Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

WEDNESDAY, 5 JULY 1922

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

WEDNESDAY, 5 JULY, 1922.

The SPEAKEl{ (lion. vV. Bcrtmm. Jfnr.:e} took the chair at half-pa:•t 3 o'clDck.

PAPERS. Tl1 1 ~ fulirnvlng papers wrn~ laid nn : h, t,abl&]'

and ordc•·ed to lw printed:-RP<;ulation" daterl 8tl1 Fcbrnan· and 16th

:VIarch, 1922. mHlPr tlw J;ancl Acts. 191G to 1920.

H"gulatiom', dated 24th Febnutry, 1922. under tlw 1Ji£,~harr:: •'d SoldiPrs' Sf·tt.l<'­l J<•JJt Ac-ts, 1917 to 1920.

lll'ESTIO::';S. J).n LHJOl'lt OH PTF.CEvvoRK ox Co\.EHXMEN't

\\' OHK~.

}1<-. S\1'.\ \'XE IJ[:mni) '"k<'d 1he Sc«n·t.ary foT Public \York:::--

,, l. ln cuimPdioil IYith thr· list of publie works mcnt:onr•d by His :P:xeellency the (;ovcrnor -,vhen openjng l.Jarlian1rmt as b0ing part of the programnv: to b,' dealt with during this sessioll, is it the Go­vernniPnt·' intention to earn: then1 out under tlH• ;':.,\":.;ten! of day wo;k 110\V pre­,.'-.iling UB GtlV('Tllntent jobs, or will they introdut·P a s.n-Lerrl of piece or contract. work. v, hr~rP t·onditinns a TO fa...-otuahlo f<H" it:

'' 2. If th<> former, i,- he aware' of the ex!· '",c:lvt> <·o,;t. of our railways and oth<-rr pubiic works. brought ahom by construc­tion nnder this nu:-thod of lat(~ years, and tlw hugP load of unproductive indebted­Hf'~S aln~ady piled up thPreby. to be a hPaYv burd.en nf inclebte.dnr ... ~ in '/Par:-:. to. ~·onH; up011 our produc·t~rs ':" .

Ho;-.;. \Y. FORGA!\ R~HTJ! (Jillrk•'!li f<'Jl)jpd--

,. l. h) '""': (h) lHl.

·· 2. TlH· qw:stion 1~ hast>d nu wrong preJni.-.:(~:.,. i~ ina(TUTatt'~ and Jni~leading-.'~

TJL\XSF:.tt oF CoYERS:\ILXT BA:\KJ~G 1:-; Lo::-.t­nnx; COXTHOL OF hDHGHATJOK.

:\Tr. KERH. (F'IO{I(JI ra) asked the Pr<'mier-" l. I-las the banking- business of the

(;on:rnrnent in I .. ondon. n•ferred t.n in tlH" rneJnorandulll of agremnent tnude ou thH l>t .April, 1922. yet hePll tramf,rred from t.hn BJ.nk of England to th(• C<Jnnnon v;t'al;h Bank; if ~o. from what date?

·· 2. I la~ th~:- Connnornvn 11th Govern·" IHPnt full control of irnn1ig1atjon over· .. .,,'n.:o.; jf !-l"l, o!t or about what t1ah~ dld fhP aiT<tngPnH~nt cornmeneo ·~

·· 3. lla~ !J,, anv knowlodgf' tfwt u.n jJJlmig·, t1on <·on:-:uitativC' C{)tlillljth•t'. co1n po·.;pd nf .\:"Pnb:~GC'ncral of the :-::evcral '\11·iTalin11 Statf'S, }p~ hP~Il forllH~d in

Londo11 ·: 1-T a.~ lw sce!l (JI1Y rcport8 of ..;ue11 n1t'~'tings, arH1 a rP thP:,: ~vaih.h1 {~ to l!H'l ·L•rT ·: llll\Y oftnn lw.s th~s ;...~ral<· hP<'Il

l""l're· ('td 'd at :c:twh nH'z•t1ng, bv th• QurPn'-'1and ~\~!'Pnt~Gf~neral Jlt'r ,Jna11.\" ?"

Th~' PH \13'\'T IE 11 (11un. I~. (i. 'f1H~cH.lor;"~ ('/iil/(lr/r)() l' .pJiPd---

" 1. C\u. "2. Yr~,_ from tiw 1-t 1luu·h, 1921;

hilt the Ht ·t~s '"" comult I us tn 1 b<' nn...., 1 h r nf ;Tllff'iiS'ra~1+-; the.v {'U.:l s::ttisfnf'-­tnril_v absnrh.

"3. No, 11

[:i Jns.j l ,)

D!BllURS~>IEXm nw;~ WouNDED AS 1> ~.LuMEn SOLDIERS FUNU.

Mr. KERR a•ked the Serrctarv for I'ubli(' L=d- -

··\V ill !JP la v on the table of t,h(' lions;· ;J, stat('Ulunt of' l't'('(•ipts attd disbnrse:nonts from bt .July, 1920. to 30th ,June, 1921. •5onnpetnd ,-.:ith tlH~ wounded .and 1naimed :;oldi1•1';-; fund. :-;trch <H'r'ount being· apparently omittccl iu t,h., ,\uditm:_ Gcnerar~ Hltitutd report for 1-hat :'d ar ?"

The SECH i•:TAH Y FOH l'liBLlC J,ANDS (Hon .• T. 1 I. CoynP, IJ'arrcuo) rqlliPd-

·• Y0~. I lav a certifif'd stah~l11f·:lt of recl~iptf' nud di'sbnr:-<l~TI1f~nt:-; on tllL; tab]p.''

Whel'PllflOII. :\lr. Con:c· laid <ill the tahlo che infonn ti·.n, a k\'d f;:r.

CO.:\!!'E\:-;\TIO TO :-_iOI l>!.El~ ~ET'rf.EH~:) lX JhGH-L\:\IJH 8ET'ILI'.'H:'·T.

lV!r. SIZJ<;[{ (XII'ulah) askcd riw S('('t<'bir,, for Pnhlie Land·--

"In ~·in.v of th!' disn·,trouf: jo:-;s{•.-.. _,·uill d LY <·cn.;,ill :-:oldier settlC'r~ on

thf• Jljghla.nds Rcttl('JJH2Jlt 0\" i11g to their banana f·rops being ruined bv frosi, is :it in-h'ndt!d to g1·anr. thoa0 sctt1l'1~::i any rnonc~ tary compPnsatiorJ, in }-:ddition to th{' arnuJgUil('JJt llHtdP tu rc•habilitat<• thent on viq:rin Crown Lnd in the 2\Jnrv \'aJley dj:-;tl·ict !" · , -

'I'IJ,. :-\E{:[{J•:'L\HY Fill( p[·BJ.TC 1,,\:\DS replirAl--

" ThP c·cttlt'rs dfoded have bceJJ r-t<liP,Te·d of <1ll loan expenditure in rf''-pcet qf 0)(• blocks Va('flft>rJ, anr{ WitJ ]J0 eJigiblP to again rf•ci•!ve ionn advaucr~ np to thP limit of £625. H hae nlco been approved 1/l makP aYailahle to snch settlors ccrtaill additional UlllfJUuts in -"~jc-w of irnprovP­uwnts effcrtcd by then1 -t)D their vacatod blocks. ~""J'hr-1c paym-ent~ ·will not bt· (_·har-g('d to thn scttler'R Joau account. and wjH be rnnde a~ t:oon n:- work in a..ddi~ lion to tltat which j, !wing provided fm· fr01n loan ac··onnt ha7-- been carried out by the "ettlN on thu llf'W holding to thP value of th<' amount approved in each ':{\ ~ f'."

