ bv thP :;;un-Pvors f'onccrnerl, and involv<', in J'vfr. Bm:bank's case, " sum of £270 12s. lOcl.''

Then, lat(lr, ho say~~-" It ;;houlcl be mentioned that in Mr.

Burbank's Held books tJr,·e false entries wore eonfmed only to deiicri ptions of vege­tation. hiR survPy op0rations being, for the most part. in practir ally level coun­try. The evidence brought. to light at !his inqnin the further s0rious fact that some fiftv 'field books of various nntl·act sun-cys rarriPcl out by ::\Ir. Authorised Sun·eyor Burbank are su,pectcd of having been taninC'red with. Those books arp detailed in 0xhibit 27, but, until an inspection and comparison with the marginal notes have been made by the surveyor and a representative of the·

Supply, [8 JULY.] Supply. 37

Survev Ollice. no conclusion can be arrive·d at. As this scrutiny was likPlv to oeeupy ;;;orne considerable I0ngth of tiinP, I de_cidPd to dose the inquiry without wa1hng Its n'Slllt.''

'!'he report furtlwr states--

" Tlw Public SPrvice Board submitkd the following report to the G ov0rnor in {~ouncil :-

'Tho ca '" of :.\Ir. Still was the sub· jPct of a ,ubs0quent inquiry by ::\Ir. H. T. :\1acfarlanc, ex-police magistrate.

• A furtht'r examination of the field books in doubt is now proc<'ecling, and until this work is complt'tc'cl, it i, im­possiblf' to >tate definitPly the amount of ovm-paynwnt that has bef'n made to the surnyors. In spite of the fact that t]npe inquiries ha vo been lwld, the nanw of the person or persons who madt' thf' alterations or additions in tlat' fiPld books has not been dis­covere-d.~ ''

'The report is a very lengthy one, and no -doubt very interPsting. But it leaVf''',, to rny rnincl. a ver~v C'lPar i1npre~sion that at the inquiry conducted by ::\Ir. ::\Iacfarlane, then~ is a very clf'finite atternpt to whitev. a~h ,C'ertain individuals.

The SE<'RETARY FOR Pc•BLIC LAXDS : Bv Mr. ::\Iowbray? ·

::\lr. THEODORE: I'i'o, ::\Ir. ::\Iacfarlane, at the sProml inquiry. I think ::\1r. .:\Iow­·bray madP vPry full inquiries. and he made no attPmpt whatevPr to make it light for anv individual. I think he did his dutv well. I think thP inquiry into the charges· made al'ain't Mr. c\till. one of the draftsmen. and inn•,tigat~cl by ::\lr. :.\Iacfarlane. disclosed an att<'mpt on th0 part of the ::\1inister not to adopt th0 rig·ht course to arri vP at the t.ruth. I think tlw t'harges should hav0 bPPn -n1ade in the ~arne \VUy that a charge of fraud would be n1ach-.. against any ordinary person in tlw same nuumc'r that a chargf' of tlwft would be mad<'. \Yhy this SJH'cial commis­sion to lVIr. 1\fadarlmw, who has no special jurisdiction-·· a rPti1wl public oflicer? Why should he lw appointed to inquire into the honesty of an individual·~ \Vhy should not the charge have been laid in the police eourt? I cannot sep why that ~onld not hP done. I say the inquiry has '!lot b0<m sufli"iPnt. As is pointed out in tho report, aft<>r the thrPc inquiriPs tlwy were not able to prove who was responsible for t.lw falsifications- -falsificatiom involving fiftv field boob, all(] in the case of OIH' man inv.olving ov<'r £270 0\'f'r-paynwnt. I think the mattf'r should not bo allowed to drop hf'rP. The inquiry should go furth<'r, and should bP mm·c· in the nature of a public inquiry. The evidence should be published so -that the public could rPad it as the case goes Dn. and tlw pnblic could then form an opinion on the matter. After all, that is a very Pssential thing in g-etting at the truth in these mattPrs. I think the pursuit of justice would not be as clean and aboveboard as it is if it W!'r<) not that th<' proceedings in all cases W<'r<) condud0d in the opPn and with the public able to rPad the 0vidence for them­sPlves and form th<.'ir own judgment. Some­tinws, no doubt. th<'v form morP cm-rPct judgments than the judgnwnts of tlw court. I think this is an important mattel'. and I have taken this the first opportunity to Y<>ntilatc it. :\I~- own opinion is that the

inquiries haye not b0('ll ,atit>faetory, that the proce<'dings have not been satisfactory, and that tho d<'partnwnt .,)wuld do more and i1lVPotigatp this mattt'r full<'r, and see that the light of clay i.' brought into the jll'OCl'Pdings.

The SECRETARY FOR P'CBLIC LANDS: In reply to what has fall<'n from the hon. nH'Inber, I wish to Ray that. so far as th~ Depnrtnwnt of Public Lands is cDncerned, thp:v have g·iYPn eyery possible facility for t-he fullt'st inve·,.tigation into tho various charg-<•s. The hon. member knows that some time in the Qar!y part of last year an officer of the department came to tlw conclusion that some of the fidd books of the ourveyors had been tamperPd with, and in duo course that matter was investigated. The only way in which '"'' could <•nclc•ayour to get at the truth "as b~- asking- tlw Surn'~·ors' . Board to rnakc certain inYP:Jtigation:-; into the- eon­duct of one of thl' sm·yeyors in tho State. ·when the report of the Sui·ye, m·,,' Doard was issuPcl. the hon. mPmber atti·actt'd attention to tht; fact that such an inquiry was going on. and I tol·d him then that wo were ('Ud(•uvouring to g('t at the very rcot of the Jnatter, and that an inquiry would be held in ordE'r that WP might be' ablt' to elicit information that would lead to tlw detection of sonwhody ·who ''as doing· Borne thing dis­honourable. \Yhile inquiric. werP going on the hon. meliJb<•r spoke in regard t<J the matter and pointPcl out tlw seriousness of the· offPnce, with whicl1 I C{mcurrcd. I g-atht>red from tht' hon. mc>mlwr's remarks at tht' tin!P that sumebodv came' to him and gaVC' certain infornw.tion.' and on that infor­lllation he madt' those chaq?;es. I think what he baid i~ qnite corn•ct in regard to tlw sequenc0 of things leading up to the tinw wlwn I stateJ an inquiry would be hold. and at that tinw our intention was to appoint a. g~ntlPnHtn to take• chaTg·e of the inquiry in whom the Ilouee woul·d haYe Pvcn· eonfidPncP--thc' latp :\h. \Y .• J. Scott, who: m1fortunatel_v. passpcl away. Tl!P ques­tion of holding tlw inquir:: duly camP before my collPagu<'' ailll beforP the Attorney­General: and, taking all matters fully into consideration. it was decitktl t<J ask Mr. Mowbrav to hold tho inqmrv. At that time the matier was Jla%Cd ovPr from my clepart­nwut to th0 ,\trurnev-GPnf'ral's J)ppartmt•nt. and tht• fullest and amplt-;t opportunity was giYPn for a thorough iJn~t:>stigation. I rnay eav that ::\Ir. ::\Iowbrav {'Xamine<l sixtv-three witnP.'St's, and hP was· supplird with the ser­vice o' a barristt'r in orcin that tlw fullest po-.sihlc' evidtmcP mip;ht lw adduced.

::\Ir. THEODORE: \Yho was tlw harristPr?

'rhe SECRE1'ARY FOR P'CBLW LANDS: ::\h·. ':\Iacr•Js.san. not tlw mcmbPr of thP House. but Mr. Xc'al ::\Iacrossan. T-Ji,, scrvic0s WNl' at the disposal of ::\fr. ::\Iowbmy, and they rnarlo a ypry sParching invpstigation.

'\Ir. THEODORE: Ditl von sav who dt'cid(•d to have the barristPr? · ·

The SECRETARY FOR P'CBLIC LANDS : The matter pasH•d entire!~- f1·om tiH' Lands DP!Jartment to tlw Attorney·G(•ncral. iV~r. :Mowbray wao appointee! to conduct ~he m­quiry, and I had no mon' to do w1th the inqui1·:v subsequently than the hon. mem~er himself. The inquirv W'lS of a verv searchmg character, and ::\Ir.' ::\Imvbra~· stibmitt<'tl a rpport. On that report certain action was

Han. J. Toimie.]

38 Supply. [ASSE~IBLY.] Supply.

takf•n 111 regard to scu1c- n1en1lwrs of tho public s<•ryic<l who had b<'<'H doing "ork out,;i<h• tlu• d<'partmr·Ht, and had thus com­mittPd a brPach of the regulations. But tlwro was one officer of \,hom Mr. l\lowbray ~poke in ::·oniL'\Ylwt -strong tcrn1s, and it was felt that that officer shouln be\ d0alt with on <Juito diffen•nt t<lrms. The matter was then before the Public Service Board· we com­municated with that officer, ami 'he <•lected to hayc an iiHiniry llll(h_)r the Public Service Aets. to which he was ju:;tlv entitled. CC'r­tain chargL'~ \Vere fonnulatt•<l not. by me Ql' by m~· dt•partm<'nt, but by th<' .Jtmticc Depart­n~olt, lJPrau~e \vhL•n tlw inquirv ean1o on again, it paf''-'f'd again OY<'l' to tho Dcpart­lllf''lt of Jw.tic<•. lfp wa' called upon to au~\Y('l' · t hoH' rharg ~. ancl again the inquiry '""1s 'Jllwwhat ]pngthv. :'llr. :Uaerossan was uppoiut(•d to IH'O~t·cll1<L- ·:.o far ar; we ran ~a)· that ~t has a pro,...:c•,,ution--on lH·hal£ of tht• .Jn:~tic.· D(•partulPllt, aud a nlo"t "'<'arch­illg' iHY<'~·dit_~atiou took n]J,C'L. The rf?snlt of tlwt ·va,; that th<' <'Yitl,:ne" waR r,ubmittcd to lll,V <:oiL 'clgtu•..:; \Yho .arp n1c ~ltionPd thPrf>-tho !Ion. :VIr. Barlow all(] the· lion. Mr. Pagrt­v,-ho li;-;t<'I!Pd to addr0~" o''.:;:: on both f-irles,­l~(·caw.;(• ~ll·. Ntill had l(•gal af'~istauce ju:;t the >'alll<' a:, th<• d<·partnH·nt. T!to,p legal g"nt], .. rnt-n adch·~'"'"(·d tl1DH' nlf'l1ll;er~ of tlw Public H('l''\-iep Board, and on the• <·YidPnc ::• that "'i\ 1'-' addne!'d it ''''''"'Nl to th<•m--and I han· n•.Hl n11• ('\"idt'llC'~'---that thPrC \VUR llO evidC'llCf' tn ju~tif:v a chaq .. n• of fraud agaip .... t. .\Ir. Still. I I(' \\a;-; <•xOiH'rat <'(l on that particular char4'e, hut 1~t• '~a~ ptulishNl tlw -anw as o1 hPr offie~·rs of _tlu• d~·pann_wnt, ·who W<'l"P lllJlli:--hed for h_aYlll~ Yu>lt~L .~ tlw Puh1ic f)t•ryic·p H.Pgula­tion~ 111 dom~r '~ _J·rk ontKidt). That 11uni:-;h­llH'llt 111ay lH' con;-;idPrr•d hv -.:onw hon. n1eln­lH·r to lH' ioo d1·a:--tic, {n· h;~ rHwr hon. nH·mlwr, to \Jp not ,uif!ciPnth· drastic but at auy rah• that. W~L~ thf' pnnL•.dunei.lt r~l<'tf'cl out to t lH Ul hy tlJP Pub lie ~prvicP E0ard, and I an1 :u~c·pan·d to ae~·Ppt 1nv J:t''•IJOn;-:ibilit\ 1h:T('for.. Th(•rc• '.\(':··p thn~ tllr(•f> inquiriP~ into tlus llHttt('l' .dHl no lnf<•rnHnion \Ya;-- eli~·it('d to ohi'Pl lJonH' a dull'g<• :if fr.tud on tlH· part of <dlY {~articular indivi(lnal. \Yith regard to tlw (jlH'"'tton <if ~Ir. ~Ul'Y0yor Bnrhank'f' hook..;, tlH• <'\·i<l<·ne<' on thP fir;;t n·,-isal pointl'd to th<• fact that lw ha<l probablv been overpaid tD th<' PXt<'llt of about £27t as has h<'''ll point<·<! out by th<' hon. membpJ-. Siuc' tiH•n th<• matt<•r ha,c bec·u further inve;;ti­gaiPt~. and I a:rn a<h·i:-~Pd to-day that, so fv:· a:-; In~ bonks m·p COllCr'riH'tL and his ·wDJ'k ha,; ill 'n 1 horoughly inopPcted bv officers of thP cl<•partr!wut, ·who have g-orif' over the !(l'Dnnrl to t<'·-:t the accm.1cy o£ the <kscrip­twus made ~--

:\lr. Tm:onom:: 1o that ,..ince the inquiry? The S!WRRTARY FOR P'CBLIO LANDS:

Yes. That was JH'C'''sarv ,;o far as 1v1r. Bur­bank',, books W(•r(• cOnc()rnf'd. because jt wOl:ld lw IH'C<'ssar0· to . ins~itut0 proceedings agamst hnn for the l'<'shtut!On of that moncv he had bcr•n on'rpaid. And to-dav I am ir1-fornwd that aft<'r :;crutinv ln- officers of the <lPpartment tlw amount of m:ercharge is per­haps hardly mor0 than one-tenth of that £271-that it practically amounts to 8s. in <'Yery £1C\J of work h0 has done. He has donP somdhing like £6,600 odd worth of work for the d<'partmPnt .. and the overcharge -so rar as the mvesbgabons have gone, and th<' resurv<':<- of the conditions of the countrv arc concemed--do not amount to more than about £35, spC'aking from m<'morv.

Mr. liARDAf'Rll: Could thC>y. have been accounicd for b:<· the <lifferencc of opinion hC'tW('Pll hYo f:nrve~~ors?

[Hon. J. Tolmie.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: It is not' a difference of opinion. It is a, confit·mation of Surveyor Burbank's notebook. 'l'lw whole trouble is that sometimes sur­n•yors have somebody else writing in descrip­tion,;. Perhaps the officer in the department in all good faith, who made the discovery, s<'eing the difference of writing, thought that sonw alteration had taken place. But the im·pstigation. as I say, aft<'r a very careful mrn'Y of the field b0oks in the office, and alm ,;btaining thP opinion of other officers. as to the outside work, leads to the conclusiOn that th<• ovc•rcharge amounts to the small sum of about £35. In the report it is put do\vn at · 4 p<•r cPnt .. y;hich is practically 8s. in every £100 worth of •York. But, "' far as th<' <l<'· partnwnt is c .mcerned, I want it clearly un<kr­:;tood, not only by this Chamber, but by othl't\<, that PVPl'V effort wa< made to di·­co\·<·r wh<•tlwr aJJY oJlicer had been robbing tlw dcT,lrtmPnt, tl1at tlwn• , as no attempt to· chil'ld ally individual at all, and that had tho inquir~; gone again:;t 'llr. Still, then Mr. Still \\ ,m]rl h·"-"" had to ,ubmit the same treat-ment as tlw man alluded h the hon. mem­l;<•r for Chillagof'. Th(•re \Yas no discrin1ina­tion in his case at all. "-,, stood aloof, bnt "''' court"d t h<• 'ful!C'st in(jni,·~· ; and I think it sta]](b to th1• ,.,·prlarcting crPdit of the public ~t'rYicP of <Ju('flnsland that after thC'se RCal~ch­inp: irH1uiriP:--. on ~..:;urh matt('l':-- a::: that) tho Ldil­

clu:--ion arriY<'d at j., that thero has Lcen no OY( nJwrg-!', or, if it i~ a:. o~~t•rcharg{', that n nmount,toonlv8s. in £1CO, with reference to \vork whic-h a{t{'l' all is a nwtter of opinion llPt\ovPc•n h'·o ll1f'll. If the bon. Inmnber can point out any other way in \\·hich we could arrive at a, <liscoven tllf'n I wnuld be prc-parpd~--- ·

:\fl'. H ARIHnm: \YPr<· tlwre not sonh' alt,; .ttions of writing that '\'Pi!ld point to it:

The SECRETARY FOR POlLIO LAXDS: Thc·rc• \Yt'rt' differencPR Df \\Titing. There wt•n• smi:w ~UP110sed intPqJolations Df \Vrit­ing-, as thL) hon. nH'Illbt•r for Leichhardt point<•cl out: and that rnight ari~P in this wa~~: The sun-eyor is working- all day, and his "''i,.tant in the field v;rit''' down tho dc­scrivtion of the country a'- rhey go along. For instance, the assista11t puts down that the country is "dense timber.'' That night, wllf'n the sunPyor is going through his book. from his knowledge of the country and throug-h his wider pxperit·nec in connection with that work and hi. acquaintance with the lines on which the cll'partment pays, h& spes that that dPscription is not quite cor­rect, and that instead of th,, Ye~retation being described as "dense," it should be " very dens('."

Mr. LEXNOK: He wouhl not reduce its­density?

The SECRETARY FOR FCBLIC LANDS: I do not suppose he is likelv to do that. I question whether the han. nlembcr would do so if he thought he was justified in putting it in. And it is because of these interpola­tions of the word " dense " before. the word "timber," in some cases. that there has been a suspicion that something wrong has been going· on. But the inYestigations were· thoroughly searching in eYerv respect. From mv reading of the evidenc0'---I think it con­BiRts of 3,000 pages of closely typewritten matter in thre<' Yolurncs as big as the "Votc>s and ProcPedings.''

::.\Ir. THEODORE: The newspapers would' havf' reported it gratuitously if you had let them in.

Supply. [8 JULY.] Supply. 39

The SECRETARY FOR PL'BLIC LAXDS: I want to point out that such was the state of mind of the officers in the departrr.ent, that they were very ang:ry with each other, and that a Jot of recri1nination was going on, that if it was possible to make any dis­conn· it y, ould have been elicited. I do not think any objection can be taken to ::\Ir. JYiowbray; hf! was a vm·y competent man. He Lad the assiStance of a barrister~er­tainly a young barrister, but I think all will agree with me that he is a young man of Yery great lllPrit and thoroughly under­;.tand:' his work--and in no l<>ss than two very critical examinations nothing of fraud could be adduced. The fact remains that the gontlPrnan who 1nadr· the discoYery was perha)l' misled by the fact that the writing "''cmed to be diffPrent, and thought that smnething wrong had been clone-and I think he dischargPd his duty in directing attention to it. Tlw inquir:: has been just as rigidly conducted as if it had been cun­rlucted in the wav we intended without ·o mm h ·,·xpense. 'The i•1quiry has cost us nearlv £1,000--and I think that tlv' monev has 1iot lw<>n wash'd---it has proved that the public "'nie:- , i'O far a,, that department is concenwcl. is pun'. I do not. think for one ll10n1Pllt that thP hon. lllf'Jnbl'r for Chillago<.' wa~ af'tuah'd bv anv othPr dC'sin\ than to presNve tlw pt~rity · of the public ·>·en ice when he mado the chc rg<'. If he asks for 1lw pro clue :-ion of the evid0nce, I will lay it on the table: but although I have read ir throug-h rny~plf~and a Y<.'ry weary task it "·as--I do not think anv hon. member would car!' to rrctd it. Btit if !~on. nwm­hers "\Vant the nyidPllf'f' placPd Oil the tabl(', I will do , o; but I will not ask thP Hou'·e to ~anctiOi.l a cour:-c that will run into ::;onu_' hundreds of pounds for printing. SPP.ing that the inqnir~~ ha~ already cost ·~o n1uch.

::\Ir. RYA::-J: I have listened to the cxpla­llaticm ·mad<' hY thP lion. thP :-;t'('l't'tarY for Public Lands, · and I must confess that to ltlV n1incl it is a InoBt unsatiP-factorv one. I regret to haYe to sav that, becam,f: I have h~i·r in the newspaper in my hand extracts from thn r<'port of the judicial officer. the late }Ir. Mow bra:-. •vho was appointed to inquire into this matter. and he says that therP wc·re falsifications. Fifty books were affected. The report goes on to say-

" The falsific-ttions in these cases have been examined and identified a' falsifi­cations bv the survevors concerned, and involvE' !n ::\Ir. Burbank's case a sum of £270 12s. lOci., and in Mr. Gorringe's an amount of £5 9s. 6d. These respec­tiYe amounts have been overpaid to the survevors mentioned. It should be men­tioned that in Mr. Burbank's field books the false entries were confined onlv to descriptions of vegetation." "

Here we have the judicial officer appointed to inquire saying that there are falsifica­tions, yet now the Secretary for Public Lands gets up and says that the r!'sult of tho inquiry shows that the whole thing is pure.

The SECRETARY FOR PrBLIC LAXDS : I do.

::\Ir. RYAN: I think, if persons can make falsification'' in field books that >Yill cause comments by a competent magistrate, such as :\1r. Mo~bra~· was. in the terms I see here. and if the Secretary for Public Lands

then comes and congratulates them on the purity of the affair, it is getting a very bad' thing for Queensland. (Hear, hear!) The· hon. member for Chillagoe referred to the, fact that the inquiry was held behind closed· doors. Xo answer has been given to that charge. This Government, I unc~erstand, and their Liberal confreres, are agamst pre­ference · thov believe in " no preference.,,. But he1:e we l1a ve a distinct, preference given bv having clo~ed doors for a judicial inquiry irtYoh·ing charge'; of fraud. The n·port of that inquiry practically bears out that thm:e was fraud, and then the Secretary for Public Lands comes here and says that he has sent officrrs over the ground since, and they have eli ,~ov~red that thn·o was n J fraud T'n:tt is what it amounts to. I should like to he:tl', before you, leave tho chair, ::Ylr. Speake~. some• nwmber of tlw Government, who rs respomibl'b, or who knows something of tho rr·a,on why that inquiry was hl'ld behmcl dosNl dom·,, who will ;nform th" memher8 of this Hou,:e why that w" done. Perhay'< the Acting .. AttornC'y-Gent..,ral, the hu!J n1prn-· b0r for Ipsv-.rieh, rnay nee\ al·!c. to t<7Il .u"'. There is no doubt that th·'li'(' IS a leclmg abroad that there was frmd ;n tl1is case. It is borne out be· the r<'"nrt d the Jato Mr. }fowbrav. and here it is pas' ,c] OYP!' by 'm (•xplanat.ion which enchavours to nrov0 that evervthing wa~ ptU'P and abo\ r_;board. I ,-.ish' it to bL placed on record that I am not of that opinion. and I think that there are manv otlwr hon. members who arc not of that 'opinion. I :-hould like tn hear fr?m ~he Acting Attm:ney-General why the mquny was not lwld in public? lYe are told .hero to-clav that the e;idenct will not be prmteo" hc._·ca{l·e the f'XIWn~!~ is too fO'"'at; but, _If tlw inquiry had been loft open to th<;' pnbhc, the eviclcnce would haYc.bPr·n pubhshed by all the Pr<'ss of Qnr•cmland at no cost a~ all to the Government, and would have glYOn u lot of information that I am sure the Ph'ctors of Que, n .. :Jand are loobug for.

::\Ir. KIRIYA::-J (Bri,i;anr): It occurs to n1e. in listening- to this dL·l:ate, and co~l­tracting th<' action of the Gon:rnn~ent 1h dpaling with some of tho curled darlmgs. of the public service, that, aftPl' all-notwrth­st andillg their assurance to the "?nt_rary­thcv are distinct bcliPYors in the prmc1ple of preference. I r"momber, wht•n the str~kc of 1912 was over, and it came to a questwn of finding why the rai!v. av men went ?ut-a question that any schoolboy knew, as. It v.;as common public pl'operty-a pnJ:llic tpqmry was then held for the fir .. t ttme m the historY of the Railway Dcpartme11;t, and questi'uns wE're put to these men w1th t.he object of humiliating thcm1 and answers m­sistcd upon But whel_l .'t comes to par­ticular friends of the JYllmstel''•., we have .an inquirv held behind closed doors. Pensh the thought that these gentlemen s~1ould be held up to ridicule. o; that tho pubhc 'hould know what transactwns they hav~ been carn·ing on while in rcceic1t o.f a f!'ll' and i!OOd salan· in the denai"tmPnt 'n .,.hie~ th<':V we're employed! .I si':11P!Y c.all att;'nt.wn. to this because I thmk It IS rrght; 1t IS JUst as well that the public should ]~now. that, when thP friends of :\1inisters al'e Implicated, elo,ed doors are the ordE'r of tho day, and Rhl' Chamber inquiries arc h~·ld; .but. >~hen it is the ordinarv worker, the mqmry rs aeld in public, and oYerybody is invited to. ~o?k upon the actions of the men and cntJCJSe

Mr. Kirwan.]

40 Supply. [ASSE.:\IBLY.] Supply.

them, and the public Press is invitc·d to bo present iu order that all tho evidence HUi-Y be published.

The PRK~·IIER: I should just like, if I "nay, to comment upon the remarks which l1avo just fallen from the hon. member for Brisban0, as to the '·curled darlings of the public servicP, and friendo of the Govern­ment." I do not know any of the gentle­men concerned. They arc certainly not curled darlings. The wages which those men are vaid are by no n10ans a high rmnunera­tion, and, so far as being friends of the GoYerniuent is concerned, they are Inerely public ,<ervants, and to compare the supposed irr<>gularitios of the Survey DPpartment with dir<>ct thieving, which would have to be proved in a court, i" a most P'OdS thing to do. ,

::\Ir. RYAN: \Yhat c•J.,, could it be?

The PRE::\IIER: Xo. The difficultv was to formulate tho charge, and a charge' could never properly be formulated. \Ye had l1oped to have availed ourselveb of the ser­Yicl\9 of one man, who, fron1 his inti1nate knowledge of the department, could, perhaps, ha vc led up to the leakage, or could haye indicated more clearlv how to formulate a chargP. I rpfpr to th(; late lamented ::\lr. W. J. Scott, who for Inany vea:t.:.; \vas Cudor SPcretary for Public Lands, and, therefore, was quite familiar with the various method·· of procedure in the depart(l1ent. r nfor­tunatPly. he died. Then the question \vas, how best to <'licit the information. \Ye could not formulate a charge, <>nd if we had gone to the police court, we should ha \'G

bePn at once cast out. The idea was to exhaustivf'ly in\·estigate, and if, as the result of that investigation, it could be made c!<'ar that <>nyone had been guilt:;' of pecu­lation, "r of irregularity constituting r,n infringement of the law, they would haye been dealt with. But thP idpa of taking a number of men from the 1mblic £l'l"l'ice, merely to pleasp-\Yhom ·~ Xot the attain­ment of j u~tice ! I say that. in pursuing tlw C'Oluse ,,.,-hieh \Vas pur~ued, it \vas solely fill 1 \Yholly with the object oi finding who ;, ot l'ault; because, it must be said, not merf lv of the Public Lands, but of everv depart mcnt of the public service of QliPensland, that th<':'' are ciPan-otbsolutely dEan.

The TREASURER: H<'ar, hear!

The PRE~IIER: And as far ,\S onr cdfori'o are concerned, they .hall so rennin. The most careful investigation was tolild''· Th0 man who cundttctecl tlw inquiry has pa··"''d a\va:.-, but for that cla•,s of "vork-tha::; par­ticular kind of inYestigation-11ot (~vPn t11/• Chid .Justice would lw SUJWrior. You could not ask thrct the ti uw of tho t"Juc t should b0 taken up with it. \Vhil ', of cour.<'! l 'idee! barristers might ,·ej,ic~ in that kind 'of thing-. the general public would not rPioice in taking np the time of the ( .urt in ari: inyp-:il­gation of that nahtro

~·h~. RY-l);: Bnt V\)!l :lr<' n•">i ac'ce?pting- his report. The ::\linistcr clo1 s not cgree ~with hi" report.

The PRE::\IIER: Thr· ho;1. o·entlc,wm :tg3,in is wron.(r. The trl1Pged dr·falcations. thP allegPd falsifieatwnc. ntHm further i:~­ve-stigation, as far aR the -an10nnt i::; coll­ccrned, have bef'n reducr)d yc•ry rnaterialh·.

:\Jr. THEODORE: By whom? , .

Tlw PRE::\liER: As a result of rech<:>cking the field nwasurc>BH'Ilts. In r<:>gard to tho

[Jfr. K1.rwan.

only person who was implicated--a :YI1·. :::Hill-we pursued the matter further, and in the e!ld he wa' so cleared of the implica­tions, or .allegations, that the Government had to pay his charges as well. It all meant that, in a branch of the Department of Public Lands called tho Suryey Branch, the workings of which can only be understood by a spPcialist, somc•thing irregular occurred. The irregul<>rities have 1<oen investigated, and the result of a most painstaking investi­gation has been to show that there ·were some irregularities, but not of the nature con­stituting a criminal charge, and, if nothing dse hH.s been done, it has, at least, secured protcdion against Pvcn such small pecula­tions, if they may be so regarded.

::\Ir. BERTR.UI: \Vhv was not tho inquiry a public one? '

The PREMIER: It \vould have been a. YPry undesirable thing. (Opposition laugh­ter!)

~lr. KIRWAX: It was not an undesirable thing in connection with the railway men.

The PREMIER : There is no comparison on that account. This is mere fireworks for the purpose of making " comparison between things that are not comparable at all.

:.Vlr. KIRWAX: The public are the best judges of that.

The PREMIER : Th0 public are the b'·~t judgPs of that, no doubt; but the fact still remains that, if you had drawn _a n~m­lwr of nwn before a vnblic court of mqmry, without being able to dPfine the charge, it would ha'h• b!'Pn in itsel.f a grossly improper thing. GOVERX~1EXT ~fEMBBRS: Hear, heat!

The PREMIER: At any mte, I com­mend the dE'partnwnt on tho course they han' takt:'n. Thev had a most exhaustive inquiry. whi<'h ha·s sened its purpose, and thE' only change which some are tryin10 to take out of it is to provo that the Govern­ment ·arc protecting these men from being broug-ht into a court of la\Y. The shipping cmnpaniP::- are rPporting n1-o:;;t s.?rious losses, and the menantilc- communitv also suffer lo" through fn',JLH'nt pillag<> of cargo.

:.Vfr. THEODORE: Is that why you are Cll'­

c>ulari~ing the 1nagistrate~? The PRE:.VIIER: I do not know about

rir('ularising the rnagistratc~, but it is com~ mon knowledge that it is so, and, there­fore, to n1ake a co1nparison bPhveen inferen­ti a! irregularitiE's and thieving is a most ungenerous and improper thing to do. GovERN~!EXT :.VIE:UBERS: Hear, hear ! :\h. IIt'XTER (Jf11ranoa): It seems to me

that at least one of the :.VIinisters sitting opposite. who should be able to give some exprr ~o;;ion of opinion. and so1ne reason for this inquiry bPing held with closed doors, has not clone so, and that is the Acting Attorney-Ge1wral. It is no use saying that this inquiry cloP• not compare with other in­quiries. The· publie are aware of the fact that a eharg0 has b0Pn n1ade against cer­tain ofliC'Pr~ in tho departmPnt, and are wanting to know the rP-mlt. If an open in­quiry had lwc-n madc-, the public would then have bePn sa tisfwd, OQ propPrly sifting the !'videnee. as to w hPther a proper finding had been com<:> to or not. );fa one is more pleased than I am to know that the inquiry has r!'mlted in proving that there is no cause for complaint or distrust against

Supply. [8 JuLY] Supply. 41

,,,fficers in _the Lamb Department, or any ·other pub he departm('nt in the State. I n'joice to know that there is no suspicion -e;·en, and tho only way to dear the suspi­ewn that hr s arisen would ha vo been to haY>' opened the doors and allow the Pr•.>ss to come in, ,o that the public would have a

-dear and full knowledge of the question. There is still a question with rPgard to this: \V c arP tole! that the c<um of £270 has been over-paiel to one of the survevors. Now, if no fal;;ification has be0n prO\:Pd, then that ~unevor has received the monev under fal'il ,:pr('tefiep;;, II is clai1n ha:;; gonp~ into the dP­partment and ho has been paid upon r<'pre­··<>ntations made hv him on the fipld hook that he had clone 'certain work. Is there a f'harge nutdC'. again~t any pPrson receiYing­mOJwy undPr false pret<'ll<'<'S '' \Yhat action has been taken'? \Ye arc not told at all. 'The Chief f'\('cr('tarv has said that the falsifications have bP~'ll rNinced. but it doc"• not make the crime anv less because tlwv are reduced. · •

The SE~RETARY FOil PcBLIC LAXDS : Alleged falsifications.