GAZETTf:D HOLIDAY~.

Mr. ::\IAX\VELL (Toowonrt) asked th,. Home> Secretary-

" How manv, and what. holida.ve han• bec•n gazdted. throughout the Sb be from 30th J nnc, 1921, to 30th ,June, 1922 ?"

ThP HO::VIE SECRETARY (Hon. 1N. ~fcCormack, Cairns) replied-

" No holidays were gaY.ctted throughout the StatP in tJ1e period m0ntione<l."

PuRCHASE OF 1\IUKGAC/A ::\Il:«Es.

Mr. MAXWELL asked the Sc'crctary for ~fin os-

"'Will ho inform tlw HmH- from whom 'Clld when the ::\1ungana mim were pur­chased, and what nrnount of n1oncv was paid for them by the Gon•rnment '/"

The SECRETARY FOH JYHJ\'Ji:S (Hon . .'\. J. Joncs, l'addin(!ton) replied~--

" From Fn•drick H.cid for and on boh.~lf of himsplf and Mungana Minc·s, Limited. On 18th ,T anuary, 1921, the g·encrnl 1nanager, ChillR~oc Staff· Smel­ters. by ag-reement with the owner of Mungar1a Millcs, undert.<JOk to work the

tn1ne;-;. 011 tJibutc ou a ro:y·c-dty basi~; \vir'1

r}w riglJJ~ of l''"·dw.-e. On tlw 25th Yin rch, 1922, ~bf~ option 1vas exorcised on t!w following krms and conditions:­£10.000 cash, lf..,,, royalt ,~ and Jneg the ;,ncmnt advanc<'d by :\line- Department for developmental work. and tho balance, £3[),000, to h0 paid by way of royalt.v a:-: t hP (lfl' i~ prodUCf-'d at t-he rate of 4 p('T ('{ .:t. OH thL' gros:-:: "·.:alue of n1ctal ~ .ltlt.PJlt~ of ote up to £5 per ton, and 5 per {'PUt (J){~e centnrn) on {)!'f; \ a[w;_ .. w}1icl1 {•sc·p(•ded £5 per ton."

take ~h1H opportunit. of Ja:vin,L'; 011 th~· table HH• <:hwunH'nt~ ln corn-,f'cl1oll \vjth th<" t-ran"action.

J ).\TE OF 1lrLl V !RY OF J<'JKA:\CL\L STATEllfENT .

. \11'. Fll \~ (Ifurilpn) 'Lsked the Pn'rnler-~ '· \\'ill lw inform t!H' House\ v:hen tlH'

Fin.uwial r··Hatt'JI!t'H! h·i11 lw lH'C:•H:nted to I Jarlicul'PIJL Y''

Th .. THEi\ S t IU~H I I I en. E. (;. TIH:odcm' (' :l/u(tr; \ J"r•plie,!---

.. r am unablP to iJ:fvnn tlH HcJUS(' of dr· P1'l.'l'i::;f! date· on \'\--·hieh tho .FinanciaJ ,;t,, t~ment will be prc·:cntNl. but it will IH' ;1! ~ut c t.dy dab'.''

{. \"E:\fi'LOJ-'1-:JJ HEGIRTl•:HJ·~D \T TOO\VOOMJB.

LABonn BrBEAV.

.:VIr. T. H. HOBERTS (l-•:r1·-t Toot-" oomba} ~I -ked tJll~ s('l'f'Ctary for Public \York~-

.. 1. \Vhat rnunb0r \;n'n• J'l'g-istered a;:; HO('TnpJoyPd at thn r_ro<n~ oornba L11bour Bur"au 011 1'huroda1. tlw 4th Januan~, 1922 y • .•

·• 2. \\"hat nmnLc1· wnrr; on rep;istl't un 4th February, 4th ::\Iarch. 4th April. 4tJ, ::\:h_•~, 3rd ,Jurw. 3nl ,July!

•· 3. \Vhat nun1bL'r of persons so regi~-1ered wer0 sent to employment through the agency of the bureau-! n) priva.te; (h) Gov<~r11ment work?)~

HoC~r. \Y. FORGAN SMITH replied­" 1. ·146. (2nd Jannary, 1922,) "2. Number of unemployed on register

on ht Fcbruarv, 1922. 262; 1st March, 1922, 123: 1st ~~pril. 1922, 157: lRt May, 1922, 131; 1st .Tnrw, 1922, 123; 1st July, 1922; 90.

"' 3. ~\1un1ber eeut. to ernployrnont through agpncy of tho hure:m--privatn 1\Trk-J anuarv, 84; ~February, 94; :'>far eh, 65 ; i~pril. 20 ; l\1 ay, 44.; June, 49, total, 356. Government work-J ann·· ar:. 45, F0bruary, 12; ::\larch, 13; April1

19; ~.1av, 34; .Jnne. 22: total. 150."

M·IPs or ELECTOR~Tnl IN ELECTOR.\L ROLLS.

Mr. T. R. HOHERTf:. asked the \ttorncy­GC'neral--

" Will he arrano:e with the Chief Elec­toral Registrar t;; insert a map of the decterates in eopies of Plectoral rolls as provid0d prior to alt0r[ltion of boundarie_; of c1ectorate5 ?''

The ATTOHNEY-CENERAL {Hon. J. Mullan, Jil·iadrr,,) rcplic·cl-

" It was hund that the mapo pro­viouslv inserted in the electoral rolls w0re nf ljt~[c~ r)}·a~tif'!l1 URC'. n~ld Lctg-er rnaps shrnvinrr nwro drhtils of thr r~e·!pPc6ve f'!Cf'toral distrj('t-s hqve ber>n preparpd aru.1 have' he·<'', to-day supplind to hon. !n~m}wr:-<. ,.

lG [ A;.;~K\IBL Y] ;','itt "ng na;fs.

PRE~E~TATIO~ or HEPOHT ~·no>r Coxi:UJTTEE.

The l'RK\IIEH, on behalf of Mr. Rpeakor. as Chairman. laid on the table the rPport of th-:_.., Sta11cling Ordf'rF< Conunittce recornlncnd­ing certain altPrations in and additions to tlw Standing· OrdPrs, and moved-

" That t!Jp rq>Ort be printed."

(Jnt>stlon put aud passed.

J>HDL\HY 1'HODCCERS' OH.C:A::'\TSA­

TIO:::-J BILL. INITIATIOX.

:l'hc SECRETARY FOR .\GH.ICTL'I'CRE (Hon. \V. :'\. GILLl~:S. H•1rlwm.) moved-

.. That tlw Hmtsl' will, at its !'c•<t ,;itting·, resolve itself into a Comm1tt?" of the ·wholE' to consider of the tlesu­e,bleness of introducing a Bill to pro­mot.e the agricultural and rural industries by rho org~anl:-.ation of t_he prin1ary pro­tlucPrR of Queensland 111 n. con1pletP1:-. .. -unifiC'cl. r;ational orga.n!'''~,tion nnd for other mcHlcntal purpose>.