::\Ir. HUNTER: BPcaus(' the amount has been reduced from £270 to £25. it docs not make tlw offenc·e anv le·•.s. · The a1nount does not con10 into the ~quest,ion; it is a qu<''tion of having- the--e field boob "('nt in in such a way that th<'v really reprP­S('nt the amount of work dmw. and that :there is not an attempt to get at the depart­·ment. I think the Government would han• been well advised to throw open the door of the inquiry. I understand that no charge has bePn made directly against any particu­lar officer. \Vhat has been done was to trv ·and find out how this has come about. Pel:­-,;ons who have been handling these field books ought to have been asked questions which they would have answered, and thP public would have known all about it. As thing-s are now thPre is no evid<>nce. There is simply a report-and a vf'ry dan1ning re­port-=from Mr. Mowbray. But beyond that there i:·. nothing. I would have liked the in­quiry to have resulted in clearing the d('part­ment of any sug-g0stion of falsification of anv cl<>scription, but I am afraid the public will not view it in that lig-ht. I should lih to hr·aJ' from the Ading Attornev-GPneral why there "·as not an open inquirv, and al'<l \vhat action will be takPn •Nith' regard to the survevor who has received a sum in excess of the amount hE' is entitled to.

::\Ir. FIHELLY (Purldin(tlnn): It. sPcms to me that th(' situatie•n ai prPscnt. must be a ve-rv unsatisfaptorv on0 frnn1 tlH• Govern­nwnt 'point of viPw. · Th»y hnve made an in­·quiry upon CPrtain information. That infor­mation mu"t have rome to the Govprmncnt from eomc quarter. ::\ow. it is obvious that that information was bad.

Th0 SECRETARY FOR PeBLIC LAXDS: It was bad.

::VIr. FIHELL Y: Or cbo it was made in a wicked mannPr.

Th0 SECRETARY FOR Pl'B!.Tf' LANDS: I woulcl nvt say that it wa,; made in a wickc>cl n1anner.

:Hr. FIHELLY: On that information the GovPrnment was put to the PxpPnsE' of hold­imr three Government inquiries. It is ob­vious that the pPr.-on giving the information must be a membPr of tlw department, and he must have mislpcl that d('partment, and we should like to hear from the Minister

'how that man was dealt with. It must have

bPPn an ofii<£>1' of the department who start('cl tho inquirv, and, if he gave wrong information, lw should lw di-,missod from the sen·ic .' for fooling the department. On ilw other hand, if the mformation he gave was correct, th('n the other officers of the clepartme,;t who had indnl!'· d in those prac­tices •·hould be dealt with in a summary manner. The whole affair is verv unsatis­factorv-,tJwro is no question about that. SomebodY should have bePn put in the police court to· make a good ddcnPc thero. We have hPard from 'the I'remiPr about the waterside work0rs and the P"tty thefts that are g-oing on ovPry day in st?amers and on the wharYr'. If tho Premwr understood the conditions which surround tho work on the wharY('S he would know that goods are tampPr('d with bPforc the;v ~orne to tJw wharv('il at all, and tho sh1ppmg compamcs have no idea how these things happen.

'!'he PRE:I!lER : It is in the interPsts of the wharf labour0rs 'co find out how they do ha j)j)('n.

:\Ir. FIHELLY: It seems to me that the {j 0yernn1r-nt arc ahvays yery anxious to aid the shipping companies At ti:e _present tirnP tlw Government aro perm1ttmg the ~hipping eon1paniesJ to us0 Cro~rn propf'rty cdjacent to tlw riv01· betwPcn h1gh and lo;v watN mark without paying any rent. It 1s verv valuable property that th,ey are using, and it mie:ht entitl(' thPm to clmm permanent O\Yll('rshiP. The Govcrnn1ent are always anxious to aosist tlwse shipping people. but when a wharf Jumper gets into trouble the; rnaO"istrah" rPC'Pives Rp0C'ial instructions as to h~w he ,hould bo dealt with. I think that practi~P is a vNy improper one. It only helps to ilh"trat(' the weakl1E'ss. of the GovPnlment in the1r d0almgo w1th thP hipning con1p~niE:''-,. and. tl~is \YeaknPss i~

fnrtlwr pxcmpbfit•d m tins ms~ance by the Lands D('partmcnt in not deah!'g w1th thn pPr~on who n1adP tho cornpla1nt, or PlSP in not findint; out those who were to blanw .:nd dc·aling with them as tlw>· desPrv:d. I hope '"" will hear. from !he Actmg .\.ttorne·v-Genera I on tlns queshon. I . am oorrv if I pn•ycnted him from, srwalm:g. hut ·I had no id('a that hP was g-omg to nse •.vhen I e:ot up. I b·ust wrc will hav;-· full idonnaiion from the hon. gcntll•man s de­parbnent.

The REC'RETARY FOR PUBLIC I:::\­:"TR1TTIOX (I! on .• J. \Y. Blair, Ipsu·irhl,: I did not think it was npcessarv to explam what is prad.ically obviou;;. I did not think it v1 ap, at all J1PC\:''•""ary to offer any word aR to the form thi .. particular inquiry should tnk('. If hem. membPrs had onlv taken the tr0 uble before they formulated these chargPs to consult the Public> SNvice Act thPy would

'e that the form of thr inquiry ie lai,d clown bY statute Ia w. \VIwn a charge 1s formallv laid a~ainst a public F('rvant. as long as' that ma~ is 'in the: llllhlic spn-iee it ntn'~'.: hP in acrnrdancP ,-nt~ the proced~re lai<l clown hv thP Act. wh1ch governs the public "<'l'Yants of Qu('('nsland.

::\fr. Hrx'rER: Did y<m lay any charges ngainst any ofiie0r ill th0 fir ~t instance?

:\h. THEODORE: At. ::\Ir. f..Iowbray's in­quiry?

'!'hP RECRETARY FOR PCBLIC IX­STRCCTIO'-': I ihnnght I was being ask('cl to explain tlw prnc0clurP. \V P will deal with one question at a time. First of all. the form of the inquiry is obj0cted to, and I

Hon. J. W, Bla~·r.]

42 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply

am pointing out to tho Honse. and through the House to the countrv, that the form qf the inquiry was the one' prescrib0cl bv tlw Publi<' SerYice Act of Queonsland, ~Yhich lays down unmistakablY that all those in­quirips arc to be prdP;T<'d by the head of tho <kpartment against the officer c·harged. \YhPne•.~<>r a charge is to lw formulated. tlw usual thing i~ to con~ult th0 Law Officer~ of thf' Crown. This is usnalh· clmw ln th_• head of the t!opartnwnt in 'question · The form of the charge is tlH•n drawn up. 'l'llt back. and is sign('d Lv the Ilf'rtnanPnt ht•acl of the- rlf'part~uf'nt. ~ ThPr0 \Yas not the sli!!ht0et t!eparturc from that procedm·e in this prrticnlar r,>,;c. All the charrres "'l'l'<' (~rav:n up whik~ Iny ('Oilf'ague, thf' Attorue~-­hPIH_•ral. \Vas hPre. and \Yf'l'f' not dra\Yll up <luring my occupaney of thP office of AttOl'-1l0y-UPnPra1 at all. The u,,'ual procednrt• wa·• folio" <'<1. and :\Ir. :\Iowhra; "a, selected to hold tlw iucllliry. G-rayp '<·hargt':" haYP Lnen n1aclP ag-ainst this GovPrllllh_ nt of hn:-;h­ing un thl:-:; 11articnlal' 1nattPr-for not allo--,-­ing- th-· fact-; tn ])~~ marlt> public--in oti-"·r ·words, all"'qinv th~t tht' GoYPrnn1unt ~ .. ~'rv :-.o cu ting bPt·-1u,,o tfwv 1.ven• friend~ of the' pnrtil'G in1nlicatPd. R0a11Y, I nC'vPr thought au tunyorthy chargt.l of that kind would l.H• n1ucle by. rr..;pon:->ihlP p0opl(' iu a re...:pon:-.ibl(' .Tlon~c'. (l-I(•ar. lu·ar :) I think that the tinH· for d.af h:ind of thing ought to havt' lla:'-:--t·d lnng :-;ii!C'C'.

="Ir. RYA~: ~-\n yc n sc·riou~?

'fhP SECRETARY FOH Pl'BLIC' I:\'­STR l'( 'TIOX: I do not thiHk any good i' ~~·ainL'd by Pncl0avouring to sho \V' tl1at thr• inquiry ,_,:as hnslH-d up b2cau~P the Go·n'rll­rnPut or those a..:::ociatPd with the1n art' f1·iend~ of the• al!c-;;cd offf'nc1Pr:-.. TL.at j ... th1. ehcap,::;, un(I lcnn··"'t hIP of abu:;.. of •dud1 I am a1Yare. (Hear. !war!) \Yhat happt:::~'cl ~ },I 1'. ::\Iowhray took c:harg<' of that HlfllUl'Y. A rt•qu-e~t v ,1:--; 11Iadt' to :\lr. ::\Io1Ybray tha+ t h0 inqnir~" ~honld b(• O}H~n tn the _Pr(';o::.s. l .... ninrtnnat"l.v. that gcntlr·uwn has :-:ulct• }Hl::-:~ql <nra."·, hu+ yq' knnv· that :\.Ir. :\Irncbra· dt·ciiJh'd to allow i1 to lH• opt'll<'rl to tl1P Pres;;;.

:\Ir. FrHELLY: n, wa3 not the bos~'·

The SECRETARY FOR FD3LIC' I:\'­STRCC'TIOX: :\Ir. ::'IIowbrav was the bo" to 11'·0 thf' f5anw tcTn1 ~,;•l('c:tf·cl b\ the• hcu: mcmbc•r for Par!dington. H" '"as the head qf that particular inquiry, and h<' was 1h.' official appointed to condn<:t it. The statu­tory procedure was followed to th<' letteJ', ar,d he had ab_,olute contr?l of that inquir~·- It was for h1m to say, m presiding OV<'l' that inquiry-it was ~JOt !1 judicial inqnir~-, but a departmental mqnJrY 11 hich is a totalh· different thing--whP1~0r' that inqnir~ shonl~l be onen to the pubhc or not. In the dis­<'retion of Mr. :\Iowbray-who. I say. unfor· tunate]y, has passed awav~-he refused to allow it to be made public at oiL Inci­dentalh·. a certain chttrgp wa' made that. if h \VerP a raihvav man w·ho '\Yas bejng dPalt 1Yith, the procedure would be 0ntirelY dif­ferent, and tlw matter wou!cl bt' made public. An:;·one who has had an0-thing "-hateYer ;, do with the procedure of railwa.'' appeal courts. or who has had anv 0xneriencp •vhat­l'n'r of tbPm, will know th~t .,~];at I am ahont to sa;v i' the 0xact tru_th. In a railway tlpJlPal conrt the· question of whethPr thn mattPr will b0 nut<l<' public or not rcste <'ntirely with tho tribunal.

:\Ir. KrRW.\l':: It was not tlw railwaY ap1wal court that I was talking about. ·

[Han. J. W. Blair.

The SECRETARY FOR PCBLIC IX-8TRFCTIOX: It is the railway app0al eourt that I am speaking about. (Laugh­tC'r.) I han• bt><•n heard in numprous case•-: hdore the railway appeal court, and so ha6 my hon. friend, the lettder of the Opposition, and he knows, as well as I do, that it is ,•ntir<>lv a matter for the appeal court to decide· 1dwther the proc(!odings should be made public or not. If tho hon. member for Brisbane refprs to an inquiry of a depart­Inental nature, the-n, of course, it is a mattc·r for the hc.·u! of tlw department.

1\Ir. KmwAx: I \\D' r0ierring to the in­quiry '' hich took place aft<'r tlw strike.

The SECRETARY FOR PCBLIC' IX­ATRl~CTIOX: \Ya, it a deportmental inquiry'?

1\Ir. KIR\Y.\X: It was the first inquiry that ·yas held aftt·r the strikt•, and it was made ]'llhlic.

The SE('RET.\RY FOR PrBLIC IX­i'TRCCTIOX: Tlwn what hayp you to com­plain about if it """' o)Jen to the public? tGo\ ermn<'nt lan;rhtt•r.)

:\lr. Kmw.1x: I ~.ay that th<>•·e men should lln V0 bPCll frt'Utl'd iti the UlllG \Ya:_v.

The SECRETARY FOR PT~BLIC' IX­STRUC'TIOX: \Yhere is thP relnance in bringing in any inquiry which \\as open to the public, in order to condemn a depart­ment f01· holding an inquirv not open to the public? H on. members OPJJosite should ha ..-e waited, and read the rPcorcls of the proeeNl­ings bpfore n1aking rash statcnwntf:. They "·ill see bv the records that it wa,, hv the decision of the magistrate himself tha't the first inquiry \nts not ma<le llllhlic. \Yitl1 n·gard to thp second inquir:-. there '"as r;,~--, charge of fraad "\Yhat\ \"t>l' against an~T J:e1.·.::v11 ..... a.~·(l on0. It wa:-; the question of overci1::1r~' dmt \Ya· d0alt with at the se<'ond :nqnir:~­anc! my collPagm has f'xplainec! that :,c-:n­rateh'. a~ anvonp ''"ill SPP \Vho takl:>S til•

troub]p to 'x~nlitw the evidence. }Jr. THEODORE: Ile toned it clown a lot.

Tht> SECRETARY FOR VCBLIC I:\'­STR1TTIOX: With r<'garJ to the seccnHl inquiry, arising from :\Ir. :'\>Iowhrav's report. a verv · serions charge Tv as lc~vPilCd again.-:t nne n;an. It wa:; d0ci(kl to make the <'harge against the indh·idual, and to ha,-e ihe matter inv<•stigatcd by rr'1other po'i"e magistrate. l~nfortunatel~, :VIr. :\1owbra:" 1Yas not available.

::\Ir. THEODORE: Did you my anoth0r police magistrate?

The SECRETARY FOR PDBLIO IX­STRrC'TlOX: An ex-police magistrate.

::\Ir. THEODORE: He was superannuated.

ThP SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC I~­STRCCTIOX: I do not know that to say that a person has berm superannuated is a l'harg·p ag·ainst his ability or his integTity. Sornctirnc.s aQ,·e arriv{'S nnd it leaYe·~ people a:; fullv d"n•iopPd in their faculties and ,.ble to do· th<•ir duty as well as t!H'Y were in younger day:-5. So111ctinws age rnakes no diffPrence 1YhatPY<'r to t!w facultY. (Laughtt'r.) ThP inquiry was held bPfore ·the ex-poliee magistrate' and the fullC'ot evidencp was givl'n. That matter 1Yas con,-idorod, and it was con­'id<'rod onlv inst to the officer in question to­q)mc to ti1r ~cone ~nsion arriyed at. I, p0rM wnal!y, at any ratP, am Yery glad that that r·ndence was of such a nature as to show

Supply. [8 JULY.] Supply. 43

that the public senice cf Queensland doo" not contain nwn \vho are caoablo of doing the things that \WrP al!Pgod again::t them. It is a feeling of sati"faotion to know that that is so. Thcl othPr sid<>-the members of the Opposition-ash•d for thcs'" inquiries. Tlwy got the inquirit''· and that is tho reeult. If there has been ;tny foolinf'.', then the people who gaYo them thP information haYe fooled them. (Hoar, !war:) That is tho result. \Yith regard to pnblic 'l'nant'· being fric•nds of tlw GoYormnent, I b<•liPYe the public ser­yiCl' contains units :-;<,n~iblt• Pnongh to know ,dw ~~''" doing go•)(l for tlwm. (Hear, hear ! and (~uvcrnnlcllt laught{~r.)

:\h. LE="i::\"0:::\ (H n·b crt) : It appears to IU8 that thp uttf'Hlllt 1nacle by the Secretary for Public In~tru.ction, in his cap'lcitv as ~\.ctiug Attorn(•y~Gr)npral, to explain., this 111atter, i~ a, verv lanw o1w. F;.·oni the ~·xn~.unution giYPll Lv tlw 8t>crc)tarv for Public ln~truction, 'tho Sccn•tary for l';,blic Lane\;; eYidentlv was not a\Yar'c of the fact that this as' the ;;t.atutory \Yay of proceeding with tlw mattPJ'. \Ve han· to seek information in thi:' \Yay, lwcuu:-;o wo cannot gGt it any otht'l' \Yav. The Chi~_·f SeC'n'tarY also rushed in like 'the"'' other l"'ople who ''rush in where angPls fc1r to tr(~~Hl. '' (Lang·hter.) The Trt :t~urPr lJa:<. hPmJ Acti 11Q.' PrentiPr fo1· tlw l.ast six or spv,'n n1onth~. ~1nd the Chief 8PerPtary ru~h._d i11 to talk aLout ->mnething 1dJieh he kn<'w nothing abont \Yhatt'ver.

::\lr. Hn;-;: lie is too impetuous.

Sir. LE::\:::\0:::\: l ,.,_ tlw impetuosity of thu Prenlil'l' h'd hin1 a'>t·av on this oc.,;asion. lf the ,e offiec•r,; an• npal>l~· "' being- dwrg-cd 011 tlw PYid.PIIC<' atldue"<1. alHl on the opinion nf a man likP th<· late• ::\Ir. ::\lowbray th< ,. -r\ Prl• not only OY('n_·harging. ln.1l· thcj· \Vcre p:uilty d fahifieati<>n, I would like to ask. :s not the coinhiiH'<l ofl'PnC'P of fa1sifi'L·ation aurl extortion C'qual to ~tealin~r?

);,Jr. RYA~ : 1 t i~ obtaining IllOlH'Y under f.nl~t\ pl't>tences.

:\h. LE::\":::\0:::\: \Yell. g·t•tting" money under faJ~{~ prPtPncc-; j ,, a 111on• sc'rious crirne than thdt. Yet the• Se(']'C'tary for Public Instruc­tion g"Pb np to whitt~\-ra~h the whole concern. n,, aided and aht'ltf>tl tlw 8ecretan· for Public Land,, and tried to make this iiouso and the country l>elie,·c· t'~at, instead of hav­ing· offic(•rs in the department who dc·scrYed <· Jnden1n.ution und sonwthinp: ,,·or.::.e, they l'l'all~, ought to lll' presented with testi­monials. (Lawdltl'r.) Tho whole .action of the GoYernmcnt in this matb r is certainh• yery suspicion~. bccan:-;e the public were k0Pt unaware of \Yhat was going on. Possibly that was the wodt of the g·cntleman who preside' ov<•r t h0 TreaSUQ~ Department, which I might C(ll! the " Keep-it-dark Department." (Laughter.) It is in accord­ance with his usual proceclurl'-always keep t·Yt)ryrhing dark wlwn you possibly can. If

thl'rc was nothing to conceal, [5 p.m. J \Yhy prcsC'!Te all this secrecy?

'The Sccretarv for Public Instruc­tion """ most reluctant to get up at the J;rescnt time. He was inYitcd to speak by the leader of this side, but he refrained from doing so until the last moment, show­ing that he had an unph'asant task, and hP 'poke as if it was a personal g·rievance to have to whitewash the Pnblie ScrvicP Board. The people in tho country reading his rem<trks wonld he led to think that the Public Service Board was an independent

both· of nH'll, whereas it is eomposed of· the ,Q:Pll!h'nlPn who occupy the front Treasury lwn<>h. Th<• hon. gentleman simply got up all(\ toltl '" what eonfidence lw had in rhe Pul1lic.; SPrYie(' Board.

:\[r. P.\YXE (.lliicl"ll): If this discussion has tltmP nothing- else it has proved that this Pxhau~tiYP inquir}· has ended in smoke. \\\~ tint! that :\lr. :\lowbray, the late P.M., proved 1 hat tlwn' \\a~ fraud.

Tl"• ~EcnwrARY FOH PeBLIC LAXDS: Nothillg of the' kind. H c>rc is his rl'port, and you \rill ,,Dr ti"'l that.

:.\lr. P A YXE: TlJPn what the leader of the ( )ppo"'ition n'ad nluf:t lw incorrect.

The ~El'HET.H!Y FOR Pl'BLIC' LA:><DS: 1fo,t iut HTl'.J.

'.lr. HL\;>;: Xo.

Vr. PA YXE: :\Ir. :\Iowbray proved be;ond dnnbt that ihPrc' was fraud. The SecrN.ary tm Pnblic Land .. tPlls us that tlwre ha, bc~n n pt'l'$OlHll ill~Pt'etion of thj,;;; country, and it ''"a" proYutl that the fraud was not a~ ?l'l'tH as antieipatl~d.

The 8ECRET.UlY FOR Prnuc LAXDS: That tlH' oYereharp:e ·was not as great.

~lr. PAYXE: I understood the hon. memlwr to ~.< y it originallv ROBle hundred' of l"'""'i:". "hieh hac( dwiricll"d clo"n to £25.

Tlw ~I:c'HET.\RY FOJ( I'L"BLIC' LAXDS: Xut tht' fraud. tht' trn·reLarg,·.

1ir. P~\.1:-.-:-\E: That i~ a Y"l'Y light \Yay ~)f puttirq; it. I thought rnr'n of the \vorld like th<' L(Jll. p:euth'nwu :-;it1iLg on tl1e front Trf'a . .;nl'Y

bt'ttt'h would han' h@.~l th{' llloral eourag(· to pnt t hi:-. rnattc'r in a ;-;traight wa~·. They ~ay a 'lWll i:-~ uot a thief \Yho defrauds the t;(_J\crttllF'llt h:, lni~n'pP::_"f:e-Iltation. I \Yon1d ~<·tJih'l' trtt:-:t i1H' nwn \Yho stole a pot of rrr•'tt~<' on thl\ wharf thau otH' of thos' 111<'11,

for. aft<'r alL orw :··t•c•nls to bP a :::;cientific thiPf <dld thl' othPr an ordinary blundering thiPf \Yl1o wnntt'd a pot ol grease, and \\"hen l1c­.... a~r OIH' on tht' wharf he took it av;,ay. The ,-:hole uwt1rT i:-; YPl'~~ uu~atit'factory. If thert"'\ hw.l bf'~'!l a public inquiry, some of tho offier1 l'iJ who haYe had charges 1nade ag·ain::t t1h'lll rnay lmYP had an opportunity of clearing tht'll!'l'ln's. I have found before to-day that, in ('{HllH)ction with inquiries ~uch as \YC are wn:: discn~:4ing, innocrnt n1en have been blanH"d for cPrtain thiugs. and there is riot tlw ,.li!;htost doubt that if the inquil";'" had k·en o-pen to tho public, those men wonld havP h'<'!l abk to clear their characters, alHl tlw blame~--tlwft. or fraud-would haye lwen plaoPtl on the proper shoulders. This discm­,ion has provPd beyond doubt that this ex­hau·tiY<' inquiry has. not. been satisfact:wy to tht• Gon•n1mont or the people of Queens­land.

(/<H''tion put and passed.

CO}DJITTEE.

i.llr. Janus Stodart, Logan, in the ch.:ir.)

The TRK\~l-RER. in moving-.. That £1.050,000 be grantod towards

<ll'fraving thP 0XpC'nS0S of the various t!Ppa!:tm;'nts in the s0rvice of the Stat<<'

<'xplain<'d that he was asking for two months' Rnpply. Compar0cl "·ith Supply which was obtainNl fm· a similar period last year. the 11o~iti~._)n \Y<l" a:;; followA; on account of revenue­last v<-.lr the Government asked for £600,000, and 'this' war thov were asking- for £650.000. On arr•)nilt of tn;st, last ~'ear they as~<ecl for· £50,000, and this yc·ar they were askmg for·

Hon. W. H. Barnes.]

44 Appropriation Bill No. I. [ASSEMBLY.] Appropriation Bill No. 1.

£100,000. On account of loan. la-;t vpar tlwv a,kr•tl for £300,0C{), and thiti vear tlH•Y \n'r·,, a:-:king for the :-mn1e anwnnt. ~ Tlw differuncL' thcn•fore on tl1e tDh] amount ,,·ns £100.800. Ttw Iargf'r anwunt .asked for in connection \vith trust \\a,s accouut0d fo1' ovviug to tb~· fa('t that tlw an1ount voh•d la~t '-·pae ,~-a..:. fotmd to b,• insufficient, as £47,000 iwd to bt• :paid i11 coni!Pctiou \Vith UoYf'l'Ilill0Ht ~ne;ar­milk H would bp at one" HPIJ:•reut that in C'Ollllt'{;tion \Vith rP"V('llUC. \Vith thP illCl't'tH,illQ' pro:;;pt•rity and exponsc_~. of the ~tate. it \YU~s IH'CC'•;-'ary to Inake provision for an rxtra £50.000. lf bon. nwmlH'Iti rl'•"irr•rl auv furtlH•r information he \H>uld be pleasPd tci gin• it.

:\Ir. Hn;nm: That £300,000 from !Dan do .. s not look like 8!WPding up tlw railway;-;.

Ql!estion put and pa,,sl'd. ThB HotiiK' l'C'Rtmwcl. Tlw CH-~IIDIAX IT­

port"d that tbP CommittPe had coml' to a, re:-3olu.tiou, \vhiC'h \vas rt.•cQiYcd and agTPt.•d tD.

,~-A YS A~D ?.IEA:\8. 0PEXIXG OF ('Q}I'\[[TTEE.

Tlw TREA~t-RER. moved~--'· That. tm•.·ard, making good thl' Sup­

ply grantee! t-o liis ::\Iajc,ty on account. fur the service of the yPar, 1914-15, a sum, n·Jt e'<:cc•eding £650,000. bL' grantee! out of th~ consolidatN! rev<'nue fund: a furthPr eum, not exc0ecling £100.000, from the trust ancl special funch<: ancl a further sum, nDt exccpding £300,000, fwm the nwneys standing to the crt·dit Df the loan fund account."

(~twstion put and p£bSC'cl. The' House rcqunwcl. Tlw C'HAIR}IAX l'C­

port.ed that tht• CommittPP had cDm<' to c r­tain r0solution~, which \V~rP n·cPiYPd anJ agTPPd t<).

APPROPHL\TIO:\ BILL :\n 1.

FIRST HE.\D!:-<G.

On the motion of the TRE.~~(-HER. thi,; Bill. founded oll the r('·,,olntion~ pat':Wd i11

Connnitt'l1 f' of \Yavs and }leans, ,,-a .. l't.1 tHl a fir·'t ·time. ·

RECOXD RE.\DIXG.

Tlw TRE"\~(-RER: I beg to mow that tlw Bill be now read a sect)ucl timr•.

::\lr. IIAMILTOX (Or. (furp): BPfore the Bill is rPad a se-;·ond tirnP. a~ Wt' are going­to appropriate Ron1o n1one-y frorn the loan fund, I should like some information in tl'·

garcl to the railway poliC'y-what this money is to be dPYott'cl to. Befort' tiiP h1st election --about thr0e yPars ago--wP pa~Sl'd a long· ]i,;t of railway,, whic·h WC'rP to be t<tarted ~::iinnltanpous]v~ fl·orn the diffprPnt ef'ntl·ps­in the South, Ceutn', ancl :\ orth. "-hile Hnne of thf'.;;e raihvavs have l>PPll ~tartPtl. thPrP an• raihnn,~ in the -:\or~lwrn district-­':::.Ollll' in the eh:etorate whlch 1 l'l'lH'P:-f'llt-­

in which no start has be011 Inadl:... and "'here uothing hat-i hP{'Jl PXp0lldPd apart fr<nn tl1P :-.Ul'Yl·v. I v;·onld likP to unc1Pr.4and fnnn tho ~li11i;tPr 'vht'll a :-;tart iH goi11g to lH_' nHtdP. ~nt1. if a start is n1adc. wlwth0r thC' lin0 i& going· to be pl'O''O·C'f·UtPd a;-;~iduon~ly. or ,vht•th('r it ii' going t~) be earrled on :-.uch a., son1P of the linr,,, have rPcPnt]v. wjth onlv u handful of n1011, p(\rhap~ haff a clozPn ~i1 ~Olllf' iustanrP~ ·: I \vould also likP to kno\Y 'What i~ going to be\ donP in rpgarcl to the linP to thP Will,; Rin·r? I bPliew that thl·rr· are onl;v a f()\Y lHt'll Pll'fHgl'd on that.

11lon, W, H, Barnes.

I sa v that. bt•fore Wf' vot<' auy money for anv 'frl'sh railwa V', it is time that the rail­wa'vs pas~ed twc; Or thrPe y('ars ag·o wero compl<'tNI. I would likl' to gPt some infor­mation from the :>Iiuist<>r a' to whethf'r he is going to push on with the. \Vin~on to SpringTalt> lint>. how. far he. 1."'. g_o1ng. to comp!Ne the fir:;t section. and If It IS goml' to be pu"hr•tl forward prorwrly or whether It iM going on in a dilly-dallying fa8hion aR has lJPt'n the cn~e in sornf' linPs during the la<:..t fP\V :fC'UL.;?

The BECREL\HY FOH IU.ILWAYB (Jlon. \Y. Paget, Jir11·kay): The Trc•asurer iu­forms me that SOlllC' c£30iJ,0(10 is being asked for to prosl'cut.e railway:.- nov{ und(lr eo~l­~trur-tion. ThP hon. nH')n1b0r for Gn"gorr ;;aid that thPrP were st\vPral raihvayR 'in hi~ Pll'·c­torah• whi<'h hac! not bN•n startNL Tlw only one that has not be0n etartecl is the line from \Yinton to RpringTalP, and tlw hon. member is pcrfc>dlv W(•ll a\\ are that the surYl'V shmvPu that' the dirPC'tion that line should tab' was bpyond the 25-mile limit. and we werP unable to make a start in the building of that liiw bpfore wP got npcessary authority from Padiamc•nt to extend the c!Pviatioil from the route originally passed. I think £10,000 was placi'd on thl' EstimatPs last vPar for the \Vinton to Springvale line, rpallv for the pmposc• of keeping things g·oing until we could gPt authority from Par­liarnPnt to makP the extPnsion I haYe nwn­i :.)ned. ~.\ g·ang to start thP construction of the linP i>. bPing formed, and the monPys that were on the Estimates for the 0xt0nsion of the line from the Duelwss to Sulieman Crl'ek are bping 0xpt'mkd at the present !U0ll1£'llt.

::.\Ir. H.niiLTOX: \!pry slow progrPs~ js lBPing mach•.

The SECRETARY FOR RAILVIAY~: It is impo"'ib]; for mP. at< ::\Iinistl'r for Rail­way~. to ( xpPIHl n1orP uloJwy than ~)arlia­m<'nt authori,;c•,, and all I r.an ,;ay IS that I hope suf!icoiPnt monPys will lw plaeed on the EstimatPs in ordet' to carry on 1noro Yigorou:-;ly than in tlw past.

Quc,tion put and passed.

CG:IL\!ITTEE.

(Jir . .T. St,Jrlart, Lo(/rlll, in the rhair.)