Quc,tion put allCl vassed.

TRADE t.;KIO!\"S (PROPERTY) BILL. INITIATION.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (Hon. J. "Nfullan. Flind' r.s) moved-

". That the House will, at its nPxt sitting, resoh-c itself into a Committee· of the \Vholc to consider of the desir­ablcrwss of introdueing a Bill to amend in a eertai n particular the Real Property ,\et of 1877 and the Tradc Union Act of 1915."

Question put and passed.

CRIJ.\U)JAL CODE AMENDMENT BILL. IXITIATION.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL (:Hon. J. Mullan, fi'lindcrs) moved-

" That the House will, at its rwxt sitting, resolve itself into a Committee of the \Vhole to consider of the desir­ableness of introducing· " Bill to >Lholish capital punishmPnt and to amend the Criminal Code >Lnd othC'r enactments arcurdingly."

Question put and P"""ed.

f)ITTIKG DAYS.

The l'RKMIER (Hon. K G. Thcodore. Chillagor) mowd-

" That. nnlc'" othenYise ordered, the H ousc will nwct for the despatch of business at 3 o'clock p.1n. on Tuesday, \Vcdn<sday, Thnrsday. and Friclay in Pach WC'Pk. and that on Tuesday, \Vedncs­day. and Fridny. and after 7 o'clock p.m. o'n Thursday, Govcrrnrwnt business do take precedence of all other business."

Mr. VOWLES (Dalln1): I called "Not foTmal " to this n1otion, bee a use it i6 not part of the usual method of procedure to ask hon. members to sit on Friday. It has been the ~ustom in the pa.st to ma.kc Friday a sitting day after Parliament has been sitting some little while. It i2 an innovation to ask hon.

n::.utnbet·s who hav(· con1e hen• at the open.:ng of et sct-"'ion, •.,-,.ithout noticL', to sit. on Fridays.

The PBE1UEH : Thcv haY<' not conw !lt're IYithout notice. ~

:\] r. YCl"WLES: \Vithout notice to sit on Friday~. I \Vonld like tlH' Prr•rni0r to t(tkt: into <'on~iriNatiou th" faet that WP on thi• :-;id(• CU't' just ~ts d~'sirons as hon. rnon1bcrs 0111 ,o:.;ite of r .1n1pl0ti1tg thP bu:-:;incss of the HousP "' qni.~kly '" l"'"'ible. provided dui' <'Onsidei·ation i-.: givl~ll to all t.h0 Inatturs brought 1wfoi'C ns, but we do not want to bo I"n'h"d-·mm·p pa rlicula rly nndl't' tlw alten1d (·orHlitlnn~ of the IIonse. \Vp arC' going to havt' nu'a'3tu·cs put bPfor(• u:;;, I suppose. like wr~ lntd la:-:t ~~·~·: .. ion. \Vc w-ant tinu' for reflec­tion. \Y1• "')' that thl'l"P o.!lonld lw pll'nt.v of h1·r·athing •:;paen given to hnn. nll'rnlwrs to ~tudy Bills, •nol'<' pru·t-ieularly in the Com­rnitt<'P :-;tag-c-s.. ~c> that \V(' {'an b1·ing- for\-vrtrd aHH:lHlnwn~" and iut<'lligcntly f'Ollf:-idnt thP matt,•rs brought forward. If we are to start off v.:·ith a rush. and-as "\vas donn last se;;:,~";ion -to ~urn~ the rnost important business intro­rh1C·Pd n.t a. lat" hour on Frida.'· night. when hon. ni"ntbf"rs. arn tit·C'cl arHl country mem­ber' on both ,.id .. , of the Chamber ·are clc­:--ircu~ nf L!'(•ttin~.r to -t-lwi!· horne~. it is not Jikp]y to lJi·lng a ho11t thP good 1Pgis1ation Wf' would cdl likr~ to SC'('. f offeJ' thn snp:g·t~stion to thP Pl'f'm-icr ihnt~ ln-..tf'ad of sitting on ]Tl'iday niu-ht .. which will dPprivc n1an_Y hon. n:~ mLPrs who 1iYt' in thf' \V0st and on the ::"orth C'oat't frorn gcott ing to tht'ir hornPs, v-vc 'huuld ,tarf· on Frida~v 1norning at. say, 10 o'C'lof'k. and fiHl~h 0ur hu:-;inc-i~ at 6 o'clock in thv P\'Plling, ·>'; tha.t -;,n~ conld all gnt a\vay to onr borne:-;.

Cll'Posrnox ~lE:..rnEI>~: IT car, hear!

:'dr. VO\VLEP,: Tlwre are cnJ"tain Km·thorn n1Pm hP!'~ who visit thf'it· Plectorate on en a ypar. when they '..'!.'0 round in n car with a :\linisl<·r and han· tbci1· eXJWH>'CS paid.

l\-ir. COLLL-..;,-\: T.hat i~ 110t tnll'. Tl1f' hon. uicn1bee f01· TownsyjlJp i.s looking- at you.

:\h. YOWLER: I l;now that those' gentlc­rnen do go round with l\'Iiui:.;tcrs on these departmental tc.m·,, and do tb0ir Plectionecr­ing.

iHr. l.'EA~E: \Vhv don't von shift. vour businPss down hero.? · ·

:VIr. YO\VLES: \V<: like to p;o back to om· homes. which should be studied to a certain <•xtcnt. a.nd that can be donn by permitting ns to ~it in tlu n1orning. as ~~·e did la•:t session, and ctdjourn at 6 o'clock in the •.'VPning. I commend that suggestion to the l'rmniN. and T think it would be agree­able to both sides of the House. T know that tlwl"o are hon. nwmbcrs sitting behind t.hc UovernnH~nt who are a:;; anxious to get to thPir honH•s ns nu~n1L0rs of thP OppD~-i­tion are.

"\Lr. :\IORGAN (,"ifurilfa): I would like to wpport thn suggc<tion of the leader of the OptJOsition. A~ onP ,vho rPprescnts a,

\Vc&tern clo.ctora.tc. I think it would be much beth•r if we met at 10 o'do~k jn the morn­ing. Conntry rncmbers have to travel con­sidernbl<' distan<·•·;, and we would he con­tent if the lJr0rnier would agrC't: to n1.cet at 10 o'clock on Friday mornings, .and adjourn the Rous<' at 6 o'clock in the evening. V\7 P would get t.hrongh the work just as quickly by that method. 'l'hat would be very con­venient to tho··e hon. members who have not bccornc, what I nw.y term, professional

Sillinu Day.·:. [5 Jc"LY.j O(ficial8 in Pw1iameHI, Etc., Hill. 17

poli:lcians. There <l..l'(~ JSomo ,,·ho ha-ve be­come profes3ional politici;:ms, and who live ·on tho gan:..c.

ii1r. KIRWA"l: \Yhat is tho objection to pr·J!esBional politicians' You have just had .1. lot to srty ''bout studying Bills. (Opposi­tion laughter.)

~1r. ;i:lURUA:N: I trust that the Premier will give this matt<or consideration, as it ,vill bo a grctt convenience to country ntom­b~rs and nothing will be lost from a Gov~rnmont point of view.

11r. TAYLOH (WinJ"',r·): I would like to ~uppol't the nmarks of the leader of thn Opposition and the hon. member for Murilia in connection with this matter. I think the suggestion put forward that we should meet at 10 o'clock in the morning each Friday and adjoul'l1 at 6 o'clock, is a very reason~ble request indeed. The country 1ncn1bers have to travel long distances to come here at the commencement of the week, and it is a ddficult matter for some of them to get to their homes on Saturday, if they have to sit here on Friday night. I take it that the country members want to keep in touch with their elcctornJes as much as possible, in oruer to find out the particular requironH)nb of their constituents, and it lS necessary tor thcn1 to go homo every \VC>.'k­<•nd. It is all very well for members who rPprcscnt city doctorates, a"nd who live in the <·it.v. We can stop horo till half-past 10 on" Fridav r.ic:ht .\,ithout anv inconvenience, hut it is dill<>nmt with co"untry members. ;-;Pcing- that the request is such a reasonable one, the Prcrnicr rnight very well give it his favourable con'::ideration. Nothing can be lost by adopting the propo"al put forward by the leader of the Oppo;ition. In fact, l think it would he a good thing if we knocked off at 6 o'clock every nig-ht in the week. (Hear, heat· !) \V e wo~dd do better business, anU I aru p1·ctty ccrtrnn that \VO would :?aYe the count-ry a coneid£>rttble amount of money if wo knocked off at 6 o'clock every night in the week. I hope the Prernior will give the m~>tter his Lwourablo considcmbon. See­ing that the Premier has introduced his motion in the Jh-st week of the session, I ask him to exempt Fridtty night of this week from his propo,,a], so as to give the country members a chance to get home.

The l'REl\IIER (I-Ion. E. G. Thcodorc, Chillaone): In reply to the sugg' "tlon put forward by hon. members opposite, I rczret that the suggestion made is not a practicable one, bccau"a Nfinistcrs have to attend to their L1cpartmcnts in the Inorn:ing.

Mr. .!'v10RGAN : It is onh one day in the -week.

The PREMIER: Ministers are already engaged on duties which koc:p them away from their departments "' sufficient length of time, and, if we held the sittings of Parlia· n1ent in the morni::gs, it would bero.11e ver:,· ernbatrassjng to l\linistcrs to hav·e to attend to their clep>1rtments nnd to the House as well, and it wo:Jld be cliflicult for :\Tini-ters to keep up the wm·k of their departments.

Mr. FLETCHFR: You did it last session. The PREMIER: Yes, v e did it last scs­

~ion. That is whv ''re are ~nxious to sit four da"'' a week 'in the earlv part of the session, ";o as to avoid, if posSible, morning soseions later on. \Ve had morninv, sittings last soss;on, and it caused great inconvenience to our dcpiirtment.s.

Mr. MORGAN: The Federal Parliament sits in the da;; time.

1922-c

The PREMIER : The Federal Parliament has such unimportant things to attend to that Ministers c:w allow their officers to run their department'·· In Queensland the departments arc run by the Ministers, and "e ho,ve to attend to them. I quite realise that thceo is a certain amount of incon· Y~'nipncc to countrv mernbers who desire to return to their districts at the end of the '·cck, \V hen the.r are a" ked to sit ou Friday night. That can be ectsily understood, and, no far as it is practicable to do it, I wiJ.l Pndeavour to rnakc an arrangement ·with the Ladcr of the Opposition to allow tho-;c mem­hNs who muct got away at. the we,,k-cnd to be r:tb·,.cnt ·when on)_v unin1nortant business is being dealt with in the Chamber. I will tt·y to make that arrangement.

Mr. TAYLOR: \Vhy not ex0mpt the first Friday?

The PREMIER: I will talk the matter over \\ ith tho lPader of the Opposition.

Ilh. SWAYXE (Jlimni): It looks as if the intoro·\3 of the cour:tr,: aeo being sacri­ficed for the sake of party. v\'h_v should we not fol~ow the u·"ua1 practice and start with three days a week. There is only one House no 1V, and \VC shuuld b0 ttllowcd more tirnc for dl'liberation, so that \VC can get the fnll(~St infor:nation regarding all legislfLtion L·ought bc:oro u·. \Vc have no Upp0r Hou.,c 1 _), to cntTc-_·t o.1r n1ist.akes, and that is why \\C "hould lJc Inorc careful. I \\ell l~(:member \vhon the present Government were in Opposi~ tion. Th<Y ahva:- s insi~t~d that the Housf' should sit for four or five months, so that thee· \';ould lnvo ample time to do the work of Parliamont. They always contended thnt l'arliamcnt should be called together earlier in tho ye>1r. but of late .~·oars we find that Parliament is called together and the busi· nl~:3.;;;. ru;--hcil throdgh in a few \VC~'ks. Hon. members opposite, when in Opposition, held

th:1t fiyc- rYtoilths w a prcper [4 p.m.] time in whic_t..l hYo Ifouscs might

do tht• work of the countrv; now tl1rrt one IIon;:;Q i·: Uoir,g that ''Tork, i't is all t1Jc more nee 'ssnrv that tho fuJ!p,t tinw B]wuld be given t,; it. \\'h;,· all this hash' about a few weeks'! \Yhv can we not sit lcPger and do the work , properly? It is impocsiblc for members of the Oppo,ition to c1o justice to it. and dischargt" their duties under such a n1otion, and I make a. strong )wotcst against it

Question put and passed.

OFFICIALS IN PARLIAMENT ACT AMENDMENT BILL.

The ATTOR:'-JEY·G1ol\IER.\L (Hon. J. Mullan, 1?/inrlrro~) moYed-

" That the House will, at its next sitting. resolve it>elf into a C:Jmmittee of the Who~e to consider of the desirable. ncss of introdu,,icg a Bill to A ~1end the Constitutio'l of Quecnsla~d by further amcndin!T the Officials in Parliament Act of 1896 i'r', ceriain particula,r,,"

Mr. T. R. R0BERTS (F:rrst 7'nnu•onm ba): I cnlled " Not formal" to this motion because I am distinctly opposed to it. and it alfordo one of the first opportunitie' to carrv into effect the sug-gestion made by the Premier a few days ago when he nointed to the verv straitened financial condition o! the countrv a.nd the need fnr a saving in expenditure. In addition to that, I notice that two hon. members on this side have. by notice of motion and question, directed a ttcntion to

Jlf1'. T, R. Roberts.]

18 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Adduvs in Reply.

tlw need for reducjng t''\_pcnrliture ~o far as this House itself is concerned-that is, in the salaries of :Ministers nnd members. \V c must recognise that it "as belicYed that under Federation Queensland and the other States \\ould be able to rcducc the co3t of govern-

The SP E~\KER: Ord<•r! The hmL mem­ber wjl! remember that last 'cssion I pointed out that this was not a stage at which a Bill could be discussed. The opportun;ty to do that \Yill come to tho hon. nlf'mbcr later on.

:Vlr. T. R. ROBERTS: Then I shall con­tent mysclf at this stage with eaying that I intC'l1d io cppose the Bill. It gives us a l11Cst11l') by whieh 've C'an suye ono 1\.Iini.-ter's salary.