On clause 1--" ~\ppropriation "-:\ir. HA:\ITI/.1.'0:\ said that he was of the

opinion that t~l' explanatio,n which thl' }IinistPr fur Ra1hvays ha(l giVf'll wa~ YPry indefinite'. lie woulcl !ikl' to know ,dwtheJ' anv Inoiwv waR aYailable to carry on thP wo"rk lw liucl refcrrNl to during thE> C'oming vear. ThreP )-'Pal':;J ago the:" authorisf'd a :£10,000,000 loan, nnrl tlwy w<'re told at ,that time that it was to build railways C"JlPCHdly sjweifi<'d in the programnw of 1910. It was said that they would bl' proseeutecl from all the differpnt pointe in tlw :\orth anrl tlw ('pntre until th0v wPre u>mpkted. 'l'IH'Y wPre told that th0 PrC'miPr was ablP to rai"' £2.000,000 ,dlPll lH\ ,,·as honH\ in tho old country. \Yas that to bP usN! in pu,;hing on thP lines lw had mPlltionNL <'Spf'<'ia!ly tlw \Yinton to ~prlngyalr> lin0 ·~ ThQ Land:=- D(lpartnient had o-iYf'll notieP of n, YC'l'V large nutnbf'r of resm{;ptiom< in that clish:ict, 'and nohYith­standing that }linistc>rs \Youlcl say that tlw supply of land Pxc'ePtkd tlw demand. they knew that it clid not come• nt'ar tlw demand, not bv a thou,;and-folcl. People wero bl'ing ~ivl'n. to nnc!Pretancl that a railwav would be ·built tlwrr• in the Iwar fnhlrc>, and .he thought

Appropriation Bill No. l. [8 JULY.) App1'opriation Bill No, 1 45-

! hat they should know how ncar in the future It would be started, and what money there wa' a,-ailable to build It. rte notw-ed t.hat an undue proportion of the moncv alreadv expended had been in thP npighbourhood ~"£ dw nwtropolis and in the Southern portion d thP :'\tatP, whereas, at Longreach, all they had for a railway station was a bit o£ a dog­box, although they had been asking for years for a statwn awl could not got so much as a olwcl. It was full time that the Government pushr·:l on with tho linr·s in the interior.

::Vfr. THEODORE: The question raised by the member for Gregory was one well worthy of consideration and answer bv the Treasure~ or the Secretary for Railwa:p~ He al~o desir<>d some information regardinrr an?th<>r matter-tho negotiations apparentl~­lJemg carrH•d on by the Government with reference to the purchase of the Chill a rroe Company's railway. lie did not want" to r•mbarrass the Government, but he would like to knov.· -whether the negotiations werQ going on. and what stage the}' had reached. A great man~· pPrsons were interested in the proposal.

The TREASCRER: In supplPnwntin~ \\!;at had been _said by his colleaguP, th~ Ylm1.~tcr for Rathm~·s, he might say that cert.am progre"' had been made. He might further add that the policy of the Govern­nwnt m the past had bPPn to pnsh vigoroml ,. on with tht> building of railway.'. "

The PREMIER : OnP thou"md so yen lnmdn'cl and thirtPcn 1niles in t0n ;yearR.

GOYERo;~tEST :.VIE:\IBERS: IIPar, ht•ar :

Th" TREASCRER: The loan fund was in a satisfactory condition. lie might fm­thPI' add that tho credit of quPPnsland was in >~, specially sati· .. factory condition.

LiOVERX}!EST :.VlE)!BERt!: II car, hear!

The TREASURER: The vigorous policy wludi had_ been .rmrsucd in tlw past in cou­nection w1th ra1l·ways would b(' nllr!-'tlC'd in tlw future. \Yith rPgarcl to the question of ~he hon. _member for l'hillagrw, if he wa., 1~1 pos~e~s1on of ~\:llO\YlPdg(' of any negotia~ twi_ls gomg on 'nth tlw ( 'hillagoe Company, which was unknown to the Govct·nnwnt lw might let them have it. Ifp mio-ht 'tell hiln, however, that, ~·o" far as the

0Qoyern­

lllPnt was eoncerncd, there \vas none.

2\fr. TIIEODOHE: I mentiom•d it bccall'•P. at tlH' mnnud llll'cting of the shareholders of thu Chillagoe Compnny, it was mrntionPtl.

:Ylr. LEXXOX said he was not altogether oatisfiPd ,,-ith thP Pxplanation gin'n bv the 'I'reaourl'r. Ilc might not know of th•• 'large deputation which waited on tho SPcretarv for Railways about a fortnight ''ll'O with rl'f<'I'<'IlCP to the slow progrpss being made' 'nth the construction of the North Coast line. It therp was shown by fads and figures that. whntcy('r the policy of the Government might he in r<'fPrence to railwaY construction their prac·tieP lvas to " go slow:" The GovPr'nmcnt. had won.an el~ction on their" bold, vigorons progre~:nve railway pohcy," and it 'vas "up to the Gov0rnrn0nt" to do son1ethin1" t....J uphold the rPIJUtation th0y had got. nTLc £10.000.000 loan was passed for thP purpose of l'Olhtructing two great railway lines and ntlwrB that "~erf-' In<~ntionC'd at the tinl('. The £2,000,000 rec<mtly obtained werE' part of that £10,000,000 loan; and, in all fairness if the Govcrnm<'nt was going to be honest and koe.p faith with the country, they should

Pnrmark tho"' £2.000.000 for thaw rail­ways. Th,.,. had a great many applications­for direct. routes to \Yarwick, and what not, and if the Government were desirous ot placating the country party, they would havo to build railwavs that would mop up a large portion of th,;;e £2,000.000; but he was anxious that it should go for the purpose for ,vhich it was raised.

::\Ir. ADA:.VISO:\' (Rockham.•pton): He \Yould not haye spoken at all had it not been that the Premier had mentioned that 1.750 miles of ruih,·ay had been opened in th<' la>t t<'n yPars. lie represented a con­F.tituen('y of :::on1e hnportance, and a district of n•ry great importance to (~ueensland, alild lw wi>l!l•d to voint out that, of that length of railwaY. onlv 260 miles had been opened in ('entrai QnP<;nsland. He would like to ask tlw l'hiPf Secretary whether that wa& a fair proportion, pye'n on the basis of popu­lation. whieh ht> had heard him talking about in connection "·ith other matters? Person­ally, !11• thoug-ht that railways should precedn" and CIH onragp f"ttlenlent. The Premier was making- a gr<'at boa:;t abont the lines that had lH' 'n opr>IH'rl in tho b;;t few years-and Ill' thonf!llt it was very crPditable that so mnch had bt•L•n done-but he thought that tlw Central t!isti ict had b0cn, and was being. twglcct<•<l. lie• wanted to say that they had uut had a fair proportion.

::\Ir. K B. C ConSER: They had more than thr·ir prolJortion years ago. (Laughter.)

::\lr .• \D.\:\lSOX: If there was one mem­lll'r in that Ilomc who should b0 silent concPrning the' propori ion of railway \\+ork in hio diotrict, it "·as the han. member for· ::\Iaryborough.

::\Ir. E. B. C. Con sEn: II ow many y<'ars han· 'Yl' had to 'vait for it. while the Cen· trnl di:--triC't got hundreds of rniles!

::\Ir AD.\::\fS( ):\"": llc' knew that there hntl iH·('ll ~Inon· raihYavs. c·on;;;tructed in the \Yitk BaY ontl Bnrn;•tt districts than in ulrno~t w1~· o~·lH·r. Px(·t·pt tlw Downs dif\t.nct. dm·iil"" th:· Ja,t fe\Y YPars. The Central disrri;t '"'"'' nwrc imiJo.rtant than tho V\'ide Bay and RurnPtt. an{! it "a' time they got n1orc· than tl1Py wern ggetting at prost:nt. ,\Jxmt 163 milt-" of railwa,- was projected ill tht• South. and aJ,out 60 miles in lh<l ( \•ntral di>trict, and if tl10y took the survey work donP laf't vear, in relation to th(l ex­tPn:--:ion of nrr~"'Plit lin0s and thP constructiDri o: nPw linr·~. tlH'Y would lind that there were "boat twt•nt,·-eiiht in the South ":nd ~ftm'n in tlw Xorth. anrl onlv 0110 l1L'W !me m the ( "<·ntral (li:,trict. \Yith tl11:eo Pxtensions. Tlw ~' WPre fi cqu'f'q frmn thP df'1Jartn1Pnt. which lw '' oul~l n~<' in nnotlu'r connM:tion. IlP holll'd that tht• C'hid Secretary would rPali~<' -that Rockh::llnllton was an important r·Pntrt' that ( 'pntr".l Qm,ensland nf'ed<>d dPYPlo'pnH'llt a~ we1l as Southern Quernsland, and that !10 'nmld lw willing to do something n10''(_' for t 'pntral <Jneensland than ha.d b('''ll donP in tlu-- past.

:ilr. II ('XTER: \YhiiP h0 11dmitted tlw importanr·t• of thl' 1\'id<' Ba:v aBel Contra! rli>trictf'. he would like' tlw IIousP t-o n•mpm­h.·r that th~'l'l' ,,-t'l'P otlH'r inlportant districts, too.

An n oxorHABLl<' "!-.fE:MBER: Maranoa : (IIt'ar. hoar>': and laught<'r.)

::Ylr. lll'l\;TEH: Thc•re was one district whith otood out prP-0minent to these. (Laughtet.) He noticed that the Treasurer

Mr. Hunter.]

46 A-ppropriation Bill Ko. l. [ASSE:.\IBLY.] Appropriation Bill No. l.

was asking for two months' Supply. He had had no intention of asking any quPstion.s, as lw had hoped that recognitwn would be given to his district w1thout "ugge:.;ting tlw necessitv of it. The 'l'rcasurcr said t hen• was enough. mone~· here to meet tlw rl'quire­m<>nts of lines under construction for the ne'Ct two months, but he had not heard him say anything about the lines \vhich should bf' started before two months henc<'. 'l'h<'l'<' had lwPn a line promised in the ::\Iaranoa for MJ11le considerable time which should have !wen started long before, alHl to now men­tion another two months seemed to b0 rather :'crious. \Vould the Treasurer disabU'l' hi> minrl of any misunderstanding on that point·:

The TREASL_TRER said' the vote thc•y "\ll.:ere asking for on account was to C'arry out the geHeral work of the Railway Dc>partnwnt in connection with lines that \YPrt' undPr eon­Btruction. The hon. gPntlt•man would know that lines had been taken in CPrtain ord\'1'. and that no doubt his tnrn wouid come• in .due course.

i\!Ir. FOLEY (Jiunrlingburra): lie would like to sav a few words in cmmc•ction with >1 railway· that affectt·d his district the lim· from Townsville to Ingham. A tkputation recentlv waited on tlH' ~Iini~tf'r on thP sub­ject-at which, unfortunat<'ly, he (:.\Ir_ Foley) could not be prt'Sl'ni·~and thP Minister's re­ply was, to his wa:c of thinking, rather :m t"'asivo answer. The railway in (llH'stion had berJn started some three year::; ago, mHl up to the present there \H're only 23~ miks com­pleted and opened for traJ!ic. Son>.e t•xten­,ions on the ~orth Coast l{ailwa;~· "-hic·h \Yl'l'<' started at the same tinw had bl'<'ll carric·d out to a much further PxtPnt mam· months ago. There 'vas gn•at complaint in tht• ::\'orth general!:·, and partieularly in Towns­Yillc and Ingham, about thP t!Play in tlw c·oustruction of the linP. X o good r"'"'m had been given \Yhy that linf' \Va~ not n~ far advanced as other linP:• which startc•d at tlw :.an1e time, and it v1as up to tlw 1IinistPr to push ahead as he had !wen reqnc•stcd to do by the very strong deputation which ,,-aited upon him. At pre .cnt, the• lin<' simply tl'r­minated in the bush, and verY littlt> n•n•11nP could be got for tlae Govet:nmt·nt, or any ,_ood for anybody c·l':st•, until the line \vent to Ingham. It was a burning qu0stion in the North that the raih\ ay should bP puslwd on. Tlw district it was going to bonn/it. and the amount of lnud it v ould enable pcopl<' to 'ottle on, was 'of such a natur(' that the dP­mand was a r<:'asonable one. H<' trusted tl-at the MinistN would sec that a fair proporhon of the £300,000 he was asking for to push on with the railwavs under construction "as allotted to the ·Towns,-ille to Inu-ham line. ,

:Mr. GILLIES (Earham) desired to call attention to the \':ay in which the great ·tatesmanlike and :vigorous railway policy of the Go1 ernmcnt was carried out in his elt•cto­rate, and to the scandalous treatment meted out to the selectors in his district b:v the Minister. The Minister, when introd.ucing the first section of the ::Ylillaa ::Yiillaa Railwav in 1911. said that there were 500 s<'l' ctors in that district who were depending on the con­struction of the line, who were compelled by the Lands Department laws to live on the selections, and that it was impossible for tho~e men to make a living off their land without a railway. Yet in spite of all the nromises made from tim.e to time, there had been no start made. A few months ago a

ru r. Hunter.

statenHmt was published that £80,000 was to be set apart for the construction of the lin<', and also that a start would be made, and when the workmen from Mount Mulligan got down to the line an c•Hort was made to cut down the wages from lOs. to 9s. 6d. a day without giving any reason why that reduction should be made, and consequently the men refused to go on with tho work. The selec­tors there \YPre almost unani1nous in con~ damnation of tho GoYcrnment in trying to reduce the minimum rate of wage without giving notice>, and making that an PXcuse that this linE' "hould be dPlayed.

An 0PPOSlTION 1\dJmBER: Shame! :.\1r. GILLIES: It was a .,,hamo, because

c'ven the Uhinamt•n who employed white workers to plant corn paid as much as lOs. or 12s. a day in tlw di"trict. The selectors who had to guarantl'<' the line had held meptings, and urgt'd that the ;\linister should grant this very reasonable rc•quest of the men, and proceed with thP work.

An 0PPOSITIOX l>IE:CIBER : Thev arc• too bus:,- duplicating liw•s about Brisbane.

:.\lr. GILLIES: Yt·s; thPv were too busy duplicating lint•:; to attPnd to the Nortli. This was the GoYPrnnH'nt \Vho professed to han• a great affection for tht• selector, th<' backbone of the countrv. but wlwn it camt· to expending a little Iiwnoy to give thos<· nwn who tried to make a living after ha,-ing paid fancy prices for tlwir land to the- Lancb Department, all sorts of excuses were offen•d in ordl'r to hang up tlw lint•. The t.>ro Cou­•ervative nowspapPrs in the district had both nnd,•nmed the- action of the Governmt•nt in hangina: up the- line. '·The \Yalsh and Tina­roo :"timer," which was knmvn to be a most C'onsen·atiye pap0r, pointe-d out that-

" On the Millaa Millaa extension the men refuspd to start work at tlw wage offcred-9s. 6d. pe-r day-sticking ont for lOs. In consequence a meeting of settle-rs was held, and wires sent to the Railv, ay Commissioner and district ni<'l11-her (:.\1r. GilliPs) to concede the dBmand of the men as fair and reasonable. ::\Ir. Gillie-s replie-d. 'Tlw Conunissioner savs HH' demand Is now in the hands of the GoY<'rnmPnt. Pr0mier dedin0cl to receive deputation till Mr. Paget re­turns from ::Ylackay.' Our correspondent (' B.V. Advocate') informed us yestC'r­clay that a lot of the men are rolling up their swag·s prcparatDry to leaving. A number of men came down frmw MDunt Mulligan, expecting that the rul­ing wage tlwre, 10:<., would be paid at Malanda, and are now leaving in dis­gust. Forty or fifty have been camped at Mabnda, waiting for the work to start. The general opinion is that work will b0 comme-nced about the end of the month."

That came from a Conservati:ve pan<'r at ::'dart!c>ha, which supported the Governinent­thP; "B.V. Advocate." The other paper pomtpd out--

" \V e undprstand that the little differ, Pncc between the Railway Department and the men at Malanda is likely to be ad­justed at an early date. It is just as well that the matter of wages be defi. nitely settkcl before the work starts in order to avoid further delays. Anvone acquainted with conditions in the North must realise that the demands of the men for lOs. per day is only 1!. reason­able one. Anything less would not be a

Appropr-iation Bill No. l. [8 JCLY.] Appropriation Bill JYo. l. 47

living wage, and surely the Government does not wish to be accused of sweat­ing. The Minister for Railways will show his sincerity in this matter by pay. ing a living wage and pushing the work forward with all possible speed during the period when \veather is suitable."

Dne of the standing excuses of the Govern· ment why this work should not be proceeded with had been because the wet season was on. The dry season in that district only lasted a few months, and now much of the dry weather was being lost. Further, an expensive staff was being maintained all the time doing nothing, and, as the hon. nwmbr"r for Ht>rbert pointed out. this matter was brought before the :Minister by a deputation about a fortnight ago, when he promised to submit the matter to the Cabinet for consideration. It was just about time the selectors in the district should have >orne assurance from the .Minister as to what his intentions were. He entered his emphatic protest against this delay. It ·would be much more honest and fair if the Government were to ,<ay straight out that they had no intention of building the line. ::\Iinisterialists had assured him from time to time that the Government vvcre anxious to push tlw line on to completion. He hoped the Mini>t<·r would ri,e in his place and 1nakc a statE'nlent on the subjPct.

Mr. KIRWAX said he did not intend to delay the House more than a min\lte. He noticed the :\Iinistcr was in his usual place.

The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: Do vou want another railway? -

Mr. KIR\V.A:'\: : He was not asking for a. railway now, but he thought it his duty to refer to the men to whom the :\Iinister, in his wisdom, ,saw fit to giY~ re-employment in the Railway Department. The hon. gen­tleman would remember that, quite reeentlv, owing to the unfortunate disaster at Mu~·­phy's Creek. two highly paid and responsible officers had been disrated and fined. Those men had since been reinstated, and it had been reported in the Press that their fines had been remitted, owing to the fact that since the unfortunate affair had happened they had discharge·d their duties in an able and conscientious manner. If that was the treatment t4at had to be• applied to the officers of the department, surely, after two long years, the men who went back after the strike were entitled to equal treatment ! Otherwis~. if the Minister and his officers still thought fit to continue this vindictive policy of victimisation, they had another instance of preferential treatment. He ap­JWaled to the Minister to carry out the full spirit of his promise made to him (:::Wr. Kir­wan) in the first se,sion of this Parliament.

The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: It has been done.

Mr. KIRWAN: The hon. gentleman could not tell him that. With the exception of three' or four men, these men were on the same Wa!feS and conditions as they went back to• the service. Xotwithstanding that the Commissioner promised the hon. member for Fortitude Valley and himself, previous to his departure from Queensland-and he also understood that he so promised the leader of the Opposition-that these men would get vacancios as they occurred, the promise had not been kept.

The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS : Instructions haTe been giYen.

::Yir. KIRWAX: Then he hoped that the :\Iini,tor and the Deputy Commissioner would see that some of the understrappers in that department carried out the instruc­tions. He spoke feelingly on this question, and stated what he honestly believed to be facts. He \voulcl be very sorry to make any charge against any official in the Railway Department, but it was passing strange t~at men who had joined the service only qmte recently, who had not beAn twelve months in the country, when an acting checker was wanted, wer<e appointed to order about the men who had got back. He asked that the same treatment be given to these railway men who in a moment of public excitement, went out and came back by the grace ""of the Minister and his Comrr.issioner, and that they should be treated the sa!lle as ::VIessr,, Carmody and Lloyd. I-Ie d1d not question the Ycry merciful treatment extended bv the Commissioner in his wisdom to these t,\-o highly responsible officers; he was only asking that the same treatment should be gh-en to the men in the .lower grades of the service.

:Ur. BERTHAM (Jiaue): There seemed to be an impression in the minds of member." for countn -districts that too much money was being· spent in the metropolis, and not cnouO'h in the countrv districts. One of the mam:' ca us<•s of complaint he had against tlw GoY~rnmf'nt was that not sufficient money \Vas being spent in and around the metro­polis. (Laughter.) He would like to know from thP i:lecretarv for Railwavs whether anv portion of the £300.000 ~Yas to be de~·oted for the purposes of constructing the connecting link lwtween ~Ielbourne etreet .and Korth Brisbano or ior improving the railwav vards in \Yoolloongab!Ja? These hvo mattc1:; 'affected a large number of persons. They affected a; larg<, number of electors in Bulimba and Oxky who were very knml~­interestecl in the connection between ::\' orth and South Brisbane. On some other occa­sion he would have a good deal to say about that particular question.

:VIr. }1cCOR:V1ACK (Cairns): It appeared to him that there ''"m a good deal in the contention put forward that the Governm.ent were buildino- raihoavs onlv in tho constitu­encies of th~ir supp~rtPrs: It had dawn<'d on him that \Vas the policy of tlw Govern· ment.

The SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE : It has not dawned on me. {Loud laug·hter.)

:Mr. 1\IcCOR:\lACK: It had dawned on the Secretarv for Agriculture that he would like to see meat go up to ls. per lb., but such a thina- as that had not dawned on anybaody else "'in Queensland. (Laughter.) The loan monev was borrowed for a specific purpose, and it should be spent to carry out the works for which it was obtained. The Government l1ad talked a lot about their great scheme of linking up the Western and North Coagt railwavs and tho Government should go on with th~ buildino: of those rail" ays, parti­cularly as they passod through oome o_f tlie best country in Queensland. The ra1lway between Cairns and Innisfail ended at a. stump, and had been in that c_ondition for .a considerable time. He would llke to know 1f any of the £300,000 was going to be sp~nt in continuing that railway? DeputatiOn after deputation had waited on various Ministers, but could not receive any definite

Mr. McCormack.]

48 Appropriation Bill :Yo. l. [ASSEMBLY.] Appropriation Bill No. l.

re;1lv on that matter. There was a favour­Hble routP, and the guarantors \You:d will­mgt:- pay for any deficiency. At present on engine ran up to tho terminus at the 'tump c·vory other day just as a matter of form. It was time that tho Secretary for Railwayo took some action in abolishing the oystem of tipping which exiBted in the Rail­way Department. (Hear. hear!) It was demoralising, both to the man who gave the tip and to tho man who received it, and it was a sntem which should be " scotched" at on;;c. · If the railway porters were not 1eef'iYing sufficiC'nt wagps to live on, th~n they ought to be incroaspc' without allowing them to resort to e.ccept tips. It meant that the people 'vho could not afford to give tips got no attention at all, and only th~se who gave a tip had their luggage attended to. ln Canada a Bill was JHbsod through both Houses of Parliament prcv0nting tipping in every class of employment. Tho Government !Jere should make a st<trt by preventing tip­ping to Go\Tern1nont servant~.

Mr. P A Y::-.IE supported the remarks of the hon. member for Gregory with reference to the construction of the \Vinton-Springvale Railway. 'fhe Government had broken faith with th'e people of Qu<'ensland over that rail­way. V'vlwn the Great \Y('<.tern '·Cherne was b0fOrP the I-Iouse tht}v were given to under­stand that all tho·<' lines would start at the one time. The Go,·ernment would lose nothing by building the Winton-Springvale line. because it went through some of the best country in Qupensland and "-oul.cl pay from the start. Artesian water supplies eould be obtained in that district at a depth of from 1.500 "fept tc1 1. 700 feet, and th<'re was a ],It o" !.and thert"' which eould be resumed ''"ithout any < omJwnsation at all. It was un'hu~inPsslikP for the GovP:-ninent to ll{"'~lect that line. and he could not understand the Gov('rnnlPnt bring·ing in thP via r0cta rail­wav until th0 IYPstPrn line was built. He a.lso drew attt'ntion to t!JP miserable r-ailway Btation accommodation provickd at Long­reach. Sincp hP had !wen in the House he had refPrrPd to this n1attPr again and again: he had e.l'o apnroached the dPpartment, and thPy h1d only~ got as far as dra's ing the plans and specifications. He b 'lievcd that fcQ\11 all source,, £100,000 a :-·ear passed through thP Long-r(•ach Haihvay St-ation offiep although it was onlv a little hit of •t she-d. The p-£~oplP had b{'C'~ ~uil'cring throngh tlH' iiH onveni<>ncc of that railw:w otation for yeanl. vet the Govcrnm,cnt wouki do nothing t.D the· station although tl!Py did not mind s•wnding thomands of pounds on tlw Sand­gate lint\ '\vhi<.>h did not pay axlo grense. When the PrPmier "as in Longreach he promised a depnktion that thP lmilding of thP new railway station would be gone on with.

ThP PREMIER: );othing of the kind-abso­JLitoly incorrect.

Mr. PAYNE : \Yhcn the Premier was in Longreac1J he distinctly statPd to a. deputa­tion that the lmildinp; of the rww railwa:-· sfation in Longreach would be g·one on with at thD earliest possible moment.

The PREMIER : I say that is not correct.

M:r. PAY::-.IE: Then you have been wrongly rt>ported.

The PREMIER: The station is certainly on tho wrong side of tho line. but I did not cYpress any opinion ttbout the building.

[Mr. J,l cC or mack

Mr. PAYXE: Vlould the ProLIIier tell him• if he considered the railway station at Long­reach was a. good enough station for the­businPss that was done there?

The PREMIER: It is certainly rather small.

Mr. PAY::-.IE: He did not know what the Prt'micr meant lw that. Two station-masters. had died at Longrcach, and it was the fact that they were housed in what was really a .. 6 feet hv 8 feet box in the summer time that contributed to their deaths. The people had io cross the line to get to the railway station. as there was no overbridge there, and they could not possibly get into a train on a wet. day without getting wet. He was not sur­prised to hear country members say that all the monpy was spent in Brisbane. He had. been in Parlie.ment for nine or ten years and lw had nevN' known the Government to· spend 5s. in the ::Ylikht'll ele.otorate. They only lent a few pounds to the shire councils. in his cledorate, but that money was all paid back with interest added. The Govern­ment were building railways that would not pay for the next fifty ):ears, yet they were negiPctmg to build railways that would pay· from the start.

::Yir. ADA::YISOX drew the attention of the Secretary for RJ.ilwavs to a speech he made last sr,sion when he· called attention to the danger to the tn1vclling public and railway officials in Central Qcwensland through heavy f·no-in£lR being used on 1i~ht raihvay lines. Tl~" sr<>·ctary of thP Engine-drivers and Firemen's Association refE'rred the matter to him (Mr. Adamson), and he took it at once to thl) :-.c'C'rc'tarY to thP Raihvav Conln1il-'­sioner, ,dw p~omisPd thRt it ' would bo inquired into.

Tlh' SEC11ETARY FOR RAIL W.IY~ : It "·as jnquircd into.

Mr. ADAMSOC'\: Yes. the matter was inquired into, but because the secretary of the association went to a member of Par­liamPnt prior to going to the head of his department, he \Vas fined £1, and he might have been dis rated as we 11, had it not been that the Railway Department thought they would he going too far to do that. He pointerl out tluit the heavy engines on the \Yoodford linr had bc.en taken off, and, as the secrdarv of the union was only doing­his dnh- in· the intere.;ts of the tra veiling public. tlw fine ought to be rpmitted. All that was rwcr•ss:crv was to have reprimanded tlw mcm, and poi;1ted ant the prop~r cour~e

to adopt in presentmg hu l7 p.m.] gri01·ances. The ::Ylinister .for

Railwavs la'<t year saw the Im­portance of this, ,lnd it ,ias a queer thing that tho vractice ha< bcPn allmYcd to go on if there ;;,.as danger. That man .·~aid there ·.yas dangpr. A number of men, who had :-t~0n the engines running oYer certain por­tions of the line. had also J)ointed out that it was dangel"Ons, and the men had com­plained to the membPr for Mitchell of the , .. ame thing. Th<' men also claimed that the\· had been injured in their health on acc"Ount of the excessiYe vibation of thosE' engines, and the running of the engines necessitated working very long hours. Mr. Crowth<'r was exc0edingly courteous, and all that he did was done in a most courteous wav · hut if a man, in the interests of the ;,af~;Y of th0 trawlling public, and in the interests of the health of the men, and as a protest against the exc-essively long hours-

App1·opriation Bill No. l. (8· JULY.) Address in Repl'V. 49

worked on tho railways, complained to a member of Parliament instead of being lined for doing it h~ should be com­mended. There was no reason in the world why a line should be imposed in such a case. Some of the most prominent railwav men in the States had approached members of F arliament--the member for Brisbane and himself, a" memb0r for the district­and ho had it brought before the secn)­tary for the Commi"ioner because there was dange>r to the travelling public, and th<• nwn tht•mselves "ere being injured through having to work excessively long hours. He hoped the MinistN would see fit to intel'­vene, and remit the fine that was inflicted upon the secretary of the Engine Drivers and Fire1nen's Association.

The bc•ll indicated that the hon. member's time had expired.

:Y1r. P A Y::s-J<~ endors(•cl the remarks of the hon. nwmber for Rockhampton in referenc-; to tho running of very light engines on the light rails on a portion of the road in the Central districL That matter had been brought up more than once, and the very best mPn hP had met in the railway service in Central Que<>nsland said they expected an acci<h•nt to happen at any moment. In the beet int''rests of the general public, and in the intt'l'< 'ts of the lll<'ll who were driYin{' thosp enginf"· tlw Minister for Railwoyo should '"" that the practice was not allmn·d tn eontlnu0.

:Ylr. PE'DRIE (Toom bu/) approved of all that had been said by members on the oppo­'ite side of the Houst' with regard to men workiug <'Xcessive hours. and that sort of thing. J'\o doubt. the nwmbcr for Rock­hampton had made out tlw best case he could for tht• railway men, and it was probably a !itt!<' hit of clectiorwning. It alJpearecl to him that eYcn nwmb<•rs 0f Parliament hac! a lot of things to put UlJ with. and, 110 doubt. th<' men working i11 t'he Railway Dcparhm•nt. as well "' the heads of th<' dr•partmenL. had a good deal to put up y;ith. \s long as the raihvays werr- o1vncd b: th State, th·'Y would han> political ill· flucncc pullin[! from behind the scenes, and they would have troubhe arising from time to tinw. At the present time thev had poliLical inflPrnc·• behind tlw sc<'n<'s. 'aml if a Jnan got lHlt out, lH' \Vf'nt to his rcpr0~f'Il­tatiYe and said, '·You mu::\t BC(~ thjng.s arP nut right." He Wf·•lt to thP member for Rrwkhamr·' ,,,,_ ::ud th0 ~<wrnlwr for :Yfitc·h: 11. m](l r.'!id. ·' Th0 Raihn1y DPpartment haYe not t.r"''~"d us pr0perly. and you will h;;ve to sep us put right," a.nd the hon. membPrs 'iVon~d hayr- to see tbat they 'vere put. right. It >Yas ahnnt tim<' thing., of this sort wer0 put lwforP thP public. bec~usc that was the la>t opportunity tho:' would have of doing "' lwfon• thP next general elections. So far as ht' w'" eonc<;rned. ho had got the interPsts of th" "orking JlfDplP as much at h<';;lT as hon. memhHs who had already spokt n. and h·· >Yanted to do all hP could for th<• workPrs. ::'\o clouht thf'n' WPJ'P good mPmh"rs on tlw opposite side of the House, but th<·:• had nla:.·pd the gamo fm· all it was worth. (LanghtPr.)

::\lr. IIuxn.or: Arc you not playing thP gan1e?

::\Ir. PETRIE: He was not playing the game. He had always been straightforward. and if ho had played the game he might haw been Premier of this State. (Loud laughter!) Members on the opposite side

1914-E

tried to make out that they were the only friends of the workers, but members on the Government side were the true friends of the workers It was about time Government members asserteed their rights and put them­,;elves in a right position before the public of Queensland, and showed the inconsistency of Opposition members.