Mr. VOvYLES (JJuiby): I did not call .. Kot formal" to tbe motion. ::Ylr. Sp<•akcr. in view of your ruling of ]a;;;.t; session. I <tnderstood that no de! ;te \Yould be permitt-ed at, thi~, stage.

HoxouRABLE l\IE}JBERS: Hear, hear! ttuc~tion put and passed.

.\DDRESS I?\ REPLY.

H.Ese.rPTION OF Dr:B.\TE.

:Ylr. ELP HINSTONE (O:r 1 '!I): l would. llrst of all, like to expr<'", to tile INtdii' of tho Oppo31tion n1:y appreC"iabon of bi~ gi\-in~~ Ine the ho1:onr of beiug the iir;.:;t on thi~ sjde to discu~s tbi3 rrwtion. Sr-c~.n:Jl:v, I \Vif'h to cxprc-,s 1ny sincere :;:y~npathy with the hro hon. n1Cn1bers wLo ve,st('rday did their br·~t to bolstr·r up a lnsing. cnu-c.· I arn ~nre that \Y<-' all apprcciat~ th0 fa('t thitt the.; \Yore

doint; th,.ir very ut,twst for the GoYcrnrrwnt they"- roproscnt, but I an1 cq.~ally snrc that, wh n thl'v sat down tll',"' \YO:Jdercd \dnt it was all al1out. If tl~cy v'oire the opinion;..; of tl10 prr·-ent Governtncnt for the con1in~-{ ses­sion, th<'li tlw duty of tho Opposition \Yill be ~L Y<'rv sin1p~e one.

I \Vish to take gTcat· exee>ption to one state­ment which the hon. member for Leichhardt madP, which I considn.r to be quite• hearth~~-<:\, anJ. in fact, unneC'{""··ary. I-Ie taunted Quccnoland with being the only r·ountry in the \\·orld that had had Labour in power for three successive Parli<-lnlt>llts. TherC' js no need to remind us of that. One has onlv to v·alk down the ,;treets of Brisbane anrl other cities in the State and count the unemployed in thoil' thousand8-(Government laught2r)­and note thf' ~ tagnation that exists in order to finrl all the evidence that is necessary \vithout the hmL member for Lcichhardt talking about that obvious fact.

Accordjng; to the hon. 1ncmber, the Governor's, Speech was a ccurag€ous effort. I c,,[l it a colourless effusion. The outstand. ing thing which should have appeared in it is a referC'nce to the adoption by the Labour party of this communistic doctrine that they have swallowed, lock, stock, and barrel­according to the Premier-this doctrine which has been endorsed in all parts Df Amtralia by the party to which they are attached. Yrt it is of such vast importance and so whets the appctit·s of hDn. members opposite that they pass through the first Governor's Spoe~h proocuted to any Parliament since it wa~ made law in L:tbour ranks without a sing-le rdcrc·nco tD it! What is the deduc­tion? H simply -haws that hon. rne'Tibeu are dishonest to the cause they r<'prescnt or that thev arc out on an cxpoditio'1 to gull the pnb!ic and draw their attention from this

[JJr. T. H. Robcrts.

dof"trinc, which is to hP dished up on a nlorc auspicious oc<'a"',ion. It is astounding that no· roferc1wc is made in the Speech to this fea· turc, ·wblrh. as we know, has been cn;l,'::::ging the attentiDn of Labour reprc entatives throughout ~\us.tralia during tho last f!!w n1onths.

I wi,h, hmnwer, to cong-ratulate the Go­vcnunent on one thjng-that is, their di~­covery that l~nocnsland's g-reat noPd is a p!'llper atl0ntim1 to the lot a;:d rc'luiro,•nents of th0 primary prochtccr;.;. (GcvE'rnmcnt laughter.) \Ye• arc delighted to •,ce that, aftc1· Revcn years' occupanf'v of the TrctF·Ul'Y benches·. th0~f' gcntleme;l arc at la;;:i: waking up to the fad that the primarv produc~t· l'

the backbotw of Queensland. Rather will I sav this, that hon. mc·mhers Dppo-itc who hold that ];,·licf would b' YC'ry much mor<• hon0st nncl hononrablc ln thnir actions if th0~­'vould do as 1 did-I'Gnlc oyr•r hero and join 1·hc pnrty \Yh1ch rPpl'f'SC'nts hin1. (GoYernmcnt laughter.)

Mr. DHENXAX: You haYc rattcd, all right.

~fr. EPHT:'\STO::\E: Thcro is no (]Uestion t.hnt the primary prodnc0r in QuecnRli~nd nc·nd"' son10 proper Rympath:v and }1ttent1on at tl1i._, }H"C ~Et nlOlllf'nt.. 11~ ll<'l'fL;;. ~OlllC' -;clentific ;:ulY:ce to help 111 the f:ro:~.-nJg- C?f his , . ~OHH' hnsln{ -:.; guir1anr.c 1n thr~n·

; and ~orllf' rclj(1 f frorn th0 OYL'1"­

bnrdc1Jing· 1·atf'·, ta-x 1 S, aud other imposition;-; 1Yh:C"h al~f' put upon hirn bv 1ir:sban(' and ot.}H'\' C('lttn'''· I ;nn .rlclight2cl that Lon. .if0I!t.1P'!l'H'll oppositc•-thr:.t a.JJ ~0ctiens of t.hi~ lien'>':'. onr- can ·--nf<·ly say--to-rlay an' a! !Yf·

to hi>" inter!,±;;;. 'The PRE}IIER: ThC' :\ a6onal1f:~ s a}:,·o

),Ir. ELI'JTI:'\'STO::\E: y CS.

Th" P:UC)JTJ~R: Then \vhy dicl .;,-ou 1f·avr· thcrn "!

''Tr. ELPTTIX8T0'~E: I do not wi>'h to dcpri,·e the l\ationali't'. of the credit of _any sincere ·dP~irP Hl that .c_hrcrhon, as I bebcvf' theY arc honourable and sinrne aho in wlwt tlwy state in that regard. (Interruption.)

.2\l1;. POLLOCli : \\'hy did :;ou rat on t)wlll ·:

:Y'Ir. ELPJTT::\RTO:'\E : Certain ho11. P:''" tlunQn oppo~ito-I ay certain. of thP!lL bcr·.tus0 tlw,- do not all rnean 1t-are snJ­<'C'l'P1_v .dl~in;u~ of Join~· t-h·_, right thing. \Vh:-· do they qnt, then, f'('llF' over here und onppmt' tlwt partv whjch stands f01· the prirnary prodl!Lf'J'\;' int,ercsts pr.imari]y '? • In-»tr tcl of doing- so. they arc acl!ng- as wl11tcd sr'jlulc-h]'('S, loHn\ ing· all the t1mo they arn eomrnittPd to a po1icy which 1neans the cxter­minatio:l of tlw fanner. These gcntkmen. having !o,;t the interest and the sul.'port of their town con~tituencil's, and knowing t~wt tlwi1· dav of fh'fC'at is {lawnjng, are looking rr:und fo\· furthC'r opnortuni6es of extending· their I eaRl' of lifP. Tlwy 'CC that the primary 1 Jroduc;~r is starting to con1c into his own. <~nd th?rPfore thcv search for kno\vlcdge and infonnat·1on--stPa ling whcreY01' they can und tumrping it fr£.?111 o~bers-and put forw~rd a policy which 1s ,e;omg to. -.ave the prunary producer. All I can say 1s. f;?OOd luck t<; the prinla"!'Y pro-ducer. Our ad\~Ice .to hnn 1s to tnk~ a1l ho can get. But we w1sh to assure hirn-and \Ye belie'-' he is alive t') it n0W­

that thPse g·entlomen are only making holl~w­sonnding- promisPs. How can a party wl··lCh is absnh.itnlv comn1itted to a policy of exter­mination of all private ow·ner-;hip and evPry personal achiev. mcnt. \Vith the same voico

_ utatess n Reply. [5 ,JCLY.] Addre.s8 m Reply.

say it is going to assist the primary producer to acquire his rights"? Those people arc out to exterminate what. is now his own. The Premier, :tt that historice.l conference which took place in Brisbane last October, said, " ·where .does the farmer come in in this comtnunistic stunt?" or 1vords to the effect. The hon. gentlernan knows where he comes in. I-IP comes in by be in:;>; push2d out.; by bein~ dcpriYeu uf his ]Wrsonal Iibcrtic's and robb~·d of the own<"rship of all that ho holds uoar to himself aud his famih·. Yet those hon. gentlenwn say no ono '1nust breathe a word about thi.s being :t political move­They say, that thot is not intended; t.hat it is a solf--.acrilicing stunt on tho part of the Government ! They say they are out to assist tho primary producer. thinking t.hcy are going to get his snpport. 1 hope the hon. gentlemen are s1ncej_~c in thc.ir i11tcntion to assist the primary producer. \Ve will do uil \VC ca,n to n ~·'list hin1 and to a~qi~;t thcrn to live up to their worcl.

0PPOSJTlO;I ME~lBERS: Hear. h< 1r !

l\tlr. ELPHINSTO:"JE: But, nll the timr• \.YC know, and th prjnutry producer knows, thnt theirs is the hand which is g·oing to fih·ikc him. Tht'rC' 1s no 'suppo~·ition in that. \V hat is the resolution "Which was pn ·:sed at this Labour Parliament iu :J.lelbourrw quit·c rec·nt:v? l au1 to read it to the House: 1wcauso it pre -,('hed fr01n thP housQtOp:-1 in ord, r to lPt thf' p oplc se<> whC're these g~~'ntlt•nlcn si and at OH~ pres·:::nt. n1on1C'nt. It reacL-

·' That this congress, dP irlng a united workin{r dr1 ~ :> fl·o11t in thi:'> eountry, reaffirn~...; the indu~trinl and political pol:e:: adopL·cl by thP SunP C~ng~'C~' of 1921, a!:d · Hclor,l':;:, ns far a~ 1t 1s con­:-.i.:'t·l~nt with this rnot"ou. thl' work o£ the Bri,-banc {'ollYCntion of October. 192:L, nnd urge•,; tlw State lwanchce of the Austral-ian Labour party and other .,vork­ing dn."-'" partic, and groups t,~J forthwith fall i!Jto lirlP ~u that a nuiforrn politlcnl pol,i::y uw~' be Jl.l'''sentcd t·hrouglwut ~~us­tralta and call~ upon the ~-\u~tra.~_lan Labo~r p<-..,rty to rnakc provision along th · line, of the Bl'iti'h :tnd :\'cw Zealand Labour parties fc)r thu irworporation of tdl school; of f~Pnuiuo labour thought and acti,·itv. with freedom of propaganda and {Wgani"t-iation, \vhi1o at t.ho S:J.mo tim_e r~qniring- n. lo;:a.l arcc,pt~tnee of _thP doe!; :-.1on5 of the reprcsPntatlvo conL_'rences.

It. savs there nrust be a loyal acceptance of these" decisions. \Yhat were those decisions? -~ocialif'atiou of industry, production, and excbangc'-socialisation, vvhich is going to make eYerv man a vassal of the State. Yet !hey ,,-o to. the farmer and say he is entitled to th'e full produet of his labour. At the ycry fir:;;t opportunity, when they haYC roceiycd a new lease of life, thcv will take from that n1an all he possess0:5 ~and Inako him a Yassal of the State.

GovERJ\ME;IT l\IElVIBEHS: Xo!

:\It-. ELPIII;\TSTO:\"E: Hon members opposit<• sa.y "No!" \Yhat does the .. socia !isation of industry, production, and I'Xrhano·c" lYJC:Ull ·; It jg tin10 this bypocrhy \\~as oxlwgcd. - .

OP!'OSITIOX ::\1E,rnERS: Hear, hear !

Yl:r. ELPIII:\STO?\E: oountrv was awakened to the n1~nace whjch is at its as tbo hon. nlPrnbcr for

It is time this a realisation of doorstep-v·hich. Leiehhardt says.

has been endurPd jn Queensland for three consorutive ParlianH~nts. 1-\s though we did not know it! Then~ was no necessity for the .hon. member to call attention to what is so obyious a fact.

I am going· to cleal with a f.,,, points whish 'vcrc raised bv the hon. n1enlllPr fa"!.~ Lmcn~ lwrdt. If h,;- is the mouthpiece for the party ho represent,;, he has a very limited knowledge o£ the economic circun1sta.nc1~" exisbng at. the presont tirrw. Tho hon. rnern­bcr refc•rred to bankruptcy on the other sidP of the world. The deduction to be drawn, eyidentlv. was that this is a prosperous State. The only countries in othe-r parts of tl1e world that are bankrupt are those which ha ,·o adonted the communistic doctrine for which hon. gentlemen opposite stand.

OPPOSITION JYlniBERS: Hear, hear !

::\lr. ELPHINSTONE: Great Britain, th" seat of tho British E,11pire, not only stands wry high financially, but .. ho is payiilg off by tens of milliom per annum her public deb~1 w11C:rcas in Queensland Yv·e arc increas­ing it by millions per Cd1!lum. 'Where is thNc confirmation of the hon. nu: nber"s rcn1arks?

Be ah<o said that the old order had bccll r0plac0cl by tlw new. If he me ant that tiH• prospnity of the pn•sent clay is cndtmgercd. f hn t nncE1ployn1eut ls rampant in our midst, that (~\·ery 1nan is 1fl~ ing his dcsirf~ to \;.'ork and to acl1ioyo a11ything, I quite agron Yvith hin1 that the old order ha.-.; bc·P~J excha!1~cd for the new. Is that a source of gratifica~ tion ·: ts it not rn.dlC'l' a n1attcr to h!' (lt•plorcd than to lH' bon~tcd abont~as j lw hon. gcutlen1an <'Yidc'ntly cl id ycstcrda,::-?