2\'J:r. MAY (Flinder-'): As railway matters had been brought up, he thought it was only right that he should refer to railway matters in his district. There was one par­ticular instance, where a certain line had been taken to a dead end, and that line "lwulrl be carried forward to a place where it would bring revenue to the country, and be a benefit to the p<'ople in the vicinit;.·. He referred to the line from Kingsholme to :Vlount Cuthbert. Tho first spction of that lin<' had bP''n paesed for some time. The plant was a]rpady on tho ground and every­thing was in working order, and all that \Yas necessarv was to na9s a little Bill for onotlwr 32 n;rh•• of railway, whc·n that line would bring in a large revenue to tho Rail":ay Department. He had advocated the !me for wme vears, as it would form part of the !inc to' the Gulf.

·The PREMIER: That line has not yet been approved by the House. and you cannot possibly discuss it on this Yotc.

::\Ir. :VIA Y: He knew the line had not' be<•n approved b;<· the House from a certain point to a certain point.

Tlw CHAIR:VIAN: OrdPr ; The hon. mem­h0r is not in ord('r in discussing a line which has not already been approved by th<' House.

:Yir. :YIA Y: Certain things were to be done with future loan morwy. and he thought hP had a perfect right to refer to the ex­]H'nditurP of that loan money.

The C'HAIR::\iAX: Order! I haw• already rult>d the han. mPmb<'r is not in order in discu· ,,jng that line. It clops not <:ome under t hi,, vote at all. not having been pa •,•;ed by Parliament. and I must ask the hon. mem­ber 1:ot to eontimw on those lines.

:Vh·. :VL\ Y: H0 was ;-erv sorrv that he had run anta,~oni< ic to th; Chai~man. At thP ,- anw tinH', lH' onlv "\vishPd to in1pr0:-.~ <,n- tht' ~Iir,;-,.~-r>r that fhL: "\YH ( one c£ th•"' 11Jat'!"c•1.· '.'. hjch "hnulrl rr-.'l'iYr t~th'll7ion nnd haYe a Rhare of the loan money -,,,;hich thoy \' e-re_• going to get.

<:uestion put and pa,,cd. The re·maiuing c'auses of the Bill and the

preamble were put and paesed.

The Bill ..t:tJ<<'" and T~Pgi·"·latiye form.

'rnrRD READIKG. ,,.., pa•ced through its rpmammg

onlered tu b,, transmitted to th" Council by message in tho usual

ADDRESS IN REPLY. RnrMPTIOX oF Dr:llATE.

Mr. RY.\1'\. who was receiwd with "Hear. !ware."' s:1id: I haYe to congratu­late the mover and seconder of this Address in Replv on the maniH'r in which they dis­ehargecf the dutiPs which f,.l! to their Int. They certainly discharged them wit~ credit to themselves. and. if I may be perm1tted to say so, I think that tho hon. member for X~rmanby and also the seconder placpd tho debate on what I might call a high plane.

Mr. Ryan.]

50 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Rrply.

No personal reflection was cast upon anybody, and althoug-h I do riot agree with a good many of the o<'ntiments that were express<•d. still I can appreciate the manner in which they discharged their dutiP~. I might say further that thP g;-•!Pral trPnd. particularly towards t 1 ,, :cH.r part of it, in the spe0ch deliverul by the hon. member for Normanby, gave me thC' impres,ion that he felt- that Liberalism, as he called it, was wanting iTl Queensland, unless they did something, un­less there was a considc'rablc waking up. Indeed, the wonls of Sir William IninP, the present Attorney-General of the Com­monwealth, ran throngh my mind whPn he refeaed to " the ueL•.tinous compound" that was propounckd by :Mr. Deakin :m<l his col­leagues in tho Commomvealth Parli:mH'nt. \\'ith reg arc'! to· i h0 spec•ch of th,• hem. m<'m­bPr for Dravton. I think the l'rPmier cou­fen·ed a considprable honour on lhf' ('0\llltrv Liberal party by ('hOd:c;lng r.;u('h a l'Pl)l'(':;prl­

tative to Pecond tho r(';;;olution. bccau.s0 it i:;; at onC'o a11par£"1t t.o n1~, and it i;:; at onre also known to thP farme--r,;, that he. opeaking as he said on behalf of his party-and I­take it that hC' ,,tJOko on b<•half of the country Liberal party---

Mr. MoReA:--;: He' meant thP LibPral party.

:',{,·_ RYA::'\: He c•xpn•,-c il his completP confidence in the Gove,·nmC'nt. and he went even so far a::: to (•c,;ldude that it could bP tak<-n for granted that they \Vere· going to do \Vhat ·was lHJt in tho Sp~,~·r·h at ail. :\u1v, I am sure that the primary pro<lun•r-, will feel quite confident th<1t thPir intPrr --ts will be looked aft•'r when thev know that tlwv have rPprc-,cntativcs who. >O complacPntly accept the progra.rn1ne that has lw£•n set out in the SPe<·c•h '' hich Hi~ Ex<'ellencv -delivered. I noti< e that the hon. membc"r for Dravton has m·anv views which, for years p,{'st. have be,-,n · advocate--d by the Labour partv. (Laughter.) The only thing i, that I have never sepn him or his col­leagues voting for thC'--0 thing,, Ilf' C'C'l'­

tainly laid down the principle underlying the land tax and advocated it strongly whPn he said that the unearned increment should not go to the owner of land.

1Ir. BEBBic-;GTOX: I said no such thing. (Lauf,hter.)

Mr. RY.\::\": Well, that is how I undE'r­stood it. He said that if a railway was built into a pa1:licular dietrict and the building of that rmlway added, say, £3 or £4 per aere to tlw vahtEJ of the land, that that should not belong to the owner of the land but be credited to the railway.

~Ir. FoRSYTH: It belongs to the Crown, not to any individual.

::Yir. RYAN: Y eg, and he went further, and I have discovered that we have in this (,'hamber, in a repr<>sentative of the country Liberal party, a heaven-born financier also, because he with a wave of his hand pointed out that the whole financial position could be put _right by a different system of book­keeplll!'-". (Laughter.) So that we do not need any financial proposals at all ; all we need is a different system of book-keeping. I cannot pass to the Address without referring to some matters that have happened since we last met together in l?arliament. I have no doubt that every

fll'r. Ryan.

mcmb<'r rPgrcts sinccrf'ly the los~ of the late rnPrnbPl' f(Jr ~orrnaubv, ::\Ir. George Fox, b£'f'aw.;(' in hirn, \vhethl'r yon ·~-{Pre political fl'il'nd or opponPYlt, you eonlcl not bn~ adm!re 1 he• upri~cht ancl honour a bk> manm·r Ill wh~ch hP C"lrriPd out hl:-; duti0~ a~ a. repn-s('ntative •·f the p --opl<-. (II Par, lH---ll' !) I cannot help Pxprt'-'"ing r'--'gret at tht::> number who have pa----Nl a\nc:v from the Cppcr Chamber_. I thiuk 'n· all fpl'] r0grct that these thmgs happPu. and it bring:-:; honw to us in a. very P.triking- nutnlH'l' the-' uncPrtainty of hun1a11 thing-~. 1. too, r\•gr.pt rhat. IIi~ Excell('llCy 8ir \Yilliarn }IarGregol' if' about to leave. a 'lcl I regret it all tlw mm·p on account of the rc :>on-< which comp<'l him to do so, bc·cau;;<' thcro is no donht in mv mind that t hP ma i oritv of t lw p0oplc' of Qmlenslancl h''"'-' th~· YN:v big-h0;;t opinion of his capabili-1 if,-.; a~ Gov(~rnor. and of tlH' Rl'l'Yic,·s whic'h lw r nde,·Pcl to this Stah'- \Yith that part nf i ht' _..:\ddr('!-'S I cntir0ly agree--that we :-:.hould cxpr('S~ onr appr0ciution of hiH SC'r­vii'(';;; to tlH? StatP and our r0~~-r0t at hiR leavin<; us. And I thiuk as QuPcnslanders "c: chould f0r 1 m·oud that he spo:,c so p:tthctic .lll,v --for it ''--as o pathetic rdere~lC<l -of t1w r<'grct which h0 fp]t nt lPanng })PO}Jlt' y:·ho had 1nade ~uC'h a profound im­nrc~~l(.n l)!l hin1 a--. the pPoplc of Quct•n·-;.land h,.d done.

!Io:--;o1:R\BLE :\lE,IBEES: II<•ar, hoar!

}.Ir. R'. .\X: cannot. ho\YPvcr, f'ongratu-~at • dH• G!•YP1'll111-'llt in g'Lllf'''al on the rnau­

iu v .. -hic-1> thov have fillod up- thP vacan-in ann~her 'plaec•. I think th<:Y ha,YP

t>ntirPlv b:lH'rt"J, or nnarlv putircly 1p-nored. t1w co~nlrL-i'( :at inh'rP:-.t.s 0£ <Jupen:-;li'lHL and 1 vt ntnr<> tt' o:.n,~· that tht' pPOl11P of Queen~­land a a "·holp do not appro,"' of th<, nla11n('r in ,vhich tho~P YaC'nncies havf' bpen fill<'<] ··r- And it will enw to bring homP to thf'nl in a '-trlking mannPr that the m0t.hod bv which \lu• L'pp~r C'hamb<'r is constituted requires some kind of altl'ration.

0PPOSITIDX MEMBERS : Hear, hear!

:\Ir. RY \X: Tho Chief Recrctary has rc­ff'rr<'d to the fact that tllC' Commonwealth Senate has benonw a party House. I think h0 has made rPfPrC'nc<' to that on one or two orL:' ·ions. and he has rr·fprred to it as an Pxcre,ccnep, and thinks it ought to be clone awav with. But whom does he appoint to the re~·ising ChambC'r in this State?

Tlw PRE1IIER: \Yhat was the object of the S,;nate Hous<•?

Mr. RYAN: The rcvisinp; Chamber in this State mainlv consists of supporters of the party to which the han. member belongs.

Mr. MORGA:--;: It always will while it is a nominee Chamber.

Mr. RYA::'\:: It alwavs will. I notice that the hon. member for Murilla cannot agree with the wisdom of the Government in making those appointments by the rr,otion of which hD gave notice this afternoon. I am sure that it will provide a most inter­c;ting debat,E', and I might suggest, indeed, that he should alter it so that the question might be su bmittc-d to a referendum as to whether the Labour idea should be carried out or whether it should be elective. I have to congratulate the Chief Secretary on the fact that he is back amongst us, looking so well and hearty after his trip to the old country. He went there to perform certain

Address in Reply. [8 JCLY.] 51

.,lutices in coil!H'•"tion with tho flotations of loans which are falling due in July next. So far I han· not heard V<'rv much about whar hP has ciorH'} and there~ is not rnuch o·prwrallv in the Speech but 1 trust he will ~laborat~· on that a little later when he is SlWakino· or at sou1e othC'r earlv period in thi, fe,~ion. L<>cause I think, fr'om all ap­pearances, there should be no .difficulty in QuPensJand's raising whatew·r amount of lllOlll'Y :she wishes on the a:-;:::;ets offered as security. l wa··• survrised to notice by t.he Pre;;; that the Chi<>£ Secretary had exprPssecl surpri:lc that financrers in the old Janel should "·ant to lend their monev to the ovcr­.:-;(•as Dorninion~--the ..... t\.ustralia:n ~ Stah_ls-- -at au achm:C'c of 1 Jll'l' cent. on what they could obtain <tt hollH'. I do not know wlwthPr the bon. g<'ntlPnlan is correctly l'('vorted, bnt 1 roaJ in tlw Prt>s:-: a vassage ·yrhC'n' hP had !'X]ll'l'•·Pd hi' mrpriso at that fact. I should think that the ('hid Sccn•tarv should ruth<'l' be C'XlH'P!-:'''ing· surprise that 1nOre n1onpy \vas not ~ent out on such splendid sccnrity at an tdnwc. of l ]Wl' cent. Tlw fact is that thl ~l~ iinaneit'L') nndGrstand bPttPr in Eng­land 1dn.t our securities aru \Vorth than perlw.p~ sante pl•ople 1vho are in QnP~"nsland. I u refPrri ':g to sonw other Inattl·r~ ·which ·\ave Taken place :--.ince \Y{' last a~f'f'lllbled, I may "'-'" that I han' traYPlled throug·h variou~ part:-: of tho St.atc, and havP had an opportunity of fanning an opinion pa:·­·ticularl~· upon tlH' >Yay in whieh the eJect.wal law ha' hL•<·n carried out in ~2ucl'nsland. I have no lH~~,itation in saying that the pre­

·sellt statu of affairs \Vith regard to the_• <'nrol­lrlPnt of • lector. is nothing short of shock­·inp:. ThPrf" is no provision being 1nadc to placo u~nH"• upon tho l'],•ctoral roiL;. \Yc ""''told that thP Gov<'rrunent are anxious that PYery­one \Yho i ~ entitl('d, or \.Yho ought to voh•, ~hould b.• on tlw Toll, but we han; the spee­tael(' of tlw PolirP Force. of Queensland going: round in eonnection \Vith checking nail!("· oll the CommonwPalth Toll. and at the .anw tin1c doing nothing with rrgard to thr• QuP<''lsland roll. althong·h they aTe Stat,, of!icc>rs. I would like to ha.-e somP indir· ation from the Home Secretary that ht: will see tlcat that state of affairs is alteT<'d. I can g·ivc an instanco that occurred in South BrislmnP only a few days ago, when a certain person followed round after the polic!'. and c;>curl'd no less than fifty-one namps in one day of per;,ons who w0re en­titled to },p on th<' State electoral roll, but whosL' namps were not thPre. That is an C'Xamp],, that can be repeated throughout the State.

0PPO~ITIOX :\IE}1BER3: Hear, hear !

Mr. RY A~: I trust that the Government will try and do something to place such names 'on th0 roll. They used to do it hitherto. aHd I do not know upon what grounds thev have stopped using tho PolicB Force for ihat purpose. During t.he Jato election in tlw Normanby electorate, I had occasion to observe that there were many persons whose names were struck off when the nPw TOlls were being made under the Electious Act which we rec<>ntly passed. NamPs were ~truck off the roll of persons who had lived in thP same place for years and yPar,--<lne family, I know, as long as thirt-' ···1 Vf''ll~~- I rrgard it. n~ a V"l'V grave matter indPed, and one which will require the immediate attention of tho Gove,·nm<>nt if we are to have anvthing like full rolls in connection with our" next State elections. I notice in the Press also, from a report of

tlw Prerniero;' ConfPr<'llC'f'. that the mattPr of uniformity of the clPctoral law of th" States and the ConuhOll"\Yealth \.Yas di:~­cussPd at that confPrencc. I notice that the Hon. thP Tn•asnn'r spok0 n·r,~ cauiiouslv on tlw matter. ami fre<Jlll'Htly rderrc·d to ilw fact that th<· matter might b<· affected !Jv the policv of the' Statu c·on­CPnwcl. 1' would lll<B 'to know if the policy of the State of Que<>nsland is to prevent Jll'O]llP from haYing· the opportunity to vote, or not? (Government laughter.) I would eomnwnd to thr· eonsid<>ration of the Go­n'rntnPnt th0 n'Illarks \.Yhich were n1ade Ly ::\11'. ~lnrrav. the Chief Secretarv in Vidoria, at that C'oilferl'~leP, "'""hid1 are~ l'('l1ortpcl on page 167 of thP report of the rl solution>, ]ll'oc·'edingH, arHl dt>b:..tt"'" of that <'ODf<'f('IlC'('. In spl'aking of Rt>wltor :\IcC 'oil's propo,,al for making the !awe nniform. lH• m.y•c-

'· ::VIr . .:\lnuu.Y: TlH' ''"''ntial difi'Pr­encP bdwcPn SPnatur :\LC'oll's 1Jropo.,ab and :\Jr. ::VIolloy', is that the Snwtor sugge:1ts that ~Conuuon\VL'alth . offic"'rs shoul<l cane out tlw "ork. wluht Mr. .:\follov ],,.]ip\·ps that it woulrl !Jp bettur fot· th0 Statf' offil'rrs to do it. I think }Jr. }lolloy i:' rig·llt. lH's',tU::-<• tl,w ~tate offi­CPl'S haVP had lllOl'{' ('XJlt'rlt'llCP. :\;lan_v of t hu F,·dPral dPctoral offin•rs arp pub­lic S<.> ... 'Yallti-\ in other clepann1ent·,. :-n~ch as the Post Ofi-icc, .and haYL' no ::-.pPcial qualifications for the work.

":\h. BarlH ,, : Do tlw polieP eollec·t thP nan:r•:-:; in your State·:

"::Vir. :\IGRRAY: Y<'s: th<•v makt' the canva~..:: for the Stat.r' and tiw Conuuon­wealth. ThP suffrage iu Yictoria is practic~lly thP nunl' 'as that of,,~ hP Corn­rnon\Y0a1t}J, \V1th tlH· t'Xf'Pption that those who art• in charitalJlP institutions haYD no votP in Stat1,' Plection.'~. But that i~ the simpk't part of all to deal with. Th,• "hol<' point is that the canvaw. eould I"' made bv on" officor for both the C'onunonwcaltl1 and the State at tho san1P hnH', and the Pnrohnent of elec­tors coulrl lH> dow• at a bout half tlw co8t, and the roll., of the Stttu could sene for the Comn,ouwealth."

Th0 point is that the work can be done at ba.lf tlw cost, and that it can Le done at tho same time as the work in cormeetion with the Commonwealth rolls can be done. One holds yood foe both Jmr1Josos. That is a n1att0: ~ .. whjch i1npressP.d itself upon n1e Vf'.ry forciblv and I hope the Government will remedy' the matter. so that they will not he opPn to the charge of dclilwrately-;-lwcauso that is tlw way it looks-of -clehberately keeping name> off tho roll for some purpose.

0PPOSITI0)>1 MEMBERS : Hear, hear !

C\ir. RY A::'-T: I havn no doubt it is for some pm)JOSC that is no good t? this party, if I may judgH :rm~ the achon·" of the han. gentleman. Dunng the rece~s, too, some '"trikjn£! sncccbcQ have been dchvE'rcd by cer­tain JIIIinistes of the Crown, '\hich have dmwn my attention particularly to the fact that there is no reference in the Speech from His Excellency with regard to trusts ,and combin0s. No:.V, the beef trust we know is carrying on operations in Australia. The TreasurN is unaware of that fact, so he savs: he has told the neople that on several oc~asions. The Chief Secrehtry was down in Adelaide and welcomed it. He, now, is alE? unaware that it is here, although hls

Mr. Ryan.~

Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply,

eollcagues, if I may w term them, in the Fe-deral Parliament-:Ylr. Cook, the Prime Minister, and Sir \Villiam Irvine, the Attorney-Gc•nPral-are assiduously watching the operations of this trust in Australia.

Tho .PHE~IIr:R: There is a distinction Le­hveen vvel{'mning trusts and combines and \vrolconling Stvift's.

Mr. HYA="J: \Yho doe,, the hon. gentleman welcome?

The PRFMRR: I wPkomP Swift's or any other .ii1~~1,1 tlpei·ating in tho way they are operat1ng.

Mr. HYA::'\: That is a verv C!lndid admis­oion. That is the conclu;ion I h<J.ve come to, hut I am very plea.sed to have it stated openly on the floor of the IIousc so that the people of Queensland may lwlieve it is so. Jf any <'vidence had hPPn nPct•sc;;ary in order to prove that til<' rest of the Cabinet were of the Mmro opinion it was furnished by the Srcrctar:v for ~\gri<'tllturc in a speech which h<> clelivec<>d at Cairn~. when he expreesed the pious hope that bed would risE' to a much higher pricP than it is in order that Queemland would b<'n<'fit by it.

The SECRET.\Hc FOR AGRIC't:LTcm;: Il<'<ll', !war!

:1lr. HYA::\: The• hem. gPntleman Rays •·J-If'<H', h<•a.r ~··

Tho SEL'RErARY ron .\GHICl'LTCI!E: Anything tlwt will bl·ne1it Qu('('n~lund.

::l.Ir. HYA::\: y,.,, tiw high price of lH•cf will lH·ll' fit (~H<'"IL'·l{dHl, not\vithstanding that tlwrn ruay }lt' 5 lJ('l' {'('Il;, raising cattlP, and 95 [lPr o•nr. of the p•·opl<' consuming it.

:\Jr. I~ I ··'ii~LL: Do yon obj0et to S\vift's?

~ir. r Y~\~\: Tht• hon. nwrnhc~r \vill have hi .. , o.q· Jrtunlt)· di.:·t•{·t 1y. I believe in h-'gis~ lation r hat will c~Jlltl'ol tnt:->h; an.J ecHnhirH•s. I <!<; not· o'•jc•u lc> tbc• indivi<luaJs, but I ui>j< : 1ltP y~;tt .n.

:.\lr. ELL: T~lat i.-: c1nit·~· right.

:Yh. R~ .\::\: Tlwn I and the hon. gentle­man r<.f:','.l!l'. 'l LC'l't' i~ orH' Dther nHltt"'1' that happ, 1 d duriug thL· l'l'1 ·:--:.s that I Plnnot 1'< ally h:·l 1> l'<'f{'l'l'iilg· to. At the do:;e of !a::-t. Parlia!lll .rli- it ,\a:-> announced that tho ChiPf ~eeretary wa:-> p:oillg ho1ne on certain pnhli··; bu- :nc·-Y, and tlw party \Vf're il:HnPcii·:ttc~ly thrown into a gTPat turJnoil as to who ol>ould 1: ad thnu. Tlw Chic·· ~"ere· tan·-aJHl that is.,, i,v I n<cr to tlw Jnatt<•r-­rH!r;lJtr-cl i hP praetic·p" f).._ t hP Labour party of lr ~ting· tlH! p<L ty ehoo:.;c• \Vho should be their lcn.clor. He• did not fr•c•l, appart•ntl:·, that ho wn.- dff' to norninatp ~unwono hirnsC'lf, and, a:ter .:t Y~! y .f'"'\:citiug < 'lllt(-\ct, during which ( _t:;tc'~ had to he ~Pnt for a~sistancc .aero-,"' thE' oc Pan, to an hnn. gc•ntl('tnan, th0 TrPa­-->tU r won b~~ a no:::<'. (Laughter.) I think PYC1'Yone \vill 1)0 {'OllYin{'Pd. under thoso cir­etnlt~tancc•s, of the wisdom displayed by tho Cl•i{'f s({'rPt·,,ry in l'('turning to be hr his 1da{'l:' whf n PnrliainPut oppn{•d, and that is •xhv l cl.id not oll'<•r anv strenuous resistance to ·his nwtion this aftl'rnoon for the suspen­'~on of tho StaMling Orders. Proceeding to whrrt is conbim cl in the Spoecl1, apart from c ·1·tain propo;ed amPndment" of the law rPlating to jnrie'. <mel things of that kind, in <J.ddition to lho usual professions of LibPralism with regard to tho development

[Mr. Ryan.

of tho Stat<', we find that Liberalism is· clutching at pieces of planks of the Labour platform to keep it afloat. l refer to their proposal for fir0 insurance·, and also thE' appointment of a public trustee. Tho passage vvith re-gard to State fire insurance is as.­follow3 :-

" Th<' 1\'orkPrs' Dwellings Act ha,; bcPn availed of so PxtensiYPly that it is dePmPd desirable in the intcTests of the bonow<'rs under the Act to establish a fir<' instnanco d<'partment. Similar pro­v-i::.ion \vill, for the same reason, be made in rPsp<•ct to fire ri,ks under the Agricultural Bank Acts, and a Bill will be· introdt:~ed to give effect to thv<c pro· posals.

I \\PkomP anything in the nature of a Statn lire insuran,'e rl<'nartment, but I would ask hon. members opposite whetlwr. if it is a good thing to ha n• a State department for· fire insurance for buildings put up unde1· the· proyi"ions of the \Yorkers' Dwellings Act, is it. not also wise to haye a State de­partnwnt of fire insurann<' for other buildin~e. whether tht'y are put up under the pron­sions of that Act or not?

Or!'OSITIOX ::\fE}!BERS: Hear, hoar !

:VIr. HYA:'\J: All I can sa:v with l'cgucl to that is that I think an attempt should lw rna de to 'vi den t hP scope of the oppration of ::-·.uch a Inea~urP a-, that.

"U i,,, t]ppmecl clc,irablc in thl' intc•rc>~ts of thP borrowPrs, .,

;,o :.:a:v:~ thP :-;pPC·c-h. 'Von1d it IH>t. ahcJ be clPsirabh• in thP intere·,.,ts of tlw· boiTOWl'l'~ in cmlnPrlion \Yith Gth4•r hnih1ing> ·~ lf' that 11-,t aiway.: t .ll' argunlP!lt used by the Labour !Hlrh in frnc:ur cf such a soeiali:·,tie e>ntPr­pri:e as thj;-; .. I lwar ao au:--\Yt'T. I prP­·u~ e~ that hnn. ,!!C""lth)mPn oppo::;it' "f.!T('t'·

y,·:~ h l'le. (Con'r .~:H•nt la.n~;hto)I'.) _\noth•'I' 11"t!. plank hat tlw~~ haYt• -takPn fi·oill tlH" p: 1· ·1 of the' I..· h:1ur party is dw appuint­rncnt ('£ n ··Hblic tnLLC'. I hPlit'YP in that c nt:;·-:'lv. They al·"·.J proposP an nniPll·~hnPnt c f th ·_'\gTiLuHnrJJ B~2:: 1{ _\_ct. :\o,,· thi~. to ''!'1~ Ll:ll'L fnrnid1t'~ n striking f'XUlY!.pl, of u c·c~Pp~c;- ~,'t'PH'rsuult in thP attitudf' of the r;< n'l -~~1Pltl frcru tlu<r attitndP 1~,st ·d:·."-~~ioll. It showc: that .,, amendnwnt moYC'cl in thi" Hru-e hp·,t, cpc,o,ion bY tlw hon. monlwr fm· }.~urilla.. and :-:-UPpol:ted hv ahno~t PYPl'Y l'H'1nbt'1' on tht· oppo.·c.itt• RidP. vra~ in:-;iur·Prt', -,rHl wa·: only i111 -•nJc'd to takt' crPdit frotn a. 1notion Inn,:P\1 by thP hon. nlCnlb('r for :.\faranoa. to which' I \vill draw attPntion. Th0 he ~l. HlPinbf'r for }1[1 rrr no a 1a~t ~·\'ill' brought fnnvar<l a n .otiun, v1hlch iR l'('port£ ,1 on lHl.H."O

D48. Yol. riY., of .. IT ansard.' 1 dt'aling 'vith tht1. ad1nini~trnt;:n1 nn<l anlenc1nH'1lt of tlH' .. .\gri­<>ultural Bank Act Till' motion r0ad a;; fol­lows:-

" Thoi'. in the opinion of thi;; IIous<'. the administration of the Agricultural Bank ;., un· .. otisfadorv. and that tlw AC't must lw arnPndPd in" cNtain partieulars boforo it~ g-eneral, operation' will nwet with tllP roqnin•ments of tho primary prodnc('rs. n

That contain" a proposal conrlt'mning the· administration. aud a~king for an nincnd­mont befor<' its g0nf'ral op<>ration will meet· with the n'quirements of the primary pro­ducers. The hem. member for jYfurilla, to ~how that nothing holy could come _out o£ the·

Address in Rf ply. [8 JULY.] Address in Reply. i3

1"alHmr party, moved an anwndment, whi<'h .ti}>!Jt•ars on page ~52 of the same volume, .and is as follows:--

" I thC'rPfore n1ov0 as a.n an1endment to the motion that all the words after the \Yard • uusatiFfactory ' b:.... on1.itted. The motion will then read-

" That. in the opinion of this House, thP administration of the Agricultural Bank is unsatisfactory.''

lie "liminatt'd that part of tlw motion which asked for an anwndment of tlw Act. )Jow tlte Governnwnt have .corrw down "~ith .a proposal to ame1Kl the Act. although when a division was taken on that occasion last ~pc,sion. Pvery hon. mem her opposite vot('d lor tlw amendment of the hon. nwmbcr for :\!urilla

:\Jr. IfF~TER: 'l'hcy said last st>ssion that it did not want to be am('ndcd.

:\Ir. RY.'I.N: Yes; they said la"t S<'S'ion thttt thP Act did not want amending, but theY •.aid that bt>cause tho mon• came from i bc: Labour party. :\' o"· t lwy h'IY'' dis· t'OY<·rf'd that thP of!'!cials c•f the bank hav< found that the proposals which wPrP th<•n put forw.nd by the hon. mPmber for 1\Iaranoa WPre svund, and thev lind that it is !H'C<'Ssarv to make• this amcndmPnt of tlw .\ct. Thm:e are what I might call dPclara.tions of polk:,' \Vith regard tD rajhvay cxtPnsion and \Vith l'<'[;'ctnl to making land availahl<', but tlwy ar,• hedg<•d round with a good many '·ifs," I w1il refl'r to two of tlwm. On<• is a. proposal fnr 1 !10 e.stablislnnPnt of <'Plltral Bugar-rnills. TJh~ Speech )<.ay:.;..-

"::\Iv adv!Sl'rs are ·committf'd to the policy, of establishing central sngar·mills \VhL·n tlF'!~ aro ,,·arrantecl by c·Ircnnl­Mances, a1<d they will r<'solutdy carr:-' this policy into dfect. A Bill will be f'.u1nnitt<.).d to puablP thL). GoYernnlL'nt to n .;sist in thP Prection, upon a cn-operatiye basis, of sugar-1nills in districts lint C·:lV<'tPd by the rC'N)llllU<·ndations of tlw Sug;Jr Colluni~sion. Thi.3 authority \vi11. of eoursl', onlv be ('xpn·i,,,c] shmild tho prO-,}H'cts of thP sugar indu~try, and the best inh).rPst of the sugar farnwrs, ju·,,tify snd1 action.'·

No,v, that la~t S('l1~""'ll<'e contain:::; an Ph'nw·nt <1£ doubt a·· to whl'ih('r tlw Gon•rnmPnt haY<' anY confidc•nc<' in thP prc"pect of th<' sugar imlu,try. \VhoC'Yer pcmwd that s<'ntence "a;; not too confi<lPnt about that. bc•ctmsc lw says that th<• authoritv will onlv h<' c•xprcised shotcld tlH• prospc~h of th<• · c.up;ar industry and the best intcrPsts of tlw farm<•rs justify such action. . I should lib• to know th<• ·policy of thr Q,n,•rnrncnt, lwcau,·• they do not gh n 11'' thpir policy there. ThPy onl: ·g-ivP a "\YJ.rn.ing that it rnay b0 ('XPf;._'Isc'd npou ePrtain condition~. ThPro is an "i£" in~ SPrtc•d. rrlw raihva~~ proposals arP also ~ng­gp:;:h•cl in a YaguP kind nf wa:v. TlwrP is a Rll!('O,'<•stion that th0re will lw lin<'s built into agricultural districts, and the Tinana. dPvia· tion, tlw J)rayron dPviation, and evprythin~ <•lse mav b0 inelndPd in th0 JWoposal made h<>J'<'. I do not know if thev arP iN lud,c<l. but the wa:-· the paragraph i~ worded is eal· culatPd and intended to lead people to be· li<'Yl' that th"' will all gl't railways. Thnr<' is a little addition put in about railways to­•ward:; tlw end of the.: i'\pccch. It is (]11ite

s"paratc from tlw rd<·n•nc<' to railway pro­posals so as to mak<' yon tlnnk ttwt thc•y arP not conrH'ctc~d at nll. It says-

"The Hailwav _-'\.et C'onwlidation Bill of lavt s<~ssiou, · ainPrHlPd iu tJOillC pa_rti~ culars will b" introdnc"'l at the Parhc·si opportunity. }Iy athisC'r,; ar0 desirous of paS>cing thi:; Bill lwforP s~1bnnthng for ~--our approntl a nnnlbt1 r of rarlway pro­posals.''