The hon. gt>ntl ern an aL~o referred to scttlorl'i and inYPstorf' being cr:-couragcd. That it' pr~cisely \\·hat we han; contended should lw done. But how C:l n you u.q1cct to oncourag-P ~cUlers nud inYPdors to con1o to Quf'c 1:-:~ land whrn ail you desire is to get as many peorle and as much property into the Stah' only in order that you lDR v put into opera­tion Your co1nrnunistic dnf'trine--after thC> nrxt Cl(~f'tiotJ, as you hope-and you \Vill haYe !nore rnatcdal to play 'vith, n1ore property to as .. 1st. you? IIow can ~vou C\:pect. n1en to cPme from othn parts of the world \\·her(' they live in freedom, \vith cncouragon1cnt to progres:;; a,nd b0~~o1ne indestrious. and throw themselves into a community of men Ruch as hon. gcntlmnen opposite. who are br:und to the doctrine of the oxtormina tion of all property and all individual effort., The hon. 1notnbor also n1ad0 rcfcrPnce to the public indebtedness of those resident in Queensland. li2 mentiorecl, if I h<. ard him correctly. !hat it amounted to £141 per onpita. I would remind him that that is not rorrcrt. 'Ilw actnal public debt of the State is £182 per enpita. £75 of which is Com­mon'Yealth ;md £107 of which is Stat.• public debt. I make that correction. bC"cause thE' public debt of Queensland is becoming quit<· a, serious n1attr·r. and v;c have to b~ar it i:n rnlnd whl'H arrang-ing- for further loans which arc going to inc_·ease our indcbtodnc.;,, p01"' capita .

Tho hon. nn:-rnbor r0ferrr!d to new loans, land sottlenwnt, and railwa,·s. I want to rcmincl him that. as businccs' men who hn.Y<' a·1 eye to thP lot of the tn>:pavcr e,nd thoso 1vho are directly or iro.dircctly affectN] bv higl1 taxation. WP must look at the public debt ;,nrl !".CC w}wn' \'\"0 stand at thr~ prPsC>nt momPnt. Does the hon. gentlcm:tn appreciate the fact

]Jr. Elz,hi1>.stonr.J

20 AddTess 'in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

that last year we paid in interest on the public debt £3,286,0JO, whilst, when his Go­;-ernmer: t came ino power in 1915, the total interest paid on the public debt was only £1,975,000 ·t Thoro is an increase in seven vc ES of £1,311,00~, equivalent to an increase ;:,f 65 ncr cL;t. YPt the hon. ~-entle nan talks fiucnt:y and easily of grcat~er e-xpenditure in this direction and that, forgetting alto­u;other that the day of reckoning n1ust ~orno round, and that i:1 the n1ca.ntiine t.hc tax­payers. and those who are ind1rodly affe~ted are called upon to rrtcr-t greater exuctwns <'very y· ar. I al'·O want to remind \he hon. gentleman th •t there arc £26 000,000 f,t!lmg ~hw fer r'-'nl'\Yal bLtween UO\V and 1925, a gTcat a nount of vdtich falls due for renewal <H rcclrn1;1tion in the present year, which altllf ...:t incYitabl~· r:nc~ans grc Ltcr interest. I \vculcl rcn1ind hirn also thnt a largo amcunt of thut nlDDCY js irn·ctcd iu our railwavs co'lting £~ 3s:' 2J. llPr ('Cnt., and yet., as~ a re~ult c)f the hon. gPntle.nan CT his party's adrnini tration of thm;(• railwa 1 '.3 last vcar the,- >;ctuall:v earned only 9;. 9d:- per cenf. to meet tLat interest debt of £4 3s. 2d. The hon. ge tle.nan and his parh ta:k easily and airilv of greater Pxpc.'nditurp in this d:rcction and ~thnt, forgetting altog<!thcr the econo;n}c effect it is going to have, which effect is visible throughout this Sta tc at. the [1rcsent mome11t.

The hon. g'C11tlernan also n'ferrcd to int0r­state imr~1 :gr t 'on. ns he called it. Th:s is the fll et tirne !het- I lw H' heard cf n mall C'tni: r· acro:-s the bcrd 'r of ~cw South \Yalcs into Q w 'Il-.l~tn(1 being ca:led au irnmjgrant. llmw · r. tlmt is the position. I wouid remi1;.d the hon. gentlen1r11l that that influx of pc plilHt·:oa is not dL~(~ to Que 'IUlancl's prosp 'l'iir, b:.tt bccau;,,e tl1e flotsarn and jrt­sarn of lal 1our find that Qu_ 'C!:'~;Jm .I prcf< r:t a haven < ~ n·~t and feed-~ the1n) and almo t -clothes and hou~c·:::; tlE'n1, v;ithout asking tllC>ln to v _rfi•r-::.11 auy duty in ('\change. \Yh1.t· e1,'J could you expect? .. A:ny nwn • ho is tjr:::~d a·· ,;-crk in other parts of .Austl'alia to-d y nnJurnlly cerE(~~ to Que- n~land to liYc on tlu• Go-...-crnrncnt HJH1 up011 the taxp::t:.rc, as i hilppl•n:ng at th rn·c·scnt IllOnH:Lt-. a11d jnstC'ad r£ {:toiting solace and ~ati:--fact.on from thflt f3ct. it is son1cthing that is scriou.dy to be deplor d.

The hon. g<'nt:eman rcf('rrcd t-o a thouoand mill:o·tB of people living in the Pacific. who should be customers of Quecmlacd. I should vcrv ll11.lCh like to s~o even a fraction of tho-c people cu-tonwrs of Quecc.s:and. But I wculd remind the hon . .,;entleman and the party opposite that the only \>ay you can get. these people to become custorncr~ i~3 hy produclng an article that you can sell to them in compct:tion with other countries. That is the trouble we arc up agaimt now. Owing to the met-hods t 1wt the party opposite have introduced into the indn· t!-i's of Queensland, the co3t of pro­duct' on is so great that you have litt.\e or no ch~'nc ' of competing with other countries in supp1yirg- thc;;;c one thou~and 1nillions of people in the Pacific. If we desire to find ;tn outlet for our products in the Pacific isles and H·" East gem•rally, we have to face the situation; and the cost of produc­tion and the cost at which you can sell your products me C8' •ntial fpotures in these days when the tndc competition is alive t-hrough­out the world.

Th hon. gentleman also made reference to dcr·cits, pointing out that the accumulated

[Mr. Elpliinstonc.

deJicit of Quecnsbnd was somcthiwz which curnparcd very favourably w.th thcu deficits uf ether States. He' made refere1w2 to Victoria, saying that hon. nH!rnLc•rs on this sido quute y~jctoria as an cxamp~c to thcn1 at cverv OJJJortunitv. I ,·.ant to n'mi!ld t.hat hon. rn~'mbcr that during the last four years the ngjrL'ga.tc surpluses in Victoria haYo been l:LOOO OJO, a11d that. ithout iucrcasing taxa­tion during that period. Hero is t.hc State w·h,ch h.~ hold5 up a::> one that is unfav-our~ nblo comparl'd '.1·ith Queensland, and yet it ha~ earrieJ on operations dur:ng war and during the aftcrn1ath of v\·ar, and ha·,, accu­rnulat. d surpluse'' amount·ing to .£1,000,000 without increasing taxation. For that hon. gentleman's cdificat.~on, I \Yant to call atten­t'on to the taxation per head in the various Stttc·s, so that he can a:-:co tain what virtue there is at.tachcd to th Qo.10ensland Govern­ment for euding up the yc•ar with a deficit of only £188,000. In 1916, taxntion per h:·ad in Victoria was 29'. 3d., and in 1921, it w·1q 502. In 1916, in Q·tecnsland, the c '-l'C"t.o·1 per h 'ed wa:; 42'. 9cl., h-orcas in 1821 it ,,-as 95:;. 10d.-more than double what it- \\ ,s in 1916, and ''cry no a r~:· do 1b,e w·hat

iF in \lict-n·ia. \Yhcrp is the gl'Jtiiic.:ltlon, ·cfnrc', in having 'vhrrt th:' hen. Incrnbc1·

e1.lled a compar 1t:Yclv small ddlc:t, so?ing the Gnverrntll'llt havl'' bc,__'n extlnrtin~·;· fl·orn the ovc~rburrlcllC''-l taxpayer t-hese euorrucu, "'nms of LJon•:-y which arE.' f{']H'lwcutcd by tllat per ( '1p~ta taxation?