:..~rn:v-, thut i8 a. yp~·y impor~ant Bi11.1

and ~t. \vill ta!·\' ~l lono· hnll' to dH;cuss. r:Ihere IS

sorno verv eonte-;~tiou:; rnu,H('l' in it, and yet the ad,-i,ers -vf His Exn'l!Pney v ant to put that eontentious meaeur<' through-a nHasurc that. waf. drop]Wd last sc ,.,sion-bdore they. ~ub­rnit for our approval a nlunbPr of ratl.vva_y­Jll'O]Josak I shonld likc·. to know why_ 1t rs nncpssar.v to pa:os that Brll lwforn subnnttmg thc:,e railvr;aT propn~ab. Itatlway propm:mlR ha' ,, hePn s~1bmitt<'<l hitlll'rto in (llH:'Pnslawl and pas,nd without this Act.. The biggr·s1 railwa'-' scheme' "+·p PYt'T had 111 QuPensland was ,;,bmittPd and l""'"C'd without. t):mt .Au. being am<?ndnd, ~'Pt now tlus Admmmtratwn find., it nPccssar;., to pnt through tlns con-' tPntious mpasnre bC'forl' thPy can brmg down an:v raih' uy proposal:-;. Tlw rPa~un i.o. 1110 1;.;

ob-dons. ThPv ·wish to ha '7 e ~:, Hll{' lnnd of c•xeusP for p~stponing thl' introduetion of 110\Y raihvay proposab. Thp~· 1:vant :;o:rpe ~·x­cu,;• for cklav. If Qu<'< nsland'g cr<'<ht rs ,m·h as I beli<'V<' it to be. not on!:; would thu rail­ways which havp bcoo•n aln•ady passed bn go~ng- on at u quicl:,e: pacP. bnt. '"'"·would _lw ahlP to 'tart frPsh rarlways Ill drstncts winch j nstify it. (II Par, !war ~)

'lfr. G. P. BARXES: Your side advoc all'£ £2,000.000 a _vpar lwing spt'nt in ra:lway,

:Mr. RYAN: Our side do not make any limitations. 1\'c belieYe in spendino; what th<' occasion demands, what the development of tlw State dt'mands. It may bo great~r. or it mav bn less. It ma,v depend on err. cun1stunc(~s. l{efer0nce is UJso 1uadP in the SpPech to land spttle!r.ent. and the Land• Dep·"rtnwnt and thP Government woul~ ha,vc' th<' eountrv believP that a great quantity of land is t,;{Jwil:lo' to be~ opened :tnd }Wople set­tled on ·it tery qniddy. I noticed in the Prf'.ss sonw fp,,\ days ago that a g-rc·at blow of trump0ts was made' by the Lands Depart· ment to tlw effe-ct that c<'rtain cattle countr,v was going to lw resumed in tho Ilnghenden district That countrv should never have be0n r~-l<•ased to tho holders of it. Anyone would havo thought. from th0 manrwr !t was blazoned forth in tlw Prc•FJ, that th" rcsun1ption '\as so1nP f\Ocialistic inroad on tho hold,·rs of this lc•aRC'. Does th0 80cre·· tarv for PubliC' Lands ~~nggefit that ncn·v? Surelv not.~ The fact of the nmtt0r is that it is beg-inning to dawn upon th0 hon. g'f'!l­tleman that thPm is an outcry for la:rd. m Qu('(msland which hon. mPmh<•rs OI_l tlus "H~e hav.P n1entionf'd o'rf'r and ovt>r agntn. a.nd 1t is nc•cc"arv, therefor<>. to hold out to tho people a nrosp<'ct of g<:tting- somr: ?f that land. I fail to s<'e, w1th the nullwns of acrf's of land that WP have in QuP<"nsland, wh.v this CJUPstion of land s<'ttl<'mcnt c.':'nnot he rrrappled with nro)wrly a.nd .pffc"hvely. It ,.;~av mean a radical chanlt<' in thP Lands Depar'tment. It may m<>a~ occpntraliR~ tion. It mav mPan the CX]lP!l{hturP of a large amoun.t of mo>wy. hut it should. bP grapplPrl with very seriously and detcrmmcdly by the

Mr. Ryan.]

54 Address in Reply. [ASSE~!BLY.] Addr,ss in Reply.

L~tnds Dt')iarhm'nt. \Y e should not have 500 or 600 applications fo1· a block of land anLl only one 1nan getting it ; yet that is what is happening oYer and over again. I do not say that tlwre arc always 600 ap­plications, but \YO have rnany instances where tlwre arD 100 and 200 applicants for '' Llock of land, am! I am reminded Ly tho hon. lllf'rnlJer· for Chillagoe that in one ease there ,,,erl' 600 appli( a.tion~ for one particular block that was recl'ntl:v thrown open. I have searclu,d throu~h the Spcech very carc­fullv. and I han' lH'<'n unable to find anv­thirlg· that n•allv indicates an intPntion On tlw part. of th<: Govermne>lt to a"'ist tlw prin~ary product'r ~ or the \Yorkers. Every­thins is too Yap;uc·. There is nothing sp<'cifie. [ \Vond<'r \\' hcthcr this Speech was at all sulnnitte<l to th<' -npporter' of the Go1 ('l'n­lHC'nt l><'fore it \ra:-~ :'UblllittPd lH•re. I won­(kr ·wlu•thl'r tlH'\- had unv ~<tV in it. l an1 inclitll'<l to thir& not. ThPl'P · do0s not SPC!ll

ha ·n· bc;'n l.lll~ llH'('ting of the party this or. if thPn' W<'l'l'. tlw conntrv Lilwnl

party 1nnst haYP h(~~n poorly retlrcsc:nted, hH·anse I iiud there is no rrfcr-enco to a Stock and Farm Produce Agents Bill. I ru.w·mlH'r ],ut .'<··siun thl' "-Iinistor for Agri­t'nltun· iuljll'<'•'<'rl upon this House not only the llC'ce:;:,ity for that BilL but th<' urgt•ncy for it. f c:v1 :-;hon· in .. Ilansard .. where th(' :\Iini:-tPr f\>1' .Af!TicuJtnrp rC'f('l'r(1 <1 to it a.., lH·iug· nq!.'!'nt. Of cqur~P, this should b0 dotH' h~ hou. llll'lnl,er:-; Bitting in the Go­v0rnrnc·at corllL'': lm.t for fpar tlwv should fmg<•t to do it. I \Yil! point out wl!at I am n•f('ITiLV tn. ( )n l'agt' 1~57 of yolnnlP c•yi. of "II an· an!." m• fiml that tlw ~Iinistn for Agrieulurf•, in the course of inu·odu{'ing a Stock anrl Fann Product' At;eni, Bill, uocd th('~f' 'YonL, aftpr rPadinp; a 'r<'vort--

•· TlwrP arP n1orc rt1 ft·n•nces IuadP in tlw l'P))(ll't. hut it is hardly wo..th whilc d''aliu;r with th<·m now. \Yhat I have r<~a(l ~hen\~ tlw absolute; HE'CfH,.;itv of a Bill of thi· kind to protr<:t· th0 farmers fr(Hll nH~CTnpnlnn; a ~tents v.-ho an.. in­c-Jin<•(l to takP ~HlYantage of thC'tn. I 1lla,\ :-'l._\ tlJat 1 haY0 g'Olll~ CtHlSCiPlltiously t.o thP markds on diffprf'nt mornings to ''"' the cak .. of prodll(:> that took vlace tlH•rP, anrl I n1u:--.t :' ay that, f-,0 far a:s I could '"''· tht' fo.rlllPl: io fairly Wt'l! pro­tf'" t<·d b:v tht> r(•.spcctahlP and resnonsiblP hou"'s that are d(•aling with the pro­due<' tra<k But, for all that. I still think tlH' ll('CP~~iiy for this Bill is urg·pnt, and I hop<' that it will haYc a speedy tHls:o:age tln·oup:h th0 llous0."

Kot onlv was it con:-;id(•red an abso]ntl'h~ nccP··'"•:n·~- IHPasnr( ... , but it .w:~;, an urgerlt 1llPasnrP, and h(' hoppd to W'<' it haYc a spc:'dy pa>'.lgl' 1hroup:h ·the >House•. It dirl havP a ~l1f'Pdy pa'•'HlgC' through tho Hou•-e. but it rlid not con e baek to the lion~<'. Tht)r<' i no rc)f< renee in this SpPPeh to :->uch a InPaRnrf' as that. Now, I ·!dr what hrm. nwmbcrs s:tting on the G.ovf'-rntnent ~idP a rP doing, because it is noj; fn? mP to tP!l them tbPir duh '1 Tlwv at•e c·'>nt hcr0. and are sn!lJlO ·<'d ·to knmv their dutv th0 sanw as \H' arc. But I would like to a'p!1Cal to the primary producers of Oupcn,oland. I ··av that this is a IH'cessarv meamrP and an iu·gt'nt one. I agrc•e with the Flccretar:-· for Agricultme the1·e. and I sa:v that members opposite should make their clemand·: known upon the GovNnnwnt, and ask them whdher they arc doing their duty

f.Yr. Ryan,

:in not having such a meA,gure forecast. on this occasion. ·Is that not a proof, as we have said, oYer and over again, that this Liberal c; OYPrnml'nt of (/uecnsland are not protpcting tlw interests ?f the p~imary pro­ducers, but arc protcctmg the mte~ests of the middle-man: (Hear, hear !) Is rt not a proof that it is not the. w'~gcs that are demanded that they are thmbng about, bnt thP 11rofits of the middle-man·: Although this -nH'lU:;nrc \VU..; an urgc11t necessity last v£'ar. there is no rcfPrC'nce to it on this ;)CCaHion. An• not the prinu1ry producers a R<'ction of the people of this State'! Arc they not an in1portant section of the lkople_ '! Yd there is no mention made of therr interests in this Sneoch at all. Then, on pagr' 2243 of the -same volume of " Han­;-;ard.." I noticP an alnendtnpnt lllOYC'd by ilw hon. anll p:allant member for Burrum, who haR tho honour of }pading th<' country Lib('n:d partv. The arnPndnH 11t of the hon. uwmbr'r \\'P ,·that the J:ill should c Jlll<' into opuration on tlw 31st :\larch la.-t. I \VOIHlPr

··har thP hon. member \nll have to say to a Sp<'t'ch that 1nak('s no referPncP to a JJH'a,;Ul'l' of thi,, kind. I have no doubt that he will hav<' nothing but comlPnmation f~r thP rwgh)ct of the prin1ary producc•rs that IS ,hown throughout tho Spepch. I a<k th0 l'('PfP'"·Pnt:'divP:-: of the 1netropoht~ul con­...-:titnenciP~. t"nd the rf'prc···Pntabves of larg-l' cl'ntrh of population, i_f tlw~· wPro C'Oll~~tdtL•d hv the Governn1cnt Jll n'garcl . to th<• neee.,.,it~· of g-oing on. with. thP yrectron of a hattoir~ ·: Or ·was tlus pohcy JU'•' put. bdore tlwm. and were tlw:y told that they would haw• to ··UJljlOrt it. \Yill:-·-mll.' ·: li •;auld a\lpear to me to lw :-o. \Yhat about tilt· r<·nl·P~0ntatiYcs of tllC' ~ugar district? JJnvl' f-h<'v lw·<'n con.':ultc:-1 with n'garrl to th<• nHtnn~·r in \vhich thC' :--ugar-canc ~-;up­pli0rs ha ._ e bP<'n treatNl in QuPPnsland? \Y0 know that from th<' Xorth to the South of ( ·llH'(~n-.]and. thP :;;ugar-C'anP supplier,,, aro_ C'rviuo· ont that. thtn,- ar(' bPing- cruRherl l>~tw<~'ll two millstm~P'. Tlwy have got to lHlY fair and rpa~onablP wages, as· }ll'P'-cribPd bY t.hP Indu~trial Conrt, pro­oidcd owr b:c His llononr .Judge :\1~c­nano·hton allcl thPv sav thcv havl' a nnll­stm;~. in· the shape\ of the C"alonial Su('"ar Rl'fining ColHl)any, on to11 of thmn, and

thev havl' no nwans of mak­[8 p.1n.l ing" th<' Colonial Suga~· Refil_l-

ing Cornpan~~ paY what IS a fan· al~d re,u:onabh• pric£' for thr-ir Rngar-canC'. I woultl a.-k. has thP Govprnment consulted the repr0sPntatiycs of thos<' distrid.< as. to '·'hat stem• t!F·Y would take' to alienate· tlw condit.ion of the sug-ar-cane growers, !Jpc.ons" the attitude of the Government towards th0 sugar-cane growers, I take it, will' lH' th" r:anw .as their attitndt• towards all oth<>r primar.\· producers • \Yhat did the· ( 'l<iPf SecretarY tell us when thP Sug-ar Can<' Price Board.- "Bill. was bdore !his Hm:sc la' t vcar? H +"' wa" onnoRPd to It on pnn­ciple: lwcanst' it tendcci -towards th(• n"tiorw}­isation of thinrrs in g0neral. It tt'nrled m th0 dil'PCtion of tbe !lolicY of thP Labour· parh. InrlP<'<l. his col! en t;nl', the hon. nwn;bcr for Toowon(T, mDr1" u··e of these words-I would like to givr h;s 0xact words, breau-0 theY ar0 d<'scri11tive of what tl.rat mrasnr<' m0ant when )1laccd side by s1dc with the Lib0ral platform-with so-called T,ilwral idt'as. In speaking on that measure, the hon. nw!llbcr for Toowong- said .. --

" I sav. unlwsitatin'l"ly. that thi~ Bi!F splinters" every principal plank in thE-

Address in Rep/}!. (8 JULY.] Address in Reply. 55

Lii era! platform and adopts straight out to the ccame extent the platform of the Labour party."

That i., cc•rrect. HP goes on to sa:-'-" I fc<'l that if I 'S<'l'<' tD vote for the second r<>ading of the Bill. that the time had c nne when, if I could not occupy a sect ''long ,ide hon. members on the other side of the House, my place "'onld \Jp as a humble supporter of thoHJ hon. memlwrs out•,:rle."

That is a fair eritiei··m on thl' Bill r Jlll)Hncd ,.·ith Liberal iclcas-comparPd with the icl<>as of this Government. \Yhat did the Pr0mier cay with re·C'ard to it? lle also mack a spee-ch on th·e matter. He recognised that the sug.cr­<:llll' suppliers ere in a bad v. "v and hi' had a method of de 1ling- ,,·ith them.' On pa,\!P 2500 of the same yolume of "llan.-".rd." in tlw cour"o <lf hi~~ :--P ,;eh he ~ays-- ,

":\'ow. if it lw truc•--aud I haYc no doubt at all as to the ,_tatcment 1 cade h:v the hon. gPntlen1.an--t 11at in the dis­trict fron1 ·whit h he t-,->L_ws a kind of zone has been "'tabli,hNl hv which men are 1nt pc•rmittcd to dPiiY~'r i heir goocls to ,,·hom they choose. tht'JJ I think it is quito tiuw that that '""' ]JUt an end to.

"Honourable :\1PmbPrs: Hf':tr. hem·!

" The PRE:\IIER : Thet kind of thing ca:unot be tolerated. ancl anv crnnbination in r~"~traint. of tradt' ancl ain· honouraLlt• nnr~Prsttndi11g \Yhich Sl' ·ye:' to (lllrich th<' ff'\V at t.hP (-~cpt'11H' of thP ll"UlllV ll1U~t be de ,lt with. H must not only' he rc•pro­batPcl. but mn,t be rootc·d out. For some tin1P pa~t I hun"" b0c'1 iu c:nnlnlunication •~ ith the Ag·pnt-Uencral \Yith , vit'W to hi> sccuriPg' for Ill<' copie;;; of lt'gi:.!Ption (~'-~tant in thP r..-nitPd Statp~ and in Can::da. a 1ld aJ•.,J< an~,- that thev hav1· in the· old L'nd dealinfi with tlw 'cpiP~~"ion. of trn·.t.s :mel comhim•s. If wb:tt tlw lwn. gentlf'man has said obtains in thP Stat<', tlhn tlw 1·inw has eonw wh<'n ir :"honld lw dealt ',\"ith Pff< ,~ti~. dy lJy ]cgif:L· rion. becan~C' it is not f1ir that OlH' n1an "'houid he· co'n­f>C'llc-d to l'l'C<'in• 12s. 6lL for "' Pxadl0' sirnilar ronnnoditY to that for which hi.~ llf'ig'hbour is 1~,•c0iYing- 17s. 6d. If we f ~u1 f'nr·'1nra<!c the nrodu('C'l' ·withont tak­ing- t.hco first stPp which I think leach along the• path of tb,· natimwlisarion of t!H• m0ans of production. di>.tribution. and c···cchan<rP. wp shonlrl clo .J}; hut. if it !w not poe.,;ib]P in dPal pffec:iYelv 'vith hrannv of this na.turc>. tlwn I would he lir<'p'lred to r o tlw l<'ngth of the hon. .rrentlc•man. Hut I think it can be dealt with more effcdivc>lv than hY t\w means ·"ugg0~t0d bY hin1, .,iFl v~:itholit Srirr0nder­iiJR what. t;, mv minrl. an• prirJciple.s tlut have dominated the Liberal partv. It can be dealt ''ith more eff0ctiveh-' than bv ha.nrling onr<elvPR over to a. '~<?ry larg0 dPgreP to the advocacy of nrinC':pJe~ of hon. nH'rnhers on the other sidP."

A little later on h0 c.ays thiP-'(Tionourah10 lliHkrstancling, cornl..,inr' ,

'mel trusts of an,- kind 'd111tPYC'r w·il! lw ckalt with, if we; are spart•d. in the ne,,.t. :-:.ession of Parliament."

Xow hero we have the GoyPrnor's Speech. and thr•m is no mention of dealing with trusts and rombincs. and honourabl0 understandings which he sugg-PstPcl should l·e a. rl'nwdv for tho6c' sugar-cane suppliPrs. }fp .c.aid then he was making inquiries from the Agent-General

with rPgard to legislation which was extant in the United States and Canada. But, as we han' sinrr- pointed out. and I think at the tinw, legislation in the United State.s and Canada has prOY<'d unsuccessful. and 1f the J?renliPr introdnct,, le,,-ri;:.lation on those line~ here, he 'viii find it will he unsucccs;;ful. By what process of reasoning does the hon. gentle­man suggest that h~ can transplant fro:m AnH'l'ican :,oil to soil in Australia a legis· lation which has been unsuccessful there and make it succc.-.,ful here, particularly when it ii coping with the very same evil-the sa_n1c t:vpc• of <··cil? There is only one way of placmg the sugar-cane mpplie1s of Queensland on a propPr footing. I took the very earliest oppor­tunit::. when Parliament Hssembled last year, of moYing ,,_ motion on 24th June last year­to have a certain amendmPnt made in the Bill 1hat was thPn bPfore the House. It is reported on 11ago 98 of Yolumo civ. of "Hansard," 1913, and was to insert these ,q)l'ds.--.

"For tlw c•tablishm<>nt of representa­th'-"' and irnpartinl tribunals to secure fair prirP· and conditions to sugar-cane suppli(•rs."

That motion as d"featcd because we were tolcl it .,, as uot the ri.u ht place to do it-that t!wn• ,hmild be a separate Bill for doing that, ~>d 'Y<' waitnd. On this occasion the Chief 8<•ere'1rY tole! us he was not qgainst the !l:lf'<:t~un< On nage 99 of same -volllnlf' I am reportC'd a·' int;•rjeding to the Prcmi<.'r-

" You are against establishing them?" Tlw PrPmiur rPplicd-

" ::\'o: I am not ag-ainst the establishing of l.oards."

His mbsc•q1wnt conclud proved that he was OlJllOS<>d to it. and heart and -.rml behind the c'o]onial Su~:.tr RL'fininp: ConllJany in the ahitnclP which thc ,. took up. From that tinH' on thi~ party· has t.akcn every o<;casion tlwv could: ecrtainh~ tbcv have rccerved a lot· of assi~tance and thP\: haYC' no ""~ish in an· waY to tak<' aw. credit clue to the hon. Hl(:,n1H'l; for Burrun~, but ~hf'y have assiGted !1im in a1Iythinc; that lll' has brought forward haYing for its object the eshblishmcmt of < ane prire hoards, although we did not be· !icY<' in :1ll tho d!'taih of the measur<' which lw >h•nittc t1 to no. I think it required "' lot <Jf amcnclnwnt. hut it contained a. mineiplc• which ehould lw C'stablishC'd by Jc."i·olation in this State: that ,,·here, on the m;c hand Y<ln haYe " nwnono]y controlling an indnstr~' and on the other hand vou have rancgTo~;.<';._, un.<~ble to SPC'urc a ftlil" i1rice- for tlwir cane, that th<'n there must be some imnartinl trihnnal to fix 'l price between the two. Tht• rc•nort of the Sugar Commission l'PC'OinincrHh it and it anp0als to our conunon ~f'll~~!. Certain obj.cctior)s \VCTe raised, as theY Yen often arP rai,Pcl. to principles whi ·h ;l!';, cnnnciatc•cl in Bills of this kind, +hat the same rP;;ult would not he obtained from a bad mill as from a good mill; the poor!:;- <'quinped mill and the well enuipped mill v:ould he ,.f differ<>nt results. But. '•Urely \Yf' :HP not -so stnni(l. \Vf' arf' not R'l unintclli­"'C'lt a' not to k'lOW thnt these hoards will fix a price on come basis of sugur contents in the .nnm', unci if one mill is not properly <'qu.ipncd it will onl:;' haF' to be broug-ht :>P t0 a cc>rtain standard. These are diffieulbes that can be done awa:;· with with proper­administration. and, if the present Govern· mcnt 'Ire riot •able to establish such a trihuna 1, thcin let them o-iyc way to some­hotly Plsc who can pro,-id<> ~onie effective

],fr. Ryan.?

Address in Reply. [ ASSE:VIBL Y .] Address in R, ply.

1~H1chinpry :or thu carrvin(r out of .. what is a. c:ood an;l " sound pi·in,;ivk. This. party v:,·nt so ; ll" in this mattor during the !act ~ .. ·::-:":!:on of Parlianwnt--th~Y wore so con­vin.:-;cd "tbat thu 111atter \V~1~ nocc'•Sarv. and ti1<1t tlw matter was mgtmt. that· thoy ·>l'POced the adjournment of the IIoasc in tJ:·der . to han' that Bill put through its Cornrnrtte0 stagc:s ancl through the thir·cl reading. and )JRSSed by the rppcr House; l-nt, unfortnnatl'ly, \Ve 'vero alonf' in that. Tne> hon. member for Bunmn, I noticed bv tlw Pr· s~. mnc!P a statom"nt at Chikler:s '"Le time aftPrwarcls <mel explained that l_:.,_, had not gone on \vith tlu~ me.·1snro l)ecau~e it rnight ltavl' rncant tl1P dcfPdt of tllC' Go­V•·rnmeut and would havP played into tlre h •n-· 1,; <'' the• La bonr part\·. If the hrmen of Queensland prPff' - l'f: )l'f>~PntatiYc< that pl,·, into the hands of tho Colonial Suo·ar RPfining Co1npany rather than reprcserrla­tivl's \'I ho ,\·ou]cl pJ,t,\- into thei1· pockPts ··uHl tLPi" haneb, then it is for them to rlecide. But the primary produce"· of Ql!"t•nsland :->urely ho.Yt> .,ufficiPnt intPHigPncc, whc>n the~· follow tlw <"on"~ ,,f eYents. to know when it i-. rnuch n1on· in their intel'(\.:::ts to plav into tlt'ir lwnrh and in·'" tlw hands of the I~ahour rartc· t imn into the hands of monopolists end into tlw h:.m:ls of tho Liberal parh. Tl rt is tlH' prob],.m put h·foro thC'm. If they say their representatives are to voto fm the Government because thev are Liberal Ulld not in t~1e intnreRt~ of ~the prin1arv producer•·, thet is thpir affair, but I haw ~ much hig·her opinion of the int<.'lligPnce of tlw primary producers of Queensland than to think that. I >Yonld like to point out that 0 11 the oceai'ion of tho second reading of that Hill that it was c·m-ried h,· a majority of thrPf' votes. Tlw "Av0s" \Vf'-rP thirtv-on:' including all tlw menlbers of th·· tabou;. pal·t:v anr: 1Pn nwmbcrs eitting behind the GoY('rnnH~nt. I will ju~t give their nan10s. lwcmPe I think all credit is due to the•n for havino· ,-ot,.J for tlw sPcond roadinp: of that nH':! ·ur<', all(! I am onlY sorn that suh­Bf'qucnt events have made a' ver:. ·larp:e body of the ekdors of Queensland think that tho;;;e Ul()Jnhf'I y·prp not ~inc. r(' \vhcn thev woulcl noc pu-.h the thing on. I think the:;­:,hould l>f\ :::-ivcn a11 opportunit:v of sho\Ying thar th~ y al'P .:;incerP. T. f'-'r one. will cer­tainly withhold my jlldg"ment until I hear what their attitud(• on th0 1natt0r is now. Thr• nH•mhc"s of tbp GoY\'rnrncnt party 1vho V<)te{1 for thRt Bill. ·.:,-pr(': ::\1r. TI0l»11ing'ton. l\Ir. C:tin<', ::'111-. B. H. C'or. ", ::'vlr. K B. C. C'orser. :Hr. H ·>dge. ::Yir. J.Jor,can. Colmwl Rankin, :VIr. S\ni--no, :VIr. \Yilli>fum. and lYir. Cra wforrl. ::\I~ssrs. (ira nt and :Macros­san also pairPd in favour of tlw Hill. All tho"n n10n1lw~·:-:: "oted for th0 :;:;p('ond reading of that Bill. but. if tlw hon. membt•r for Burrun1'-. ('Xp1anJ.tion j~ corrPct, th0v did not push the matt~r v:hen we wislied it to go t hrongh, for fear of pla:ving -into the hands of the Labour nart-:. \YPll. tlwir R<'ruplr·s rna:;· have )wen -p:ot · ovor b~· this. \Y0 rlo not carf) ,dv,thPr it n1aYR into onr hands or not. Thn onl:v thing -Wt' concidrr i··;, if it is rig-ht:. thuP ·~-otc for it nn 1natt0r into whosP hanth it pla;~·s.

Mr. KESi'ELL: Does that always actuate sour vote?

:VIr. RYAX: That HI ways actuates this fl<lrty, and I hone- it alwavs'will. I am sur<> that the primary produeers of Queeneland

[ilf r, Ryan.

,,-ill lw a.;;tDnishrd -whC'n the,>" know there is no suo·o·Lc;tion that a. mC'asurc of this kirid is to be"'tmmght forward this sC'·sion. They <tll complain of the pre wnt position. and t!wv an-. all in an nn ,atisfactory Position, and I think it is lho dut:: of thi, Parliament to oee that their po;;ition is pla<'ed in a o'ltisf.acturv stato. 'A' e can do it, and I propos<'. ~Yith tlw object of nnc!Pavourir;g to bring· this reli<'f about for tht•m and m (Jnh•r not to cloud the issue-because there 81'C n1anv thing-::; on 1vhich a ~dirrct motion of v. ant' of confidence in the Gov<.'rnment conld be founded-their administration and other nHltters connpct;:~.rl \vith their legisla­tion, mattPf,, to which I hope I w!ll he able h> rc·~cr in audition to these to wh1ch I have n·furred h)-night.

~.Ir. C\lORG.\X i \Yhy don't you moye it?

:\lr. It1-~A::-\: I an1 going to n1ovc it. I an1 going to giYn an Ol>portnnity b~· coucuntr!ltH ing thP issne on tlw Y~'ry point o!' wh1c:h member ... votcel last sl'SSJon. It 1s m th·.lr Lands to compel thP Govcrnmt•nt to bring in !Pgislation that will amcliorak the cm:dition of the farmPrs of Qu •"<'nsland. It IS m:Y opinion that it will givl' th0m thl' relid which th<.'Y nP0C1. and all I will ask i21 this am,,nd· nw;tt i~; that v.-,• n1ay dcnidc IYho arP rc.1lly ".:ncf'n• in trying to do ~.offi('thing for thP prirrl'n'v produetor. \Yith that objred I move the followiu;,; ~unencl1nent: ·--

"'That tlw follmYing- para<~raph be add<>d ,. -

\Yt· n'.?Tt~t that no rPf('rf'lH'P i;;; n:: 1<1(~ in tht' 8pPC>eh to any int0ntion on the part of your advisPn. to i1;troduc\_ a Rugar-c;Hlf' PricP Boarch B1ll, haYing fo1· i+f-( object the f'-;tabli::;hn1Pnt of repl, ,-, ... ,httiv<' aml impartial tribunals to ~f'cnrP fail~ prict'-; and conditions to ~ng-ar-canP ~unpliC'r'i, and \YO are of opinoon that !0g-i.slation on those lines "honld be cnbrntt(•tl to Parliament \Yit-hnut dPlay.''

<l!'FOS!TIOX }IJ;:\!BERS: lif'ar. hear!

:\Ir. RY.\X, I mav so.v one word more vdth rf ·,:ar<l t J this n~attt·l·. 1 think a mC'a~ 'nr<' d tlri,.; "'Ol't ,Jroulcl hr introducod hy '")w G-oYPrlnnent and ha<'kf'd h:v the Govern­n~cnt. a1ul not by any pri,?at.f' nH~mber. 1\'h"t hon'' i>< therP of getting a measure tlu·c:,l~h (iH' l~ppt-r II(·ll:-:P that is not intra~ d11cncl ancl H!)portecl b.', the GovPrnment '? Ther p~dr·• tlvir no'lrinP·" thl'rr'. and, e.-en ·if it p·1S··~"}d it·~ sPeonrl rPading- lH'l'f' and wc·nt thr'm'l'h (\nnmittP•' unrl0r tlw eontrol of some ~)rivnte InPtnbPl'. tlH'TC i~ not n 10.000 to ~me chance of ib g0tting throug·h in anoth0r n''tf'f'. F.YPrY t~1c1-nhr j_. (\f tbl .; f1oww knows that. aml. tl!Prefor<'. th<• dut,r 'honlrl he i1.1po~Pd o11 ·lh(· (j,.v, :·nnH>r 1 of ~,~piHg- that a nH<1•·ur:.• of tl1·tt k1n(l is 1i-::tr.l(lu..-·Pd. ThPre ,-rp mOllY (+h~)r n1·,ttr•r::. that I <'ould in­clucl•, an·rl that I wonld likP to inn]nde, but. in nrd0r to nwk(' th0 i -"·U0 plTin nnd f'l ar. ~o that tht canP farnlPl '' anrl prirnary nro­(1uoprs of Qne1"ll1h~and rna:v have an oppor­!11nitY nf tP~tlng tl1P po-''itlo11 nf Tl1Pnlbers b(l.hirl{1 the- Go\~Prl1lilP11t. a1Hl cl0ing sonic­thing- for their good, in:-;trarl of having- the comphC(··r' .'prcch madP by tho depnty k'lrler ln .,t "'·"ning. in w!1ich he practically fp]] on thi• sbonld01·s of tho GovernmPnt and embraced them-(laup:htl'r)-and said hP took it for gTantPtl that t.hoy wN·e goinp: to do eYer,vthing· in favour of the farmer-for

A ldress in Reply. (8 JuLY.] Address in Reply. 57

ctlwse reasons I have confined the amendment to thi,; one matter. No wonder a section of the Pross was caustically criticising tho >peech that the hon. member made, in it' issue this morning. I arn not suggesting for one r.nonrent that en_,ry hon. n1ernhPr who Yoted for the SPconcl reading of the Cane Price Boards Bill will ,not oupport the am('ml­mcnt-in fact. I expect tlwm to :;how their hawJ(',, to indu('O tho GoYPr·nn1ent, I will not say for. P the GoYernrnent, but to induce th<.' poYernnH•nt-if it c.an b0 done by per­.,na~uo_u by ~dl rn('ans let rt ~,, by IWr~ua::;ion-~­tiJ hnng· auont an uJtPratron of the condr-1 ion-.; no'-',. ('Xi:-.ting, which art• prc-~·-ing ~o hard on t}u' carw farn10r;; of Qu('r·n:;:;land. In mv opir,ion---aml I have said it before­it woilld be far bL-tcC'l' for thP in<lu~Jtrv if thPv \Yf'r<' undC'r FedPral control. so tllat the'-~

· <'uld all lw controlled bv <me; authoritv frort1 th(_l grr)\\ ('1' tu tlw C'<)ll;UnH'r. an unihoritv whi(·h would aJ-,,o eontrol tlH' Colonial SuO'al· Hefining Cnn1pany. But at nre::.ent this Pi:'>ar~ Jiall1l'nt hth< 1,0 jlO\YCc' to CC>ntrol that com­Jl~.lly in h~, opt>r<:~.tious in 8yflnPy. It f'an, hovrt'YC'l\ ~ ·'Jll~_ntl tne1n in thP price> they pay for c:uw m t,}UPPllsbnd, and that is whv I arn t1·yiLg to mo·n· in the only dirPction that '\n~ can rnr' ·, ('.

::Ylr. BooKEH: ""h,,- tlw amC'ndmPnt ·:

Mr. RYXc\: The hon. nwmbl·r says, " \Vh;> the am,•udmPnt ' '· If I could intro­dllce H)lTit aniPnd.ment d{"ttling \Vith the con~ trol of th' Colonial Sugar Rdining- Com­pany as c-cmp' 'tely as I would likP. I would rlo so. But :\Jr. Fisher had not the autho­rity to do that. 'l'lw Fc•deral l'arliamcnt could only gPt the power to control trusb and <'OlnhiH(':-\ if thP rPfcrPlHlntn propo:;;ah; tnude b~ hif' C OYC'rnnlPnt had been carried, hPcau·-'2 at prP~C'llt their onlv control is OY0r

t radt) nnd con1n1c•rc~ ·with oth0r conntrif'-'\' and amongst th,• Atat<:'. Th0rdore. under that po,~ C'r thP ( \HnnH,nwcalth GoY0l'lHn(•nt at prt>s0nf havr not sufficient authorih to enable t h('m l'lft>ctin•ly to deal with mm\opolir'. I am sorry that my tim0- tlw full hour---has b00n cxhan-tPd. hut I do hope that this cunendnlf'nt \vill ho approaelwd in a non­party spirit, jn~t it is lllOYed bY eon­~id{~ration;.; 0ntirel:v af!cc>ting tllP prin1a~·y pro­jlucers and thl' publrc p-c·wrally of Queens­.and.

0PPO>ITIOX ::\IE}!BERS: Hl'ar. lu.'ar:

:VIr. LEKXOX: I ri.'<' for tlw purpo-0 cf :-c•concling the amendmt•rlt. which I will do at th<' clasp of my remark', In the mean. tinw I shnll dc•vot0 my time to references to the _\.dcln'''' in Heply. I join with the leader of this party in congratulations to the mover and secondf'r of the _\.ddr0es iu "Rnply, morp C's)wci:tlly for tlH' manner. not altog<'ther for the mattPr. I abo cordiallv <'ndors0 en' r_v word uttered bv the hori. IneH:L for Bareoo in his rPfu1:0nce to the -'arly dep.1.r·tnre of Sir \Yillicrm MaeGre;>;or. I have had thP pk.asnrc of kno,;-ing His ExcellencY for a grPat n1anv vea1·s. and haYe always hef'n dclip;htt'd with" the work he has succBN1ed in ·doing in his long conncc~ tion "·ith this part of the world. and I am 'tn·e his loss will be rcgrPtted. not only by rnn:nbPrs of this House. but also bv a verv largo majority of neoplo in this S(ate. Th{s Address from thP Throne oceupiPs a consid­f'rablc space in dealing with that sorrowful part of thP business, the departure of the Governor. I pass on, th0n, to othf'r thing-s. A referenc0 i>< maCJ,, hPrP to the '\;orthf'r" coastal districts which arc specially suited

for the cultivation of sugar-cane, and which, in the opinion of His Exec Heney\; adne.ers, are ·"luiti·cl only for sugp.r. That has been the opinion hitherto-that tho,e lands. would !lTO\V ~uf.rar ancl :-:,ugar only. It IS \veil l<uown that within a short distance of the coast that is so, but v:hen you pae.s a way from tho coast to places like Atherton and :.Vlalanda, which is not more than 30 or 35 milf's from the coast, it i; well known that tlu•y C'an c>nrry on dairying a:< :~-illC'e(•:-o·"full;v. I belic\'c, ..and <'YPn n1ore succ~''"Sfully, as in other parts of tlw State. 111~- object in men­tioning that i· to bring under the notiCe of nH mlwrs that a tra' k hac n·centh· been dis­covered knu\t n a:-: .. Os\Yald's Tracl~." run::1ing fnm RavenshoP or Cedar Creek, ncar Innis­fail. to Fisher's C'reek. \Vh'.'n I was up tlwre recently I took occasion to go over that district, ancl I noticed that for a di,tance of 45 or 50 JEile,, von have country almo,,t equal to tho Atherton country for dairying )>nrpoe~'' --anrl that io a district that has ahYays bP<'n rpgardPd as ~nitablP for sugar­growin~ only. I should like tD ~all atten­tion to the fad :hat it is also suitabl<e for (l.air,,ing. The GoYl'l'nnif'nt. in its pro­brai~llllC, proposes to continue the central mill svet<'m, and also to d0al with the con­strncti"on of c-o-op!!rati,-e mills. In both I C'ntin·lv agTPf'. Tht'rr-' aro sorr1c districts wlwre ·thP 'Gonn·muent mig-ht not be wholly in:;;tiflcd in finding all tlw 1nonev for a 1nill; for instance. in a case such aS J arvi.-fif'ld. \YlH're the farmPrs \Vcre prepal'('d to find half ar·-.1 the' GovPrnment the balance. But then· W::t'' a di!\1cultv over the v-av in which }Ir. DrvsdalP had ho<m treating thP farmers. 1h~ had hPPn trP:lting ~on10 not so 'vPil as lw had lwcn !tenting others. and the Tr0a­mr<'r was ahh' to visit tlw district while ParliamPnt \Ya sitting. and bring- about a sc•ttll'1l'Pilt of tlH• friction. Conditions have ,•q·i:-nn ir1 oihPr plaef''~ in the Fame way. and I ho)w tht> Tr,,amr<'r ,,, ill f'X<'rt his influ­encP to hrirw; about a peace>ful SPttlf'rr,ent tlvre also. I am glad to S<'<' that the Go· vcrmtwnt arc• satisfi('(l that thev will han' no difficult.,- whatever in arranging for the conver:-ion ·af tlw loans falling due in July 1l<'':t. I think \\"l' all feel glad at that. but T fail to SPP what g·uarantee they han' for things so far alwacl, for anything may hap­)Wll to distmh th<>ir calculations i':l the nwantinw. I am glad to sec that the Go­vernment has dcciclf'd to bring in an amend­nwnt of tlw Ag·ricnltural Bank Act, and also that \Vt> arP to ha\ c in th0 coining SPsRion tlw :\Jph-opolitan Tram\\·avs Bill that was c]i,cus-·cd brieflv. or rathei· introrlucNl. last SC'·,ion. I sinccrPlv hone that when that Bill is introduc-ed. ·th0 Govcrnmcnt will be "-j1ling to flf'('('Pt an anH'n<:hncnt fr.on~ thiR ~;dC', ···. hirh j-; :::urn to llf' mov0d-···if 1t 1" not rtlrcadv in the Bill--thnt tlw Governnwnt v·ill riot 1 ·aw it entirely in the hands of ih-- lo··nl nuthoritics to construct other tram-1inP~ ju the n:Ptrovolitan an a, hPcauRP anv­<J:10 who studi0s ihc matfpr for a few seconds muet camP to tlw conclucion that a larg·e lllPnh:•r of ]ou_ll vntlwl·~ti<''"--pprllaps Pig-ht n1· nin0 in 1l1Pn1)('_'---~\-i11 t''kt' 0i0·ht or '1in0 YC''"1YS to C'Olll(' to anv un<:1erstanding- about taking +lwm ovf'r. Tlw Govf'rmn~ni' should rr ''''"'"" to itsplf thf' rio:ht, failing thP local :'uthoritic::: exerri~ing +1u:'-ir option. of taking ove1· tho. tr't'lnvavs. I l1np0 sinC'crPlv that thc Bill. whe'l hb!p,l '>"ill conbin that pro­vision. I am aho g·la<l to '"" +hat t]wyc is to he an amcndmcnt of tl1n Disirict Courts Act, pot (hat I ""1 famili~r v·ith tlw Ace, but bc~ause of what WC' are ass1ired in the

Jfr. Lennon.]

58 [ASSE~1BLY.] Address in Reply.

last st'ntpnce of the paragraph, that it is intended to cheapc•n and simplify the admin­i,tration of tlw la.1. lYe all know that that is f<•lt, not o•1ly !Jy menibers on this side of thP House', but also by people outside­the law is so ridiculouslv eootlv that nobodv will hav(' anything to do wit!! it if ho can po,sibly avoid it. There arc so many absurdi­ties in connection with tho law. Take the ca~0 tht• other dav \rhen~ six nrcn WC're

Lro~1g·ht uv on a Charg-e of lJeing· illegally on hotel prcn1isPs ou a Sunday. The Go­Yt'l'nnwnt, of lOursf', had to prosecute tlu·rn; theY alv,-a~,s like to do that . .and each \Yas lim:d 1· ., ·so that 6s. w<•nt to satisfy the lll 1j(•_l.~· <•f th:' bv:. Bnt thP la"\YY<'l' got t \', o Q'UiLt as in c:::tch ca~e, :-;o that it took fori v-1 w,-\ tin1cs af' n1uch to satisfv tlH' la WYCr a.s h touk to ~atisfy the rnajC·,ty of thP law.

)Jr. I-lcXH.'~::\1: -Yon do Hot want to Rta1·ve thvn1. do yon 't

::lir. L":X::\0::\: Xo: i,ut I mtnt tl1em to be l'l'a -onabh•. { 'ndl'r tho:-;r~ '-ircnin~ta!lcc:::; I a1n glad to haY{' au a~:o:;Ul'G.llt'e fro1n the Go 't'l'llli'(~_lt tb ,"· i l.,i.i.l ::-il.djlli;y antl du•appu hm-_ I am aloo otrnek wid1 tht• fact that tlw Gon.>rnnu•nt .are lwco1nin~.r at la~t a little lllOr(' denwcra .. i~·. Th(•y h-aYt' adontl'cl ·~onw fr•w of the planb of thP Labonr- platform. ThL'Y are going to appoint a public tru~tee. and to ftart a fin· insuJ.·ancr· devarttncut. in connection \Yith the \Yorkl·i·s' IJ\YL•lling::; _\ct and tht> .\gricultural Bank Act. I rLllll'Inlwr. sonH' yl.•ar~ ·ago, wlwn tlw ~\gri­cnltnral Bank Act \Ya:~ going throug-h the IloUf'f:', a f'trong at~etuvt wa· lnad('-·-I an1 llOt :-;ure wlu.·t.lwr it was that Aet or thP \York<•n;' D--~·ellingR Act. I think it ''"'"' the lattf r-but I kno'1 an att"·llllJt v:as 111adP on thi~ side• to inclneP tlw Govc-rnnwnt to avail thmnsclvc..:; of that YCl'Y conveniPnt OPlJOrtunity for "tarting a StD.tP insurance fund. But that \Yas ocouted at the timr. It tak0s a Ion~~ tinw to knock SC'llH' into tlw Gov0rnment; -you haYi.' to barnnwr away for about fiv0 vear · Lefore YOU can 1nakc them rt>alisc what theY sh01;ld do. I am glad they are going to f. tart a s+ ate in­surance fund, and that it ,y;]] !Jc <•xtPnded sufficientlv to deal. not onh- with the \Yorkers'. D'' ellings Act and . the Agricul­tural Bank Act, but that the whole of the GoYernment buildings will comP nnd<•r it. At present I under,! and that , ery few GoYern­ment buildings are insured at all. I think it will bf' wise to insure them. <lnd I hope the GoYernnwnt will extend th<- fire insuram,, businP~s as soon a•;, practicable.'. Taking thP Addr('5S from tht' Throne altogctlwr, it does not contain. with the exception of two it0ms I ha'.t' rl'f<'rred to, any mattPr of great public importance. I see that tht•re is a proposed amonclnwnt of the Constitution Act. Possibly, that may be wry mn:'h more important than 1 l'X!Wct it to IH'. Lc•t me hope that it will be for tlw ]mrpose of doiw· ;pxay v,ith thP bi-cameral sYstem. and if so it will lw an important itC'm in the progranun0. i\ Loan Bill. of cours(', i~ llC'Ce-f'RarY. and n Raihvav Rill is a]~o llP(·"; .. ,·tr 1 •• 'It is tlw RanH' BilL I RU11l)O·'',

slightly· altc•red, that we had bdore US'" last f-'f'.':'~Ion. I sinc(~rPlv hon0 tlH' Gov0rnn10nt ,,-iJl embody in that Bilf-I think it will be t h0 m·oper. p]a{'c to put it-th··· <'stablish­H1r-~, +- of n pcnnanPnt \York~ or raihva;.T conl­·mit .. •, so that raihp'"'"P :--;l-,1.11 r0('PiYC' hc'tt('r' co~sirle-1·ation. IllOrP fnll inquirv. and ~o·0atpr ('arp lwfor0 the,\· arc submitt<'d to this House

[ill r. Lrm10 n.

to be pa:;secl. \Yc all know that some of the HaJhYaY Bills haYe gone through tln:; Honse' with what I might call ind.ecent haf-tP. Such a connnitten a::, I have mentlon.Pd appPar::' to giYP yery great ;satisfaction in tlw othPr f!tat<·•; in :'\ew t'outh \Vales they haYc such a co1nn1itte~:. Complaints haY€' bPPll rnadl' o ypr and oyer again in this ~oust.' that W<' han• pa,ocd raihrays practically without anY inforn1ation, an(l I aru sure that tlw rPmarl~ aJ>pliPs to tlw t\YO big!ie't Rail­wav Bilh v.<l c'YPr pa ... wtl Ill thrs HousP. Th;,v Wt'rf' 1 JU ~,,pel 'vithont sufficient inforina­tion' bPing in1t into puyc(':":ion of !1on. 1110111-

lwrs. I y, unld like to call attention to the fac7 th;'t thf' GoYcrnnwnt.. in their prograinnle haYt' ,,jtl nothing about tlH• rolls. I want to n•late wh,~t o. '-urn d l'(•c;pntly in the tovrn­,hip of Ingham, which is _in thr' centre' of uJo. t>lt>ctorate. A local olJtJOn poll was held tl;Pl'{' on!v la,d WN'k, an-d the local papPr, \\·hich is lt staunch support<'r of the Govcrn­mt'nt, rPft'rred to tlw fact that tho rolls 'Y<'l'P in a di:sp;raec"'ful coudition. There ·was onlv a llt'rc. ·Jta~C' of thP total votes pol!Pd altOg~'tll~'l". b~·c·<~ll}1P it clid not :UrDUSP a~ tuuch int('rc-.t H.• it should "~1aY0 done. Ont nf 120 p•·or!e who -.,.;pnt t•1 yote, thirty of thum. to their great i-Ur,ri'"· f< nnd that tllt'ir namt• \H'rt' not on tlw roll-that thoy had bt .,.n rt'mon•tl from tlw roll under th1" ]nu!fyin~r : :.t('lll that have h~ard. ~tr nmd1 ah .tt in th'-< Ho····P v·hon th~ J<Jccbons Bill ""t tine •«dL Tlw nee' -p .per I refc•r to-" Tlw Ht•rb0rt RivPr Expn,._"-which i~ not. r:. .<nnpo·:'tt r of In2~_c', bn! a stauneh Hlpportcr of d1P GnYPl'lll1Wnt. Is. a brou~l­ruind 'd paP<'l'. \-·hicn dot''· ndt Indulge 111 \"()l'Y narro\Y ,-j\-'tc\ ., . but it took th0 Go­n<rr:mwnt ro tad< for till' dJ·,ractt•r of that El<'dions Act. It commt>nted on tlw diffi· t>ult0· plac<>d in the w''Y of people gctting on tlw roll. and the "a.•- they wPre put off •:. ithout lll'OJ>Pr uoticP. \vhich reflt•ckd a_n,:­thin: ln!t credit on tlw Go.,-ernmcnt. rtch­enlP(l the ah~nnl qnc-stion" thPy v, Pl'P a:~k0~l to a· _,, r. nc1 :T''llC'rnlly took np thP nth­tucln of v paper- ho~til(' to thP GoYl'rnment. Tht• nalH'r is not. hostik to thP GovPrrnncnt, but t(d,;, ' t lw opportunity of criti;;i ·in;r. t~em \Yhf'n it eonsid0rs thP~Y dr"'"rYP 1t. It 1s a ~trangp thing that, \Yhen thtsC' people \\·ent to that nine . living in the town for many Y<' u'P, the' found their name·'· had been ·?ruck off. The GoYernnwnt ought to SP<'

that. ,,-]wn thE' polic0 an· attPmlino,- to the CommomYl'alth roliR. name' arc also put on the State rolk It wonld not cost yery much. I think thP polieP onr~·ht to gt>t -.-,me paymPnt for the work. but th.e cost would he infinitC'c·imul. I would hke to rC'fn to sonwthing which occurr0d recPntly in BriBbane. The " Sugar .Journal." refP1;; to what thr•v eall the " f'hwar Parliament in Sf'P.',ion. ·That. i~ a pr~ ttY big d0<;;criptior; to giYC' to tlw Australian Suga1: Pr?duce~s \ssociRtion. Tlwv held a n1P0hng 111 Br1~­~)ane during the IattPr part of "fPbruar~- ~1· the be~inning of ::\farch. Th1s papC'r JS elated 5th ::YT arc·h, and thP conference must haw !wen held imnwdiatel,\· before that. Althongh that association claimC'd to reprc­>e-,t th+> ;.;rowers unci millers. and the wholC' of thP intPrc-'-'ts of those 0ngrr;ecl in the su~ar industry, except the '"orkers~tlwy haw; n0YCr V<\t nrc-sun1ecl to clain1 to rPpresent tlwm-~ltho-ugh they haw made that big boast, in the whole discnscion of this im­portant {'OllfPrPTICC'-and Y('r>· 1nanv thing:-;­of in1nortance to tlw indu:~trY wf're discubsPd, --no 1~wntion wa:-; 1nadP by a1;:.. lllPlnber of thP

(8 JCLY.j Address it~ Rl'/ply. 3U

famous circular of the Colonial Sugar Refin­Ing (;ornvany, sent out shortly after the ( :<ne Price Boards Bill Wad dropped, nor chcl thPy make any referl'nce to cane price Loards either. Of coursP, everyone who has studied thP question knows that the ':..ustra lian Sug·ar Producers' .Association

is no friend o( the fanrwr. but is is reallv ading as a go-bdv <'<'n for the Colonia:! Sugar H0finin~r { 10lnpany. That is \'n)ll h:HO\Vll. l~Pt thl'Y have SOUle YL'l'V clever ll1C'Il

In eonnr<:tion with that business~ \Ve know, too, that sotnc of our 1no.:-:t nroruirwnt mcrn­b ... ·rs are ahvay" r0ad.' to taf.u~ uv the plank of tlw Labour party in State volitics, and run under that baniwr. I l'<lgard man;.~ of those mPn as Pminently qualific<l for that particular point of view to fittingly rcpr.­-ent ·\·hat is kno\Yll as "th(• gr~t!t Liberal party.'' But whilst making every allowanc<' fOl· tlwt, I would like• to noint out c"llll<'­thiug ihat "as said tlwre. fn llr0 fiL,t place', thP Sf'Cl'('~ary of that bod0', I lwlicvP, had :-:t'YPral intrTYieviTS \Yiib HF' GovPrlllllf'nt, r<•spedin~t tlw prohibition of the employment of cn!onrc•d labour in the f'anPfiC'lds, and ht' laid c-laim to the faci thut h0 \Yas the ftrst pPr"'Oil to nlPntion tlw lllf1ttC'r in any publif"' way. I morely \\'ant to point out that the assoeiation has now taken alann, after tho : nkrnn pledg-e giYPn by thP ( 1hit'f St'Cl'('tar~v. in hi·:, corn'~ll01Hl0nc•p \vith th0 Co 11n1on­'"' dth ''rd \-nclr.'\Y Fislwr, that. provirh '.1 tlw Ex~·ir:e and Bounty Aets \Vt'l'C' rPllPak·d. ht) would in1mcdiatcly lHlSS lru-i;;;}a~;on pro­hibiting tlw f'ITil1loyn10nt of coloun'd lab0ur in tlw canefields of Queensland. ThP nwa ur0 ''"' s introdnce•cl, lmt we• find that, aftf'r th'"l Bill W:\S pa~:-;pd, thP r('-:;ulations Wt'l'P V('l':'\~ ~lo\v in C'on1inp: out. Of f'OU!"·C',

tlw ohjcd of their being kl'pt back was. apparent!:-', to show that the Austl'nlinn Rugar Produc0rs' _ \f.;::ociation '\1 as not thP fir~t to takP alarm. I will im.t refl'r to the "Votes nnd Proce<'rlinp" for: 24th flcptl'mhN, 1913. which olate-

'; J.Ir. Lt>l non, pnrsr:nnt tc"~ noticf'. H''kt•d thr- S(•crt'tarY for _\gricultnrc' and Stock- · ,

1. J~ tlJc·re an:- jnMifinh~r' rPa~Oll for thP c•~:':'e;.:;~iY<' cklnY in l)nhlif(hine thf' n g-nlation.: nndt'r the• Sug;1r Cl{ltiYa­tion ,-\.et ':

2. L· lw a\YUrC' that in tlH• llc'rlwrt and .folm.·,tmw rivPr' distr'rts tlw Act i~ 1)(\-iltft flac_~Tant 1 .-,· Hontl•d, :lliCl co1onr~ J labour {' lntinn(·~ in tlH• n~ills '!

3. \Yill llP l'CC]ll!'ot tht' Attorn".''­Gc•?1t'ral to pro.~c'Cllh• nll }H'rRon:;:: con1~ mitting- brc•aches of tlw ,,\ct. and will hP ir1fonn' the FNleral anthw'tv that he• will do Ro, or. failing thi---, ~ wi!l hP rpc•ominf'nd tlw Cabinf't to offPr to C'l'dr f'Ontrol of th0 ~nga1" industrY to thl' CmnnlOll"\\'Palth GoYc>rnn1ent ?"

ThP auswC'rs I got were as follo,~·s :--" 1. ThPrP haf.: lwPu no 0XCPRsiYP de­

hv. 'The r<'g-u]ations nrc with the DP­JH;rtmPJJ' of .Jwcticc pending the result d fmthl'r inquiries.

''2. Xo. '' 3. If infortnation is

Rprrific brcaclws of the will lw rpfcrrecl to Gcnc'ral.''

f urni,hed as to Act, the matter ihc Attorrwy-

After tlw nwding of th0 Anetralian Sug-ar Producers' Aswciation. I had a conversation with the Mini, ter for Agriculture in his offic<·

,].,a!i!P2 with tho absu:·d regulationc; he had i~~lH'lL m_J tried to n1akc hiu1 nnd('rstand the n·suli llwy would bring about, that constNua­tion ''"a" rarnpant ia :\Jorth (~U<'l'ndand about, it, and that ptDIJle vvl'ro so a1arn1(•d that t lwY fl·ar('d for t~w safe'~y of tho sugar in­rhb.try. :'\"''. tb.o Lill brought i1' to prohibit the' mnpluyment of coloured labour, as I L1ve d1 -.c il' d, :-.l'ei:nl'd VtTy W<'ll in ii:3t>lf. f-lf~d tht• .:\.et b~ 'll adn1i11ir.·eT;:~c1 as it v. as pa:-:•,ed l1y thi, Il'JU~c·, all would h ·YC lwrn well. but ln:inrt 't"l·lY it i' en ,,nuar~: in Qupc,n::;]rHl la \Y -· to lu y(', u elalLO dr·,l!~n;:; Y;ith \Yha are k,no\Yll ~1.;; rP,guLtions, and Hlll~Pr C':1Yer cf l'l•nd tif J!•, VC1'V oft: ·1 T'iCs that urn otht'l'­\'< 1 ace'·) ·;I)•,~ ·al'f' r--~·udP d t · LO e~<· \Yhat­c :-,·r. :\\;'.~,-. u~·c1nr lhe fC[Ula.._i.o:H nLd''t the ~\(. ) "l:::. h I rPfPr, thC' \·-Lol-:_) anthcrit~- ~.·.-as YP:" 1 \Yi" 1t ·h(• )~ini-t ·r fCl' \· _·ic·ntun• to d uc. onling to cir,;u~l' <ullt:z~ I v.-ait<'d lll'C::tl tb' J:i!Iis+-er to lF·: u.-,s th0 uwttt'r \Yith hilll. Tht' que 3tion ', ~~... rui·,"(l. n--. to the 1· ·1~:;h ~ -1 ·n y,·hi('h shou~c1 <'lllitlP a nu1n who h alrP,"dv work d in jl,;, iwlusrrY tv l· ~ 1\._.-,~l-.- l'!·'d i;1 thJ.t in\1u:,trY, ~ncl I ;-·avt• it <lS rny ·o,.inion that it f"ho;1Jd lw tw~_'J1ty 'l'('ars. l'u~ h" <~itl not n' rep \Yi h InP at all. I Yt'lltnre tn -.av that the~ ('clneation tl''•t a:-: prqyided in the ~_\ct i'·~ h ·rdly 1wirg tuwd at n11. Ex.('_nptions havP bt>c•n 1~TLllt('d v;:holQ­;->"1' to rh·· t'~{tE'n', I think, of ~.nnething likr' 1.100. :.\~ov .. th•; Chif f SPcr('tarv g'a~-p an ~l '·Ul'an: t') thf' PrirnP ~~~inir·tcr o.f :1w Corn~ n•o-:n-. th.:t hP IH ·· 1d l' ~· lt•; i::;;lr.tion h·1t v;·t'n ~d prohibit th~' ('01 1 -- ll1Hlll('·_• C'f hlack la1-~rnr in t1· ~ ind11 ·'-tr ,·, and lF'l'f' '"~- hayr· it in L i'''t•r h l' ·un' th:H1 lurn h·'d it he-fort•.

: ll I'Y"IJt~. for the J ~: ft•\Y VPal'~·. TL:1t is <"l:nltt 1 -1 ln· no lt>s:"' an ;-:;.~DciUtion ;hc:~n the _\ lE·:ralian · .Su~: ar Pre l•:tc·· r:o;,

~~~;·. f~IR\:~\X: Th~'.\- 1 :~-I ch•pntu",ion tn ~1 '-~ T:·· 'n ~u·c r r ~ti. P r · CC'-, 1::.

~ 1 r. LT•::\:\OK: ; I kuo1v tl1<·5· c~is-( 'd , P:att('r an(1 pa; ~~t d n rc ,nlntiPlL '!'b". · for-:.n1•d a. rh~puLvion to ''"ai;_ npon the 1 , __ ,~: '-'l' nn thP n1f!., ·Pr. and he abo t'X­

prC3"·:f'tl h~:-:. opinion UlJOn it. _..\t all f'Yt :1ts. ''' n iu all parts of the North, CPntr<'. 'ml f' nl l1. rom\d about Bundabt"'' --in fact. I

·'1>: fron1 Nera1L·· to ~I~~ DH1!l-\Yl' rp t h, ·.(' a1~c 1 H'll n-:;:.·.!ociat d v~--itlL tlH' Australian ~~t:: ~·r flroclnc'"'rs' .\'· Jciation. thPY condC'Illn t"r: Gnv•'l'lllll<'nt. and Po]Wcinlh· thC' ::\Iini,ter fqr /-~u···icn1tnrl', for tho ·.-t hol0sal<' granting c:· ('Xl':nptions. ITf're i-j v.-hat thP pr0sid.nt, ~·.!r. C~ra\Yford, says--

" Th,, j'residPnt thought it \Youlcl lw a ""r:- h:•d thirs fci' thP in~ln·-try if they tlli<n:r r1 thil'!l.'" 7-J ::4·-p-:d as fiPY \'n'r0 at the pr(- ... 'lt 'time. :\Ian:v~ 11l"r'.. appliea­tioll fc;· c•x<)mption had b0011 loch~·("~d. and h" fn!t hound to ndmit thnt tlll' :"tate C''-Yc'rlL' -1 ~ }ud 1: t fu:fil1cJ the) undPr­t~tk1ng '" hich a,Q, ~~ive:n to tb ., F•_ df'ral Cn , '1''11 nt nn th" qn~Q,tinn. IJn thought tl~P :--!.:--~>tn Go--r•r. ·,F''l"t-. 'n tl1~ l:'attr>r 1u' rl t.l ~-~' a YC rv :·t·:cu; ininrv -: ) the n·rar jrcln.;;tr~v; for hC' wa·~ ~ur~: that no

inerC'a r.• nf Pl' ;~,- C·tion ·wou1cl be g-ivr-n t1,,,~,, v:lril t any con-i(1"'ral,1e p-:.'oportion pf ;1lit>n ~-lhrur v .'''; alln,,-,~(1 tn co1:tinue in ~'~n iLclu~,trv. 1f an\thin:_:; like rcg·ular Pnlp1oymr ~1t \,·as f-)uild for the large Pumlwr cf a]i"--n,;;:. for "~Yhorn C'X"Dlption had bcc·n i"ucd. it would nwan th,,t tlw pron,;rtion 0f cnlnur0d lah011r in the jn­du,try would be considerahly incrC'ased."

f want hon. ll1f'lllhers to partiPuJarly mark that undl'r the bounty condition,; thPre was

Mr. Lennon.]

I() I) Address i1t Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

{,'~f' en1cnrPd 1ab~·ur PmployPd than thPre is :1 · dL :: -Lh~"' n'::nlations i:-:'~·uf'd by th•' 2.\Iinister i~_-r ./:~:rif':llturr!. )Jr. B2t1~lH"'S. th0 ~\cting Pl'l'lnit·r. '\.\a' \Vait-~-d on by a (h'vutatiou. and l will r.-ad thP r0solnt.ion whi('h was pa:;:;ed ·dP('id_>~~· t'l h :-ld that d~pufation--

" That this council ,-ic·ws \vith alarm and d~·",,.,~rln·Ghation the larp,f• nu1nbPr of P'I::('U1J>~; _;n f'f'rtifira.tc- \\'h:L·h haYP bcPn grant .-·~-1 by the )Iinish'r under thP pro­,.: '· n- nf t.hP Sug-ar Cultinttion ~\ct. of 19l3. Furthnr. that tlH• conn~il is :--1ToilP'1Y of tlw opinion thut ~ueh cer·· tifi•"\t (, ubject only to the' J'H"f·<Prvation ,f tr0atv rig-ht--) should bt• QTantPd solelv nn 11 cdu~;;_'tion tt·-,t.; und thUt siPps ~houl(l h• takt'n. a· proYided in the Act. to com­p n Jte ~d t coloured gnnvc•rs r0n1aining in th0 industry. r--o that thP poli<'y of a white\ _:\n~tralia ma:v br• rnad0 a.:: practi­va11:v ('ffPcth·p as po<'-,:bJP.''

Ce-rtain <''11'1'0RpondcrH'P took plat.:P hPhVPPn r-l1P Chif'f 8-of•r(•t,'tTV. l\-fr. DPnharn. and J.fr. Fii>llPr, th<' Federal Prime ::\Iini,ter. and this i,; what ::\Ir. Denham said in ono of his

·{'OlllllHlnications-" If you c::tn giYe assura llf'0 on thi:-, point. 1 sha!l nndertakP to introduce lPgi:;lation prohibiting ~\,;iati<' ali<'ns from f'llgaging· or \Vorking in the indu~trv. and comperumting suf'h aliPHs as 1nav b<.:: hnn& JidP ownerS or 1{•-isPholdPrs of 'land now lli'~lPr ~ugaJ"-canP. Tht) JJ('op1e of _.A.u,, tralia d0sh0 tlw sugar indu~trv to b(~ a \vhih) L3 hour one, and I g·L:ully g;iY<1

111y ::;npport to any arrang·!'lllC"nt which will <'n,;urP thP r<'ali:,:'ltiou of that dPo::irL Th0rp ,,-as a rPft'l'('llCf' to th(• :-:nniP ::;uh]Pet in tlw GoYPrnr'r·B Srweeh at tlw op<'ning of Parlian!Pnt, in ,,, hid1 this paflsag·f' oe~ur1, fo11owin,Q· o!l n rofprr·:we to th; abolirion of ex6:-·' and bountY-

As it is obvious tha1· it "<'-'otd<\ lw und .,irable to give tariff prot<'<·tion to sugar other than that t·o,,·u and ruann­fa~turf'd bv whitP !all ur. a Bill will bf' iEun•·rEatPlv introduf'Nl to nutkC' ~ug;cr-growing- ~ ,-,nd 1nannfaeturc iu (luc-ensbnd a whitt:' labour iudtbtry.'"

.:\ t1Pln!tatinn waited unon th0 Acting- Prr>­llli('!', ~Ir. B ~rnes, lllid p~·t"' .'llt('ll it;-; ea'-'f', Jlld tL:.;; i~ ~-·bat ).Jr. Burne.>. in rr>nlv. ~aid: T1wt t-h(' at!niini..-tration in rPga~··d · to thP {'X{'lt!>ion of {'oloun~d L1bour had ,hN'Il {'arriPd ont in th(' rr..nlP \.Yay a'~ before tlw ~\ct wa~ ]la,sod. _-\lt1:oug-h an Act was J>a'lsed lP: this Hou;;p and the l.:pper House for the absolute c•xdusion of all colourc·rl lahom·. and. although the Chief Sf'crctar_\· gave a writt('ll assurance to tho Prime ::\Iini:;ter that the <•mrlloyment of coloured lal,our would be prohibitP·l. yC't WP have ::\ic. BanH''· th<' _A{'ting- Pr<'lltier, saying that 110 alteration hml bL'ell made. I think thP \\'hole busin0ss is a pnf<'ct scandal. A Bill \Vas pas,ecl through both Houses, and it lwc atllP thP law of th" h.nd, YPt a number of rf'o·ulationR are issuc·tl hy thP. Department of..., AgTicultnre nnd the \vholP thing- is -'<'t asirl<>. That rf'flP{'t grpat rlifl.credit upon th0 persons \Yho <"1'' im to control and who think thev otwht to haw control of the suga1· intlustry_ I ';;m of opinion that the State of Qm•ensland a.< at p~P5Pnt governed cannot propcrl:"-T ('arry on or control the sug;ar inclustrv. I have ahYa\'s thoug-ht it was a mistake ~n the part of tlw FPdNal Govf'l'llment to r<'JlC'a! the Bountv and Excise Acts. I went BO far as to write to Mr. Fisher begging him not to

[Mr. Lennon.

repeal the Exciee -and Bounty Acts. but to equalise them-that is to say, just to hold a very small amount to pay th0 cost of admini­stration. If the Federal Government doC's not again obtain control of tlw industry. I am verv doubtful if the industry will bc'COillf' ab prosperous as I would like to see it. I am sorry thr Prunier has gone out of the Hems<', but I would like to refer briefly to n "Tl'at dt'al of troublt' tlw.t has arisen up at M~arilvan. in rnv district. There is the ~1onrilvan :\Till tliPr<'. known as tlw " Ryndi­cate :Ylill." I am glml that th<:>y are going· to <:hauge that nunw {lJld are f!;Oing to ca~l it the Australian Sagar Conmal)y. It 1s carrying· on it., hutiines~ undt r th_0 ·"'au1o rnana~·(•1110nt, and they are foU~\VIng the Pxarnrk• of tlw (iolonial Sugar RPiining Co1npany. ThP:_v lJ,"Ve sPnt a eireular to th0 various growers in its ar('a off0nng au .agree­uwnt for a tenn of thn~P vears t.o handle and crush their cane. Grc~t dissatisfactio"' wa~ at once exnn'~8o-d rr-garding the tennl3 offered. 'l'hov hav<' an ;association known a:: the- :l\lonril van CanPgTOW<'rs' Assc}ciation np t!I<•rt•. TlH;,. haY<' lwl<l nnmb<'rs of me<"t­ing·s. and thP:v havP h[l.d intPl'Yll'\VS and con­f<'l'<'Uoes with the manag·er, lmt all to no purpose. until finally the majority _of the grower,; r<· .. olv<•>tl +o JH'rmalwntly Withhold thPil" < """ from thP mill unlP,, thPy could ~l,"<!t l'Pd.ress froru th~, Govc~nniPllt. TllPy ~Pnt }pno·thv \Vil'<'.S to the Prl'tniPt'. coniP1 of v:,-hich the•; ~(:nt to nP 'iC•lf. I arn not g·oing to inflict thc'in on the IIonw, but I mc:ty say that a dozen of thPnJ vn~n' pxchanged 1>PhYC'<"ll tlw· 1 ln ~idpnt of tlw a;o:;~-NJciation aPd 111ysnlf. I h:AYL' also had a dOZ<'n intPJ"VieW'· with thG Pr<'llll<'r on tlH' matt<•r myself. I bPliPve that the Prmnin has honC'stly and earnestl;c altPmptPcl, as far as his limit><1tions will p<'r­Jnit, to induee thP syndicah"' to 1nak; ,'-'DtnP {~onee~sion to thf' gr<nv~:rs of {'fill<' 111 that district. but the PrPmier admit,; hims<'lf that 11t' {'i'nnot PnforC'v any {'OllC'P~sions .at all. lie ndrP i~-;; th::d fn•Plv. T g·ivc' the Pren1ier cre<lit for it. bPcan~e IH' has honPstly and f'Ul'llPSth· fl it'!l. With alJ thP ]H'l"SlHlSiYf'IH'S~ hP could Plnnlov. to -incluC(' tbt' ~vndicatP t.o <'Tant ''<1lllf" 'C'onC"s"'jons to these fa,rnlPrs ·whv ;<'"ll]llain that ~wder Jll'f'Sf'nt conditions ,it ,,·ill :not lH' pof'~dJl(' for thprn to carry on 1n tho indu~:r-;·. As w.as ('xnlainC'd hy ~thP le,Hkr of th<' Lai>onr partv, the ju<lge o£ n,,. Indnstrial C'onrt appointed nnder thP fndnstrial I'<<ICP Aet l1as increased the rate of '" l:?,'E"··, and natnrnllv th<' grovtc-rs of al1 (·1ne ha.YC' Ll'.Psscd elo-.:~>r tog-0th 0 r in the·i1· onpo...:ition to th0 1nillcnnwr and th(' p;rrat JJlOllOl)()lV .,:hi.ch stranglPs this indnsb·"· rnnrt• or 1<•·''· · T am rrla<l , that tlw PrPmi<'r has r<'tnrnc•d to the• ( 1}lnmh:or. h0c.1H!"C I h'lYf" just. 1,• ''" dealing- with tlw trouble which arose at '\1ollrjlvrn, and T g·ivP the hon. g·.pnt1('I11t.Ul rrpclit fZ)l~ honp.;;tlv ·P1Hlr~vonring to try to ln·i11::r ahout so~nP · anH'lioration in thP f'On­diti~;, of the farmers cmm<'·'tP<l with that 1nill. But hP haq no po\YCr to Pnforc0 .:lnv­thino·. ,an<! )!(' freeh athnits th-,t him,plf \Vh~t strikPs nw as· curious is that. whilet thP l'rf'mi<'r admits that lw has ·no power to <·nforcP anvthin"'. it was onlv la~t Y"'ll' that that hon. ·.gent1r-tnan. in going. t!1rouu;h thP :'\orth and speaking in onnos1hon to th0 Fede:·: l Lal1om· partY, stated on PYPry plat­form that the Stat<> GovernmPnt havP power to control combines and trusts. From what r·r01J1wd un in <'onnPction ""vith this partif'n­lar 'matter, he knows that he has r<>ally not got that power. A great obj0ction is raisC'd

Address in Reply. (8 JuLY.] Address in Reply.

hy these farmer" to the terms submitted bv Til<> syndicate. The "ymlicate ie practically <ontrolled. by th~· Howard Smith Company. 1 do not know 1! they are a combine or not. They han~ a. controlling \·oice in the rrlanarre­nwnt of tlw :.Iourilyan svndicate. 'llw p;rowf'rs ~re c~i.s~ati:~died \Yith ~th0 sche.n0 put iotwar~ uy tnP eon1pany. and tho ('Oillpa.ny 'tands. hard al.Hl fast to buying the carw on anal;vs1s. At fl:·st blush, to anvonc who does not under~tand it, that would' appear to be '' very lmr )>ropo:;;d. Lut >vhen vou rcalis<• that there is only onp JWrson who has th<' pow0r to make the analysis, and that he is '?nployed by the company, and that the larmer has to accPl)t his deci~ion You soP on.ha.-ing a look at it, that it.doe's ;lOt l;nl~ qmtp so w0ll as it did at first. The Premier has su{_'CPed\'d in .P:rsuading· these poop}p to ~nakp ct.~rtaln tnYial concessions. lie ha.::; mduced th0m to make 'Dnw change in thP ~'hgrge for haulag{\ for cane, ~and he has lrlL,uced tlwm to make some alteration in eonm•ction with the' portable r-:tils, but from thP question of analy&is ':he companv will not 'et n·e. Thn.v "land hard and fa~t hv the p·opo,;ul to hav0 tho analvsis done them­H·lvtls. Xcnv, tlw o11ly soluti<;n to that, so far as I can •t'e. w1ll ],p for tlw Government to oppoin' a qucoli!ied chemist to act aF inspec­tor and to takP .an analvsis o.C the cane for th<· lwndit of the su~.~ar-c'anc "rowers so that if th'" chc.ni.-t of tho co.npa;v savs that the nnal:n:•l'S arp ~nch-and-'·llC'h 'lw .., will have '~H' o~linion o!' thP Govern~1wnt L·hmnist to go h~-. At thP in:;:tigation of the Pl'PlniPr.

rpp· c. :•ntativo of the {'Ullll)any nvad(' this eonce.·.wn al·<l: that thr farmPrs would lw !n:·itC'd to lH' prc...,c•nt wh{ln thP ana1yse·s 1:\'f're ;}('Ill~ nad<'. That ~Peu1s an inlJHOYenwnt, " n rlw ]l<'O]Wr solution o; it would be for the' G:ovc•rnnH nt. to appDin~· ,t :_,tna1ificU f;lg,a1· ·dH·~nl.-.t to 1nak(' nn·JJ~''1.'A {nH1 t:tkP tt~.5ts '"or th1• lu,:ndit o: thP }Hoclncv1·.s of the cane. As {l ny-nYL) c , n '":' at u g-laiH'l', if a fL'\V stalks a 1 ·~· tnLPn nt rnndo:u ont of an a~sortment qf ycu1t>. it \Ynnld not giYt- a true analv"'i~. f< 1 likt• hl\'ing- in bulk from th" fa:itwr. .f:·\('tynnP kuo'ii ·" that in l~i~h 11ncl, lcnv .·d~l ._ v:IC't land. n·d ~oil, and gr0y :·:<;!l lhn C:tll<' may ~>P of different qualitins '.lo"l'thcr. a!Hl to p1ck out a few stalks for anal: '·is 't::ould not hP a fair sample of the

.,-hole crop. I am not an cxpt·1·t [9 p.;n.l in su1,-ar, bnt the remedy { sug-

gP>-t IS for the Govnrnment to ? ppoint a qualifi0d clwmist t{} malw the mwlysis. I haY<' alrrady stated, during- the ab·nncp of ihe ho:J. g<'Htloman, that I do not think the sugar industrY can f:'Ver be >ati~faetoril.v carried out bv 'the Statr. To lny rnind, if ~hould again bC n1adP a Frdclral mntt •r. I haYP been in £a.-our of the nationalif::ation of thr• f',no·ar inclustrv for a. n!u--:- J: lon-v:c•r tirnp tha17. a7ly lTIPinhPrL of tht-. I lOW:". r. a<h·ccated. It 0'1 tlH' public plat­for!" at 1m\n~Yllle m 1898--that is sixt<'en ,\·0ar~ ago,- and I haY("' cn'Tltinued to advo. eatP it <'Y<'l' sine<'. so I think I mav claim to want to lw one of th0 first persons to advo•.at<• that system in this State. How ean it hP done? TllP Premier, when R)Wak­mg- last ,·ear on this t'anp Price Boards Bill. to which Wf' rdc'r in the anwndm0nt, whil<• complimenting tlw han. memher for Burrum on his <'fforts to pass the Bill, a.nd tlw ~r0at pains b0stowcd upon it. said the hon. mcmlwr ,,,.as beginning at the "\\,.rong Pnd-that tho bon. member should begin at the top. To that I ,5ay "Hear, hear!" Let

us begin near the top. How do we arrive at it ·: My suggestion is that we should adopt the oug~l'Stlon of the Royal Commis­SlD!L They u.adt· a suggestion somethmg on. these• lim•,-: That the lirst step should be that from :·c,ar to year the Federal authori .. ties should hx the price of sugar. At the bPginning of the year they should say the IH'H'f' of sugar for this year shall btl 8o-and­'"· That is an Pasy matter, and they haYe po"-''r to do it. If the Federal authorities lix tlw prieo of sugar from year to year, by a s;vstem of countervailing duties, they >vill h<• abk to regulate the market and keep 1t -teady. At thL' pre~ent tirr.e the Colonial Sugar Hl'fining l'ompany control the whole situatio'L Tlwy ra.ise prices and lower prict s at thPir o'vn sweet will, and yet the· Pn•miPr t0lls this Ilouse and this country tbat i1 i,, not comnetent for this Parliamc:1t or any Parliament to lix prices. Y Pt it is compdent for th,, Colonial Sugar Heliniug· Cornpany to Iix whatever price plea~es th0n1. It is quitP comp<'tcnt for the .Federal Par­liament, from year to year, to fix the price of sup:ar. Oi course. it will rise a.nd fall. accordinp: to the world's supplies. But by a. sy"tcm <, coHnt:•n-ailing duties thP Federal l'arlianH nt >Ymdd be able to r0g·ulate tho'e dnti{•'~, or 1nakp tlw !Hicp of sugar for that yc•ar a Jixhu·p. Following that, we should appoint i,npnrtial tribunals such as the anwndtnPnt l'H'"'Oll·111cnds. Th0se cane prict:~ boards, or i:n!>nrlial tribunals, would bo well abk. knowiqr thP price set for the ypar, to do thC'ir work in the sugar-gro\ving rli"­tricts <:Lnd fix rlw price of canP in rc~;:;p(•t.'t of cYNY mill. I giYP that out as an honc.'t atl0mpt to tr.v <n't! soh·e this difficulty. and if thC' Goverllllll'tlt hav0 no desire to do it, I hope they "ill not dismiss it from tlwir 1nind~; on t1w grounds that it is in1pr.actic­ab1f'. lwcan"("' I c1o not think it dc~''rYE'R that rlP~cription. 1 .-.-uuld also Jik,, to call atrc·n­tion to the f:F·> that t.ho sugar farm0rs, i'l t1Hl ~orth l1L'i·tie·llarly, ar<~ nncle·r a YPr:V gTP_1t adYanL :.'l' in clPa1jng with tht• ('{'ntrnl !nill:' a!" eonqHu·r-d io those dr-a1iug with th() Colonial Sug '1' Hcflninp; Co1npany. I an1 a ~.trong adyoc ., L .. ' for thP cx:tPnsion and rapid ~'-...::p: 1 ·:··lon uf r,,•ntr t1 T' tills "''<urn, and I alE not .so DP?'<t alar;11cd as hon. n1Plllbf•rs are--·--if L' arP to gnugc_• thf'ir opinions frou1 tlw <'XJlr0ssion from thr Throne-the wort!-, put. in the mout.h of his Excellrncv ln· tlw GovPrnniPnt--that we 'vill ov' riakP (nlr hon~c· con,aunption. \VP only just touclF'd it on.~·. Thi,; :·ear I rlo not think we will p1·oclnc:' ~uffici()nt .~-1g-ar for ho1n0 con~urnption. anr1 the' com<truc tion of th<' Ba.bin{la. :\fill will not b<> r·omplPtcd for the pr<''"llt cru,hinQ·. I 1'11 'a1'isfi0d that thP South John,tnne :\Iill will not J,e ready for the 1916 cru hin?;. Dnt iF th<· ·• mille and thP mill 0'1 tlw Lmw1· Hu1·dl'1 in ~·n'fl rr '(h-. it ,v:n tFkr four (ir fiYt' vPar, lwfor<' th~'v can \York un to th0lr fvll c'anac:tv of 10.000 tons ('ach. · o that tlw rn odndion .of -.:ngar cannot, nnd::T <""Xj ~ting­eonditions of things--with thP ~·.1eadi1y 1n­en)a~ing popn1ation of Austta1i-D---oYt•rtak~· 1wnw ron.;-un:;.ptiDn Yer~~ rapidly. I \yant nn~.v to nwkt• t'01lll)arison. ThP~P ar0 flgourc'" th\lt I hnv<' had furnished to nw from the IIerhc•rt Hi,·Pr. and thev mah• a eompari­s.on llehvPPn thr rxpAriencC' of canf'gTower;;; wl"o snnplv can0 to Colonial Sugar Refining mills nt :Macnadc and Victoria in contrast >Yith thP <'X)Wrienpe of cane farm0rs who nrc in tlw fortunat0 position of sending tlwir enne to the centro] mills at lVIulgra>t:', near Cairne. Th0 ::\Iulgra.-e Central ::\Iill paid £1 lls. Stl. )>er ton for cane last yea1:. and the

Mr. Lennon.]

:62 Address in Rej>ly. [ASSK\II3LY.] Address in Reply.

li r-rlwrt Riwr Mill, belonging to th<· Colonial Sugar Refming Company, paid £1 7.s. per ton for cane in 1913, or 4s. Bel. less than wa, paid by the ct•ntral mill at }lulgraye. .::\m,-, with rP[>;ard to the quality nf cane, the Maenad" i>Iil1 crushed 76,1L-I tmb ,,f cant•. and produced 10,033 tons of raw .sug·ar, and Victoria crushed 81.214 tons of cant', and produced 11,207 tons of ra" sugar. So that thero wc•rc 157,425 tons of cane cru>lwd. yic•ldirig· 22.240 tons of raw sugar. To mak·• a ton of sugar it took approximah·lv 8 ton., of canE' in Mulgrave, which cost £12. 10,. 2cl. It r·ost, at the Herbert River, whei'r' it took on!;~· 7:i tons-because last year that district gan• the best retur.n in tho Statr·-of cane to produce' a ton of ,1gu, £10 2,. 6cl. for thc> cane required to manufactun• a ton of >ngar, or £2 7s. Sd. less than th<' cam· farmers got for their cane on thP }IulgTavc'. Twentv-two thousand two hundred ancl fortv tons o'f sugar at £2 7o>. 8d. per ton show·, that a furthPr ,mn of £5),080 woult! ha ,. hPHl distributPd auwngst the :arnw~;.;; cf tlH' di.-tric t, had thev bePn' trPut·'d as \.-,.j] "" tlw suppli~rs to the ~cntr>l 'll~Ur-rnilL. That i-.. a n•mark.1bh thing. Th .. rdort• I do belit•vo iu thC' PXtPn'.::ion of thr· rpntral mill :-.Y~tenl. lweause the central rnills are rLort· iwndi­cial to ~ugar-growcrs than the propri{'t ar·y mills. \Vc shall be t<Jld by ,'CJm<' Jh·oplo that tho millers and growors are all pulling· in the one boat. It >'·as admitted bv the Hoval C?U~lllif'·.,ion that their intPl'('sts Un' antago­mstlc. It Rta.nrls to reason that the·; ar0. The .sugar-Ini1kr naturalJ.\ 'vaut:-. r'o get hi:;:; canp a"" cheap as h0 can, and thc sugar­grower wants to get as high a price L~ liL)

<.an. How can thPir int<>rP~ts be ~in1.ilar? I would like to add to what fell hom mv r<'spected leader with regard to thP divisio;, i hat took place on the -Cane Price I~oarcls Bill that was so <>arnestly supported b:v uwmbers on this side. I '' onld like lo call the attention of the Government to the divi­sion on the queotion thot the Bill lw now read a second time. It was as follows:-

"Ayes, 31-::Yicssrs. Bm·ber, Bc•bbiwr­ton, B0rtram, Bm\ man, Caine'. B. II. Co1·ser, E. B. C. Corser, Coyn<', Craw­ford, Filwlly, Foley, Gilday, Gillil'o, Hamilton, H ar-c! acre, I-Iodgc, Hunter, Huxham, Kirwan, Land, Larcomlw. :May, Morgan, O'Sullivan. Payne, Ran­kin, Rvan, Swayne, Theodore, \Villiams, and Winstanky.

" .::\oes, 2B-:\Ic· ·we-: •. Appel, G. P. Barnc•s, W. H. Barne-,, Bell, Blair, Bouchard, Bridges, Ccibb, DPnham, Douglas, For­syth, Gra;~·son, Gunn, Luke, Nlacartney, Mackintosh, Paget, Petri!', Philp, Rob­erts, Stevens, ioltodart, Tolmie, Trout, Vowles, '1Yalker, Wclshv, and White.

"Pairs-Ans: Mr. Grant, :\1r. McCor­mack, Mr. t.ennon, Mr. Adamson, ancl Mr. Jl.'[acrossan. Noes: :Mr. Fox, lYir. Allan, Mr. Booker, Mr. K·c·sell, and Mr. Somersd."

Including the r>airs there were thirt~·-six " Aves " and thirtY-three " ::--I oes." There WC'l'G sixty-nine members pre,ent, so that it cannot be Raid that wP had a snatch vote which did not represpnt tho opinion of the majority of the House. Exactly half tlw number of members of this House voted in favour of the second rea-ding of the Cane Price Boards Bill, and yet the Bill which was supported in that wuy was droppe-d by the Government. Why was it dropped? We know that when delegates

[Mr. Le1'1.1non.

went clown to SvdnC'v from the whole o£ the sugar distriC't~"~--f1·o~n ::\lossn1an~ Inni~fail, ( '.u.irns, Ingham, North BurdC'kin, l'l1ackay, and Isis-at the im-itation of tlw general tnanager of thP Colonial Sugar Ref1ning Company, .:\Ir. Knox, in order that they might discuss in a friendly way the agree­ment he asked tilc'm to sign for the ensuing ,cason, hP sent th0;n back' lwme like a lot of naughty boy~, and said. '· B0. off; I cannot haYf' an~ n1ore to sav to vou If vou ~upport thaw who fa VOUl' this Cane p;·iee Board' Bill." Then th<' attitude of tlw Gon'rllmPlllt changed at once.

Au HoNorR\BLE }l£1IBER : Rhocking !

:\lr. L:[<;.::\:::\0.::\: It is shocking that the ( :ovPrnment sh,mlcl thus dwngl' thPir atti­tude in rqrard to an i1nportant rn!'a~urP o£ that sort, drop it, aud rnakP no refPrvn~p to it i11 th0 ensuing c.>:'S~"iou. That is the rPason whv tho leadc·r uf this jlartY has snlnnittt•d hi:_). anHlndn1cnr, tHHl why i have• risPn to h--r:ond it. I an1 a~:-;niPd bv HH·n of good l'Cpnte thr\ t \Yhen a fi..._n·. 'l'lllilCHt off~cPr. gOPl" 11p frorn Bri:-:.bun.-) to tl.u~ sugar d!i'tn('t to iunuirc about nulwav ln1e·;,,, or bl·I<lge::', or tdl~~ Go\~e:..·nntent bns~Lt:s~, his firRt dut:v-a otlu1-v which i~ l'('(rnlarlv and faith{n1lv ohsL'rVt'd -L; to ('all a;~d u,(, the uranat~t~r of tlw Uoondi :Mill. A,.; I haY<' 'Vic!. r han• that on the a-::~uranC'e of nwn uf goucl l'{'pntP, and I ;,ec·f'nt -thnir a:~c.;ul·anf','. \YP kncnv n'ry well t ha"t ·the prf><:~""'lt Go...-Prnr:JC"Ut ahvay~ knuf'kh., do•< n to th'· lur!;P ulpitali,.;ts. awl th,,t tlw:v '\'f't mpport from '•Olll't'<'·· of that charactn. It \Y .~o at the la:-;t p}ect~on: they got a donation of £2,!JOO for ihcir political funds, ancl tiH•v nid not 0ven want to !mow the ll:li11C' of tlH pPl·,on who p:UVf' th0 lllOll('Y·

~o :·<d; -~fiE'cl \Vas Hw PrPrniP1' with that f--plcn~ clid ,-ift of £2,000 ancl a promisl' that more \,~ou1d be forthronring- latPr on if :nccC.'::5~ary. th <t he die! not inquire• who was the donor of that money. Apparent!:-·. the;.- arP in tlw pav of c :q>italic;tic mmwpolie,.;, such a· tnv•ts an~l combine·'·

Tlw PREl\liER: I riso to a point of order. I a'k that the word the hon. member has just used be withdrawn.

Tlw RPEAKER: The hon. member must know that the exprec.iion he has jtht us<>d is not parliamentary, and he should witlo.­draw it.

::Y'fr. LE;\1::\'01\J: I qnitP accept your diror­tion in the matter. I should haYl' said it y, auld appear--

The SPEAKER: Do I understand tho hon. member withclrawJ the words?

Mr. LEJ'\::\0.::\: Oh, ~os, I withdraw them. At all ew,nts, tllC'y have been very fortunate that thPV h,,d not had some g('nuine fairy talcc. I 'have read in my youthful days of fairies giving sp0rial gifts to their chosen on0-., and I think "\Vf' n1ay say in this caso that tlw Government have fairv friends some­where, who have a fairy way of giving them assistance at election time. I have reminded the hon. gentleman of what his limitations are in thio matt<>r, and I am sure he is well aware of them. On the last occasion on which he spoke on this matter he admitted that we should begin at the top, and I sug­gect that wo can very properly begin at the top. I have the very greatest pleasure in supporting the amendment so ably moved bv the leader of this partv. I have recently returned from the North, ·where I visited all

Addre.ss in Reply. [8 JULY.] Address it. Reply. 63

thP sugar district~ in n1v O\Yll elr·ctorate, anrl in tlw nketorato of Cairn' and part of the Burdekin di,triet. and I cau o;av that throughout thm'c diotricts there exists " ~trong dC'mand for lPgislation of thi, charac­ter. The other dav, \\iten I went to the PrPinic•r, I sugg-r,-..tf;d that legislation of thi~ ~ort n1ight be introduced this t'C'"~ion. The hem. gentleman did not ca,re about discuss­ing- the rnattPr, and \Vavpd n1£1- awav. and I ,aid no more ; but I do hope i !;at, even now. he will think better of it. The millers hn ve really nothing to lo~e, br-eatL..;c' they g,re ,_trongly suppmted hy " great monopoly. lYe have the :\fPlbuurne '' Argth'' the lllouthiJiL'f'P of tht- ( 'on~Pl'\ ativP party throng'h­out ~\nstralia, ,,uppcr+;ng- the Co J;;: party up to iLe hilt. and ~fh·ocating quit" r;_'cently, Fithin the la,,t. '\ "-·ek. a rr:,,-luction of £1 in thP flu:y on ~'U~';fll'. Thr-'Y el~lirn that, llO\V

that coloun•d labmE· ha' been n•mo.-ed from thr ~ugar indu,"tr:,-. the question of coutinu­ing- the hirrh duty f:ught. to L_ f"\)llsidcred. <1 nd th 'Y aflYtJ( :';tP a rcduct.i(\:'1 of £1 per '' n. If a r,'dU<'tion of .£1 DP"' ton is made in the duty. rh':t will brinti U'' L.uddlo and t 'Jnfusion, and I an1 afn-tid th\1t in vi ow Of thP faf t that 1hc' Quc(~ndand Sllf,~ar Pro-· d:u.,q· · .A-..:ociation. the l\I·lbounw ··Argus.~' <PHl tlw Cow--('n-ativr-,, are PXPrC'isi;lg y,'ry g-rPat control OV;_·r tht' Cook part:;r. the Lugar iudu 'TY i~; in innniw~nt periL Th, PrPrnif'r f-hou~d deal w1th thi:..: rnatt!'r in ''- \Vav which 1,·, cu1d [fiVP !1l0l't"?- ~at-i..:L\r·tion to tlH)~(l. \Yho ,· l'l' r"' Jragerl ill th0 infh;c,t.rv U~lll allow it to bcz_:;:nP. a~ it ought. tlF' ~('hiPf producing i~ du~fr~, in thP whu!1 of _._-\u~tralia. I haYf' r: p 1. 'lh"'tllv told t1w hon. Q'<'ntlPlnan that if a~lY ot~lP·~· P.tatP (TC tlu~ ,_ po,,.;.·f~~,·,or 0£ such hn i:mnortant jndn:-:trv tht' Go~~Pl'HllJC'nt of tL 1t S-f:at,· 'V(·Uld do ·far InorP for it than til· hon. ~entlt nau i::; inrlined to do for tllP :-.ugar industry in Q·u,"'"-'n.:land. In ·vir:oria they ar3 tryin~· to '' +,.tblich thP lv'Pt·growing induf'trv, and aro afl-.,-,:>rt.isin!T ii in a publica­tion which is ,ccatt·"r<'d all OVl'r thP world with a view to attract population to their ,.hores. HPre we have in Qtwl'n"land, be" yond all doubt t]l(' be• t agricultural indu"trv in the whole of Au:•tralia. and I do implore thP PremiE'l' to sep that this imhu;hT is con­'erYE'd in all pm•,ib]r, way''· and that tlw -;rowers get more consickration than under Jn·•,'lent circumstance>s seems to be possible. I therefore SN'ond the amC'ndment moved bv the lead<'r of the Oppo•ition. •

The PREMIER, who was received with Government cheer d. said; The question now bdore the House is the amendment moved h~- the hon. the leader of the Opposition to add a paragraph to the Address in Reply, so that I am precluded from speaking to the Addt:ess in Reply or to the Spcnch from the Throne. I should very much have liked to traverse much that was s>cicl both bv tbe ](';'tcler of tho Oppo•ition, tho mover of thP amendment, and by the stt?onder. I should have liked very much to join in the words of eongratulation to the mover and secondPr of the Address in Reply, and in referencE's to His ExceHencv the Governor. I should haw likd to speak about trusts and com bim,s, th>ct extraordinary utterance 'Which you, Sir. required the hon. member for Herbert to withdraw, and for which there was not a scintilla of justification. I should haYe likr·d to speak about the appointment,,, to the ruper House, and many other subjects to which reference was made. Perhaps when the amendment is clone away with tbat on­portunity may come. Espe.cially I shouid

ltaye lib·d to dw<>ll on the many points in thP Sp('t ch ih'li are pru~nant w1th intpr, ,-;t an(~ progreRs for the State oi QuePL3lar:d.

GOVEF<!':~!EKT :ME,\BERS ; ll<,;U, hear !

The , PRE::YllEH: But. as inli<'atccl Ly 3 ou. =.\Ir. SpeakL'l". a fe,v nwnwnts ago, t~{' quution bdote •tlw Honse·-and yon wtll keep €Y(~ry speakL·r to it '',CV'(~rc,l~ -is th~ amt'IHlnlent. 1 a::,.,unic, how:..:vcr, tnat I rna~~ rc•fer to thing-~ cognati:~ to it-to wit, tht_~ hon. mcnrber in the court-~e of his reruarks rdNr; d !o tlH' abo.•nc<e of a ct•rtam Bill that h" de •mcd should havP bN•n induded in the Bills to be suhmittPd this &Pssion. This arnPndnlcnt if' ·drawn in a very ,,ag.acious rnanner, doubtlP(<, \vith a vie·w to securing eith0r fron1 IDV:3Cli an adrnis-;;ion, or. per­haw, to inveigle >Ome Liberal supporters imo ,,upporting it. But no matter how it is {lra\vn. it can only havP one 1ncaning-.

UoVERK:I!E~T ::\IEMBERS: Hear, hPar!

ThP PRB::::YIIEH; It reads-.. \V e rc-gr<'t that no rc•fcrcncc is made

in the t:!pf'ech to auy intl'ntion on the part of your ad visors to introduce a Sugar Ca:·c PricP Boards BilL having for itc; obj"ct t'H' PSt>tblishmPut of rc-pr-•­st•ntativt' .\nd irnpartial tribunalf' to Sf'Clll'<-' fair pricPs and conditions to ::iPg-ar­cnne :::;upp]icr:-;, and \YP nrP of opinion that ll'gisla tion on those lines ehould lw submitt,,d to p,"rlianwnt without delay."

?-~ow. thn hon. g<>ntle1nan, in supporting hi~ um<>nclmant. said that the House should imist on a Bill of thi, naturP being submitt<>d \\'ithout 'k'<ty. \YPlL clParly. if a majority of the }kuse supports the amendment. thl'n I can have no othPl' alternative but to aek Hi,.; Exc0llencv to .send for the hon. thP leadPr of the ·Oppooition to put into <•ffect the will of this House.

UOVER~1!F.!':T ::\1wmERS! Ilc>ar, hear r and 0PPOSITIO~ laughter.

11r. RYAN; It might be a good thing for the country.

-The PRK\IIER: That is a question. I think it would not be a good thing for thl' country, and I think I shall be able to show bdore" I resume m'". seat that it would not be so. This i· tlw ·fourth year that I have had the honollr of meding the House as kJ,lPr of the Liberal party, and this is Hte first oce:1sion that an amendment to the Adclrces in Reply ha'i boen moved, and good governn1ent requires it be takr,n in the fiGTISf',

in which I am taking it. ='Jo,;, the part;r of which I am the lPader ltas always legis].,t;;d in public interest'· lYe have never sollght to favour any one section of the community. GovER~MEKT ::Y1E1!BERS; Hear, hear!

The PREMIER; The principlrs of liberal­ism, which is merely a, synonym for domo­cracv--G~VERNMEKT MEMBERS: Hear, hear ! and

0PPOSITIO~ laughter.

The PREMIER: Has always been sus· taincd and carried out by this p>crt~'· And, therefore, I make no apology to the leader of the Opposition or to his party. I m>cke no apology to the socialists or to any who de­sire~ to secure tho nationalisation of the sources of production, distribution, and ex• change. If a socialist propaganda is to be placed on the statute·books of this country,

Han. D. F. Denham.]

()4 AddrtiJ in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.]

wPll. il shall be done bv some other Gon·rn­ment , :mn ,h.: Ollc' ol ".hich 1 am a rnprnber or a lc .. t.c~cr.

Gon: ... x1LEXT I\lr:•.·BERS: Hear, !war!

Th PIU£.:\<IIER: I would like n-rv much that han. mcrnbc: s should look at the Stares ot 'h-- l 'onL:wnwealth th:lt arP c-ontrolled bv Labout Uovernmento and by LibPral Gm-en~­mr•nts. Th ro are two of thosP States that for some years pa:">t haYe _ be<'n unclpr thC' con­trol c f l"abour Goycrnm;•nts. And \vhat have they done'?

An OPPOSITION ::VlEMBER : \Yhat has this ~.ot w Ud with tho C'ano Pric .• Boards Bill'?

The PRE::VIIER : I am making my point. The question is tho nationallsation of this industry. It is no part of our programme. Only {)!lCC did I interject during the course of the han. member's addn•ss, and I am confident, ::\1r. Speaker, that,. if I depart from the laid down rules, von will call me to my duty. The amendnicnt submitted is one which, if it were !lllt into eff~ct. would attain its object of securing a distinct ad­vance in this Stat<' towards the nationalba­tion of our big industries. And is it not fair on rny part, in warning those who wish to go along that track, to show that the States of the Commonwealth that have bpen controlled hv those who have those vicm·,, have had snccneding deficits' Ouc of them, it is true. during this past year. has had a surplus; but how·: By the imposition of great~;; ir:crt'lsPd taxation. (1-Ipar. }war~) II that lw~ lH•pn the result. of ~oeiali~tic l'fforb in the otlH·r Stat0s that l1aYP had ihP ~.a.lH' >l'aOO'lS that \\C hun' hac!, and been blc,sc>d with the "t!IW rainfall that we have ~njovecl, th1_·n you run t pur i.t clo,vn to thf' dPparture f,., tn ~ und prin,,iplcs that they haYc purf-ued. ~ow, ~Yf' arp a:-:k(•d herr' to :-)aY thrtt it i~ in th" publie interv"t that n cprfain ela~~ of c mtrol d1•nld l"' erNltN!. The• hon. mu ·1l•n. in n1oving the n1oti<X1l, f>:lid rhat tlw hon. rne:~lbf'r for Drayton. taking thing-s for grantPd, had not appc.::tred in the Spepeh. Tlwn ht· nroet~t'ded to clilatc upon onP (Hnis:-:;:ion ":hirh iR ab:;:,olntC'ly c'Jgnate to the motion lwfnrc the Hmbe, and, tlwrc·­fon..... I hope, Sir, you ·will pennit of a. r< fprpnre to it. He r<>ferrPcl to thc> omi.<sion of a Stock ancl Produc• _-\gL•nt" Bill.

I\Ir. Hn.x: \Yhich your Govl'l'nmeut intro­dncPd 1 a ':It se~sion.

Thc> PRE~HEH: And which vou referred to as l1l'ing o1:nith0 d at tht) pi·csent tin1e. l\"'c 1Y, I an1 pr~parcd to lllC'Pt thP objH:~tion ral"eti by the hon. nlPinbcr, both on pcr­'ona! ancl I'olitical groumk I do not think hC' 1•, onld. avart fron1 politir~d af;sociation~. :-:nperin;..; l:v r·Pfer to what arc• call0d "the mirlclle-nwn.'' Yet h0 did so, doubtlec.·. with thP object of brinc!ing mysPlf, whos(• finn h.J.s hL'Pll engagPd in thP farru and dairy prr .-Iur(' h!l;:;inP::-."', into son10 ~ort of disrepute. u~ p0r ··Jnally co:ncF'rlH_'cl jn the mni~sion.

.:\<lr. RYAe>: Xot at all.

Th" PRE:'.IIER: I gladly accrpt the han. mcmlwr's ,)isclainwr. anrl I sa:v that. per­s"n" 11~·. I do not think ho would be guilty of it..

:VIr. RYAX: I do not think anv disclaimer should be necessary. ,

The PREMIER : But 'Dmetimes modesty becomes a crime, and I want to say in this House that there is no man in this State

[Hon. D. F. Denham.

cf Queensland to-day who has done as .. much for thP interests of th2 primary pro­ducers a~ lllY':·Ulf.

GO\"EHx:,lEX'f' }tlElVIBERS: IIcar. lH'ar!

The PRKUIEH : In the parly ninetie , lll

conjunction with others---.Ylr. LLXXOX: .:Vlodesty won't suffer in your

case.

ThP PRE::\1IER: I have nPYer paraded it. In the earlv nineties, I wa~ the rneaus of securing lm: Queensland the first systematic mdhorl of dealing with dairy products.

Go-., BRX~'~:CXT ~VlE}.IBEilS: liPar, hear ~

Tlw PRK\IIER: And to-da~- the- pro­priL•tary inh'rests have practically passed out,_ becau::;P. in the 1uarch of tin1e, fanners "\vho, from lb90 to 1893. would not inY<' .t in dairy factory plants, han• realisecl what it meant \Yhen \Ye ~hawed them the way. In the eYolurion of things-the higlwst form of production is of · co-operation-- they haYe ::0t ured eff0rtiYe co-operation. and proprie­tarie> are passing out. \Yith others I was tlw meam; of bringing abcut a new method of dairying· in this country, and to-day~ bv reasou of the growth of co-operation, we h'aYP t\YO extcmiYe factories lying idle·. \Yhv? Be, ausP co-operation must inct·ease. aml the other mu•t c]pcrease; but I initiated tlw 'Y··•tC'm. Pc•r+onallv, I han' no objection nt ail to the· Stock ·and Proclucp Agonts BilL but I ,,-ill not agreP to a ruintroduction of the Hill nrdPss in incluch•'< tlw stock and :--tation 1nPn a~ r\ll as tho~e 1vho Rell farn1 and dairy 1n·odu(·C'.

:'.lr. RY.\X : You ean inelullc> thc•m if you like.

Tht· PRE::IIIEH: As far "' >al''' tomluetecl a aLction, I \\·onld lw s:lti:.:ti('cl if the la\v ~id th~t ('\-,'r\· articlP IYhich ron1es down to

th :marl~l·t:;, 'on ac.._ount of th<· c·on·icnor~ ~':·c)uld 1- ah· o~ntnlv ;;;olrl at thL• tirn€ of C'iiPring tlw hig-he': Lie!, but it \\ oulcl not b•• iu the• intprc.:.ts of the consignor:-; \vho~e in­t<·n·~ts prodUC'l' ~alt•t:mCn are (•lltlt-'RYOllfing t<1 I>r{'serve.

GoYERX)JEXT ::llEoiBEHS: Ht·ar, hear!

Tlw PRK\IIER: With th:1t I shall pass on. ~av the farnlPr• knol.\- Hw.ie bu~.ine'"" beet;

tlwv~ kucnv tlH·ir nH:rk~·ts. If it is to tbei1~ intc;rcst .. that thc•re chall be a nH•m-.uro of that d< ."··ripti")ll l'L'introdue!1d, [b tar as I am in­diYiduallv cllll" ned, I h.tv<' not tlw least G b­jecti<>n to it. I wonlcl like to know what th" h<'n. n1ernl:-· hv hi:-; sl"'ech anticipates from t l:tt_• fanning coii.ununit:_v 't

~~Ir. RY \.:.'\ : I a11ticipate sonlc" pooJ..

The PHK\IIER: I anticipate> he will .-cry :-.hortly b('· can1pai~~,ning to sr-cnrP tht' support· for hi< fri,·mh in tlw Fedpm] elPction, and lw will wall!· to pose as the friend of the farmer. I '''Hlld like> l<l lmcm wh" has been l'L'"'·PonsihlP in tilnPs past for tlH• disturbanc0 in thP cancfields? \Vho has been rc­'pomible for thE' disturbance in thr· sugar­mills? \Yho ('llg-inPPr('d the rPcPnt l1ig :ris(_l. in the award b~· a judge'i And who i·, now ,pek­ing· to impos0 a log upon the fanners? llar­m(m; th<'mseh·es, 1 think, have sHfficient acumen to judge who are thPir friends. Hon. membE>rs ha Ye been tn,ing to raisP up .-arious issues in regard to sugar. \V e have h0ard to-night about tlw ::V1ourilyan Mill. and about thP coloured labour that is still in thP industrv. Endeavours have been made to show. first of all, the impotency of the law as rega.rds ::llourilyan, and then how

Address in Reply. (8 JULY.] Address in Reply. 65

injuriously the Act passed last vear known as the c\ugar Cultivation Act, has" bedn adminis­terNl. I say ach·ioedly that the State so far as tlw operation within the State bo~ndaries i' . rDnccnwd, is . all po\;·orful, but_ I scarcely thmk the sttuaiwn \Yh!Ch has ansen during the past few days in connection "ith :\Iourilyan calls for a new enactment. There arP agreernents in existence and a new agree­mpnt is about to be made: and because the two partiPs cannot agree, arc we to always and at once bring in new laws to ('Ompcl agrocrnL~nts to be made? Surch'", ther~. n;mst be son:e) latitude given to <'OllCihation and ordinary coininon sense! (Hear! hee.r !) "~' to the administration of the A.;;t passed la-t year, it is perfectlv true, and the Housr· !mc•w perfectlv v.el! that in section 7 the widest provision 'was ~ado as to the scope ?f regulations, and I say that thooe n~gulati~ns ha n_• been issu0d considPrat1;ly, not ha.-mg regard to any individual bodv ?r . c~>rporation, but having regard to the mdrvrduals themselves. :\:Ien who for not less !-han tf'n years ha.-e b0en engaged in that mdustr:v surely have some claims upon hu1nanity?

GovER!O!EXT :WE:>IBERS : Hear, hear l

. The PRE~llER : Then there arc the treaty nghts. and rt IS all very well for hon. mem­b<•rs to sneer lightly in that regard. It is all very ":ell for c:ertain '·Pctions, merely for paltry pohtrcal gam, to act in that "av. I tell tho House that th0 vcrv last conversa­tion I had on 23rd April with the S0cretaTV of K_tatp for the Colonic·s had particular a11~l 'P·'Cral reference to that very clause. \Ye ar<' part of a great Empire, with rPlationships that musi~ be regarr1Pd, and I will chaiiPnge ;)_Jl~~ rnP~11l_1er,

1 of thi;:; IIo!1s0 to hring ol1~

.ca-,c to thH \ hambPr, wlwch can11ot bl' fullv and amply •:imliL,lted under the• proyisions of tha~ clause. ha "'·1n_g r0Q;ard to our trC'at:v obli­;catroas. a11d ha.-ing n;rard to the fact that '''(' are not on our o'vn, but that, "'ts c are a nart of a n0at and a glorious Empire that has Y(lry n1any f-iL'riouR obligations in rPgard to rnany races.

GOVERX:t1F:--;'r- J\1EMBEHS: Hear, hear!

Th. P~.K.TIER: \\'p nwtculierihanusu~:l L\st \'<"·"on ' > cl<>al '' ith su:.rar. \V c met at the ear!lf'''t rrqu0~t of sn~ar-growcrs in order to sec:.ue t J Qn('en~Ianc1 and to the ~ug~n·­gTo~,,:ers t hf' control of thPir O\Yn indu:;:trv. I had hoped that a fati,factorv soluti~n lnd tlwn brcn rc;ched. I .-cnt-t1rc to •·av the farmer,. ihrom:-,•h·c-, those who ha~l J>rc,_,,, d for tlw legi~lation, thought a ootis­factory solution had bePn reached. E.-orv on0 of those Bills wrre passed at the earnc~t re<Jl! ~-t of those engaged in the industry. I <l,o not Ja,; any claim to being able to foi·esee tlw futur<'. I could not look into next v0ar CJr the follcm·ing year to know what would be the operations of those Acts. Thf: farmers th<'llselvc~---th:lse nwn who were concerned­said, "Do oo-and-c,o to implement tho ar,~angement imposed by the Federal authority so that once moro the affairs can be uncler our o·wn <'OntroL'' and accordingly we so acted. In 1912, wlwn the Industrial Peace Bill was before this House, we mfidf' no provision for the sugar-workers, hut the farmers themselves desired that they shoul-d be brought under that Bill.

LiPut.-Colonel RANKIN: At the instigation of Mr. FishN, who promised to bring about the abolition of the bounty. (Opposition laughter and dissent.)

1914--F

The PRE:\HER : Any way, I do not pre­tt'ncl to have any intimate knowledge of the >-ugar industry. It is a most complex propo­sition, and it is most difficult to grasp and understand thoroughly.

HoxouRABLE YIKIIBERS: Hear, hear !

The PREMIER: But we have moved at tho instance of those who desired movement on their account. It is perfectly true that quite recently something like consternation has been created throughoat the State, and I have received numerous petitions asking me to do certain things which I conceive as quite irregular and improper to attempt to .Jo. I have been asked to intervene under section 46 of the Industrial Peace Act, but the t.ime to intern'nP was when the Ntsc was befon' the court. That timE' has passed. It will be a most unhappy day for any com­munity when judicial determinations are reviewed in ParlianH?-nt.

GoVERN:UEXT J\1E11BEHS : Hear, hear !

~1r. THEODOHE : The Secretary for Agri­culture reviewed it the other day.

Tlw PREMIER: To ha.-o the Act amended to Jn',n·iclc for a court of ap]JPal is anotlwr matter altogether.

Mr. O'SuLLIVAX: That is getting ronnel 1t in another ,v,ty.

The PRE:UIER: No, no! If a section of t~H.' conununity consider they suffer any inju~­tl{'e lw<:ause oi an in.adcqu.atv provision of ihP law. and tlH•0· think a court of appeal should be established, that is quite a different proposition. It is an evervdav occurL·enC'e to appeal frena court to cout·t. ·I decline to ac'"''dr- to the request of any person that ParlramPnt should deal with a judicial finclmg no matter in whose interest it mav be. That brings me more directlv to th'e. a,mendment which the leader of th8 OppoSI­tion lw, mon'd--that sugar-cane pric<' boards he established the >arne as wages boards. Can<' )Eicf' boards •vill not prov1cJ,~ the remedy the.t the hon. gentleman app-.ars to think. Because wag-e, boards r.ro pffe ·tive jn ,(Jealing· ·with n1.en \Yho are operaLing uncJcr a rult' in an:v giy._·n industrv, and \YhO~l' Work can he rea<Jiiy CC.mparN] as to output and Yaluc, it <loes not follow, because mch board. are dl'eetiYe, that a board to regulate the price of tho raw material such a' cane' \Yould be equally eff.·ctive. (Ilem·, hear l) ::\aturally a product such as c-ane, which differs so much in the '"'entia! elements of Yalul', differs as to its density, differs as to ib fibr,', and to such divf';·so treatment In the mills. mills of varying power and effi­ciency, could not lre dealt with in tho same way as wages board-B. Be<'rtUS(' ages boards o.re safe, it does not follow that the sa.me principk cail be applied to a product such as cane. It is most difficult to provide a board that will ensure an equitable hasis of value', an equitable basis for compari~ons and price. There arc so many conflicting factors which make it almost impossible to SC0 Ure uniform and statutory control. The seconder of tho amendment himself referred to the varying sorts of land-high land, low land, reel land, and grey land-as affecting the :.ugar content of the cane. Then the mill extraction is another factor.

Mr. RYAN: They should only pay for sugar.

Hon. D. F. Denham.]

66 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address ~·n Reply.

The PREMIER : That is the very thing which the hon. gentleman who ,seconded the amendment told us that the growers at Mourilyan objected to.

.Mr. RYAN: Xo. You misunderstood him. The PREMIER: Yes, he said they want

to be paid for the gross weight of the <Alllt'. and they object to payment by analysis, which is sugar content.

Mr. LENl;ON: They object to the system of analysi,;.

The PRE::YliER: Yes, and that is sugar. So we have a difference of opinion between the mover and secon~ler of the amendment. The mover wants to be paid for analytical conbnts and the seconder for the weight of ca.ne.

Mr. RYA::-1: TherE: is a different method of doing it.

The PREMIER: The millowners object to pay according to the gross weight of the cane. \Yhat incentive would there be to millowners to inerease the efficiency of their milling power if it is to be di,tributed in toto to those who supply the cane? \Vhat incentive wjll there be to anyone to secure a trained staff to conduct the operations at the mill? The effect of this, if carried, will be a levelling do><n rather than a continuous effort to sec,Hf) better result,,. I do not know vet of anv bodv of men who are willing to hand over their works solely for the benefit 0f anoth0r bodv of men. I wonder whether the hon. lPader ·of the Opposition-the moYer of this amendment-would give his serYices to tlw community as a plPadcr at th0 bar at the same rate :1s a junior at the bar. Of coursr he would not. Nor can you expect the miller to be continuously putting thou· sands of pounds into makin '5 the plant ef!ica· cious if, as a re.;;ult) they are to receive none of its benPf1ts. or Yerv little of its benefits. The remcdv for this 'i:natter is effectiYe co­operation, ·and in the GoYPrnor's Speech there is a reference made to that. The hon. member said it '"as Yerv doubtful as to what was really meant-that "there were too many " ifs." If he will analyse he will se0 the "ifs " are quite underst:1ndablE'. If the de. mands of the State require that outside, the area that was contemplated by the Royal Commission appointed bv the State. if the demands of the industrv require that mills shall be erected outside those areas, and farmers came along with a proposition for finding portion of the capital required for the erection of mills, we are prepared to a'sist them. Then, there is a case in my mind where the farmers feel they are being unfairlv dealt with, and this will put them in a p.osition, if they will show their own confidence by putting their own money in, of asserting their rights. Just now one hon. member, when speaking, referred to the matter of trusts and combine". I am not going to refer to meat. I will get a chance of that, I hope, before very long. But in mv speech of last year on the Cane Price Boards Bill I referred to a situation that was made known to me in a portion of this State. I said that, if that were the case, then it should be dealt with by parliamentar;>­enactment. I have been to both principals concerned, and am informed that the trouble merely applied to the currency of the agree· ment. Who can complain of that? When that period is up, the farmer is perfectly at liberty to go where he likes, and may do as he pleases. The hon. member for Herbert relied on the report of the Royal Commis-

[Hon. D. F. Denham.

sion that as appointed by the Commonwealth GoYnnment to ~upport his argument. Now, mcrt'lv dc>alimr with tht· cane is quite ineffec· ti v0. · Yon tlmst go right through. The Royal Commission said that. You must go right through and deal with the raw 'ugar. Then vou must deal also with the refiner, and tl;Pnce right up to the consumer, and I think that the seconder of the amendment entirely agree' with this.

::\lr. RY.\X: Do Jon suggest Federal control?

The PHK\IIER: I v. ill comn to that in a seconcl. If the farmer> of this State, if the millers of this State, if the citizens of this State are wanting to nationalise the sugar industry, then the only effective controlling influence and power is the Commonwealth. Are the farmers of this State desirous of selling- their freehold to the Commonwealth? Certamly, only the Commonwealth can safely nationalise the industry. \V e could not safelv ,do it, if we were d'.·sirous of doing ··o.' The ConuHon"<'alth has control of the Custon1s. and, thereforE'. thPY ca.n nationalise: ,nd if tlw conditions demand a rising and still r1s1ng .nrice. they can ~;l'<'Ur<' sndt an e>nd b-:' r<lising the tariff. \Ye cannot. ·

:i\Ir. RY.\X: Are you in favour of them doing that'

The PRKHIER: If: ou ar" going to have <'anP pri{'p board:-.. It is the only safe thinf?; to do, as cane price boards alone is ineffec· tive. ·

Mr. Rnx: You are not in favour of boards?

The PRIDIIER: Xo; I am not in fa your of the boards. I think it is far better that we ;hould find a way out of the difficulty dong the linvs of mutual arrangements

rath8r than by statutory enactments. ::\Ir. O'ScLLIY.\N: That is a lamb and the

wolf arrangPment.

The PRE:l!IIER: X or ncct s~nrily. I am n•ry much perplexed about thi·, thing. \Ve thou<eht Lst yP,tl' that we were doing the wisest thin~·. I am not prepared to say, in th'" light of recent happellings, that it was the bc•t thing. I only know that the industry has been alwavs harassed, and it is time it ceased to he liarassed. It has bc·m put for· ward more or less in politiu for the last twenty·five years, and WP did hope last :·car that the end had eome. Anyway, let U' rather hear the ill we know than flv to others that we know not of. \V e knov; our troubles to··day, and if ,yo readily face them, I think we can find some wav out of them. Becau;;c tlrere js an innncdia{o irritation, it is no j nstiftcation for some big ·;urgical OJWration, How frequent it is that we often put a patch hne, thinking we are strengthen­ing the ,.,,.hole canvas, and before m,my weeks ar0 up you find the canvas is bulging and brc•akins; in some other part, perhaps by reason of the patch that was more recently addl'd. and I conFider that there should he a painstaking· inquiry made into all the ques­tions that are troubling and harassing the sugar producer at the present time. A thorough inv<'stigation into all that sur­rounds the industry; a searching investiga­tion into ·all that surrounds the crushing in the mills : and, if it is manifest that the millowners are unreasonable, surely we can find a way out.

Mr. RYAN: I sugge3t one.

Address in Reply. (8 JULY.] Adduss in Reply. 67

The PREMIER: A doubtful solution. iHear, hear~) I shall be ve17 shortly meeting delegations, probably from tho );orth. as 1 understand from the Press--­! have had no communication that such is the case-and it may be that when I meet

. rlw~n ~ . shal_l see :-:,\)tHl' \Yay of n1eeting thcu diihcultw,. It IS a most difficult prob­lem. On the part of somo, I am told that good farming -is yielding a really excellent result and a profit. Bv others who are <•qually dependable, as f~r as ve{·acity goes, :ve are told that, under present conditions, It Is not profit-able. \Ye learn in ,omc places that cane lands are changing- hands at verv extreme pr~ces, and usually ;non do not pay -t'xt,n-'me pn.ces rf they arc not prettY -c,,rtain -that the land will yif'ld them an ·adequate result and profit. :\"ow. what does it all

_noint to? Jt all points to this: a seHrchin.r iuqniry. Tin1e was when it 'ra.;; said whit~ lu.bour in place of black labour would re·,ult in failure. Then, ''>hite(labour, under the con­ditions in whi<'h they found themselves, was found to be quite practicable. Now, a big load has been put upon the industrv. Tho question is, <''l!I it carry !he load' Ari'd I say that WP are honHtl iJJ all honour to a lar2'e nu1nbcr of 1nen ·who are eng..agBd in tlw most important of our ao-ricultural in­clusiric-.. aud. one v,hieh i•- c:pable of v-a~t expansion and ,exten:-ion, to do all \Ve can to assist them. I feel arsurcJ that the popuhtion, not merely of Que'lnsland, but al:5o uf the Southern State;-;, mu~¥t incre~t.se in a ratio which will justify- £urther milling powf'r, and we wa1n the~ nwn \vho an· :·ngt~ god in that industr\~ to realise bevund '' ll qu<'stiod of doubt that their labours' will be r- warded. They muc,t be g<' tin_~': wem-~­of t l1is kind of irritation and :-urpriseS, and ir i~ no n1arvel that quit•:? a nun1bcr of then1 are feeling indignant at being singled out as burd<;n. carrie):s. They say that, undc r thf' pronswns of the Bill last passed, trouble w1ll come upon them, and vet that measure was passe-r] at their insta~nee and in the '-imple belief that it was in their intert-st. \Y e n<eed not .approach this matter in a panic ,,pirit, but should calmlv and deliner­:ttely ascr,rtain \vhat are tho ~facts concern­ing the industry, and how profitable it can bP made for those who are engaged in the !nduetry .. It is utterly untrue, as stated 1wrc to-mght by both the mover and the sPconder of the amendment, that the Govern­ment are showing no interest at all in the nrimary 1woducers. . The primary produc,,rs nave. been our spPClal c=irE'. Prhnary pro­ductwn has advanced in a most gratifying rnannor. during recent years, and it is no me ,, aymg that it ha< not. I do not know "·hat. kind of intelligence the hon. member +or Herlwrt is obsessed with that he cannot n•alise that such has been our attitude to­\Yards the sugar industry. A few years ago a commicsion was appointed to inquire into th!' number of mills ,and the adequacy of those mills to meet the growing require­ments of the industrv. That commission was appointed by my· predecessor. The fol­lowing session we brought in a Bill based npon the l'ccorntnendations of the commis­-~ion. There ·was no delay there; it is one of the rare instances in which the report of a. commission has been promptly given effect to. Then my colleague, the Treasurer, went to .no end of trouble last year, and I am ,glad to say he eventually succeeded, in get­ting matters at J arvisfield adjusted, much to the advantage of the grower. In spite of all that has been said, we ,are proceed-

ing with the U<·ction of the Babinda :Ylill and the South -,Johnstone :Mill, and if the demand for sugar in Australia is such that the districts concer.ned require further mills, we shall not hesitate to provide the neces­sary funds. In addition to that, we are providing means for the erection of mills elsewher,e if it be found in the interest of the growers that such mills should be c>rected. I cannot, of course. agree in any sense with the amc'ndment. I am bound to regard it as a challenge. bccause, if the amendment be carried. then of necessity somebody must be found to gi.-c effect to the behPsts of the House, and, according to th<' ordinary practice. I should at once re­tire from the position I hold as leader of th<:' Government.

GovERXMENr JY1E}1BERS: Hear, hear ! The PRE::\UER: All quc-,tions concerning

~ugar are difficult. Th,,re are most conflict­mg o;tatements made, and it is difficult to know what are the real fact, concerning the indu,try both as regard, the cost of produc­tion and the cost of milling, the profit of production and th<e profit of miiling. I have no interest in the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, nor do I know that I have ever benefited from it to the extent of the Anwri-

_dimc; nor do I know that my party 111 anv sense lJ,_,en a bc•ncficiar\- of the

company to tbe value of that clinic. But, thoug-h I have Lo interc ,t ·d1atever in the C?lonial Su&ar Refinin~~ Co1npany, I rt'<'~ng­nise tlLtt they haYe been d great faeCor in opening up North queensland, and that ther0 arc 1nen 'vho are the po~seFor;::; of fine holding,,, who ha,·e done wPll and are doing well, '"'· the result of their contact with the much condemned Colonial Sugar RPfin­ing Company. Still, in any im;esti~ation that may take place 0itlwr "' ith rf'gard to the producers. th0 miller '• or refine;·,. I am perfectly willing to participate and to be wholly guirkd by the result. ::\Terely to c·,­tablish ,,ano price boards is uneconomic and umcic·ntific. and it i,; thrPatc;ned with evil consequences; therefore. I cannot support thc propO'• tl. I do not say that tbe way is barred; I do not say that it is impossible to give r. liPf to the growers, I shall be only too glad to mePt th£'ln and !'onfer \vith t-hem on all mattors relating to the nroduP­t ion of Rugar. but. as f .. ' r as the a1~,10~drnent is conecrn0d. I ean only treat it in the 'vay I h,>ve indicated to yon, j\Ir. Speaker. and to the Hou.'•e. I hope the matter. will be dealt with carcfullv and delibcrat0lv. The kad<'r of tho Opposition intimatPd, to me this morning that he int0nded to move the anwndmPnt. but I h:ove not spoken to the "\Vhips '~ concerning it. I rnay say that if hon., members, on h ip;h political groulHb, take a cc~tain course of action in this mat­ter it will not afff'ct my personoJl relation­ship with thC'm. Thi, is a question of high importance. and public intPrcots arc above privatP int0rests, and party interests are not paramount to public interests; but in this maHer I think public interests and party in­tcrcc:ts run along the same lines. I am quito sure that some ""a'' out of this matt<?r can be found without imposing upon thP growers conditions which thev will 0\'entuall:v find to be other than the relief which. at th0 'moment thev vainly hoped they v.0re rec<?iving. '

GovERNMENT MEMBERS : Hear, hear ! l\Ir. GILLIES (Eacham): I beg to move

tho adjournment of the debate. Question put and passed. The resumption of the debate was made

an Order of the Day for to-morrow. ' Mr. Gillies.]

ti8 Appropr:iation Bill No. l. [COUNCIL.]

ADJOL'RN11E::\T.

The PRIDHER: I move that the House do now adjourn. The busine:ss to-morrow will be the resumption of the debate of this evening. I ne<>d scar0cly say that private business will be suspended until that debate is finished.

J\Ir. RYAX: Did the Premier say that private busin<>ss would be suspended until the debate of this evening was finished?

The PRE~HER: Yes.

Mr. RYAN: Bec;wsP he is treating the amendment as a want of confidence motion?

The PRE:;JIER : Yes. Question put and passed.

The HousCJ adjourned at t<>n minute, pa>t 10 o'clock.

Appropriation Bill No. l.