:'\lr. COLL!~S: Taxation of the wealthy.

:\Ir. FOLEY: v~~lJO paid tho-.:c taxes?

ELPITII\STO:-.JE: You and the rqn·• >cnt. Th •t is one of t-he

\Yhic:1 t 11c hon. gertlc1nen opposite r h·n"t' rot the c~nnprch 'nsion to

un:{ 'r lJld. If these t-cnt1crncn th~nk t.hat the 1 ;::; the~ last nwn to he affPctcd b·: th ""' 1rhich thcv ar•. called upon to

t·~ll'Y h:JYC' not a ~-cry clear conception ~ituutlon. and I am ~.;nq1riscd that

n1Pm beT for Bo\YC'D, ~, hn has b(' 'Il :~o :cng in tl1i:.; IIo·lsC', ~hould cYery '' ,sion. -)larrot-like. coutcnd t!Pt the dl'rod {~f t.~xnfon r1hh en and i:;: rnPfincd to th_· h1x-pavcr. If hP WlC':S a:no:'V, t h:::; oT'ln C'le~·­t -r·-, nnd i:"i :-;inccn<:v s"~·mpathot:e· to then~ irtPT<''t . he wiil 0n-d that nnc d the burcl ns th·1t l'is con--·t.'tqcnts an' ~ufferlng from to-day i" th :~ tax~'tion, \vhich is pa -"'ed on and \Yhid1 mu"t. hP pas~cd on.

Th" PRE~llEH: I\o. If it were, vou would net hJ cr,:illg out now·. ~

:-dr. EJ,PHIKSTO:\E: ThP hon. gcntle­<•mn has ·•aid eo himself in that document th1t lw set his signature to in 1915, where he cl et rlv statP-· that it is the producer who sttfic;·. and the Y orker "h0 p1ys. Hon. m 'm\wr; onpc,ito shake- thPir heads like nutomda. because it does not pay them to agTt'C CO that deduction at the present stage. It 13 true, no less.

The I'RElliER: You "'ould not be in such a state of -excitement if that were so.

:\Ir. ELl'IIII\STO:'oiE: Passing on to a nether phase of the critic'sm of the hon. member for Lc•ichhardt-. ho finch c mfort from the fact that the w 1goc, i11 Queensland are h'gher and the hours less than in other State I q'lit• agrC'e: bat what is the result of that? If he only studies his "Knibbs," he will sec t-hat it has affected

Address in Reply. [5 ,JCLY.j Addre-'' in Reply. :?l

industry, an~!, as the hem. gentleman has e\·idently not tak0n the troub:e of finding it out for himsdf. I am going to read it for him. He will find it in his last quarterly "l(nibb;;.'' The incrP<:He iu thf' number of factory hands in the dlffprent st.atcs during tho last six .voar::; ure-

N cw South ·wales 28.630 Victoria 26.909 South Auslralirt 4.934 \Y c.-tern Australia 2,433 Qw,cnsland 1,117

Qucnnslawl is at the bottom of the list. Tlw increases in tho nurnber of fact0rie~ n1 operation during t}1P sa.rne period are--

1\'cw South \Vales 558 Victorirt 1,119 South Australia 172 vV<•stcrn Australirt 115 Queensland 20

This is tlw cfLDt of high wages and shorter hours. The hightht rates of pay prC\·~il in Queenslund, clearly showing that we cannot. compote' in production with other State• .. This js an uLnatural and unJH'ec::.sar,· burden placed upon induf'try. ~

JVlr. PEASE: Quite wrong.

:Mr. RLPHINSTO:\TE: Let me make my position cl{~ar flO that I shaH not be misin­tcrpretPd. Pcr~onally, I do not. stand for any reduction in the 'tandard of living in Qw~cnsland, providir;g a rnan gives sufficient product: on fm the salary, which he enjoys to enable the crnploy··r · to recoup himself. Production n1ust he iucrca~ed, and the only "•':-' it can be increased without loss to tho worker is by incrPasing tho hours which he can work. I stand for a 48-hour week, and thoro ar:• ways and rneans whel'( by the worker. \Vho rcal:y works, can actually increase hi' standard of living and standard of pay if ho is given the necessary encourage­ment and the opportunity to do so. If the hon. gent-leman can fiud comfort in the fact that vvc ar ~' paying a higher rate of wage-s and that men \1 ork lPs' hours in Qupcnsland, unminclful of the rate of production, it shows his F::uit('d Yisicn in rPgard to tlw PC'Oll0n1ic ~ituatlou.

Thu 11011. n!CJnbor abo poi11ted out plati­tude~ vvhid1 WP very fr<)qucnt·ly lL ar h·orn hon. gent1C'lllC'1l OJll>o~itf~ in regard to Savings Bank depos;L being !tiglwr pc•r cnpibt in Queensland than in any oth01· State. In a State like Quef'n~land, the Govornn1ent Sa Ying·s Bank is not, the proper absorbing custodian for thP pt~cp!C'' ,, ;;a \'ings. Iudust·ry should l1e the custodian of the pr!ople's saYing3, so that we can develop our resources and reYcr~e this practical decrease in factonf's that is going on. The mere fact of pPoplo goi11g to the Savings Bank and to ot.her banks tu deposit their 1noncy is cl ar evi­dence that theY have no confidcnee in the country so far- as indu,trial development is concerned: and I should be very much more satisfied if I saw tho:,1 depositS decreasing, so long as v;o saw that. natural incrca;:;;e in industry and development which we aro so anxious to encourage and cultiYatc.

Mr. KIRWAN: '\Yhat about the great Lank smash in 1893? There was no Lnl>our Goycrnm0nt in po\vor th 11.

Mr. ELPHINSTO:\TE: The hon. member also referred to taxation. He found com­fort in the (act that in Queensland a man in receipt of an income of £200 per annum -he should have said £208 per annum--

Mr. FOLEY : £4 a week.

:'lilt·. ELPHil\STONE: Pays 5s. per anmtm i 11 income tax, and tho hon. mernbor cOni·"

pared it with l'ictorirt, \Yhcrc the sa.mo m;w pa~ ,; 17s. 6d. per annum in income tax. \Vhy did he 'lOt studv the tob!e which the•· Pren1ior took grPat p'ain~~ to jntrodnco j:nto " Hansard " ;.n the last ~cssion of Parlia­ment, and this is what he would have found--

that a man in receipt of £234 [4.30 p.m.] per annum pa.ys his 21s. 10d

:nromc tax in Queensland, and 2ls. 1n ·victoria; a 1nan ln rcccjpt of £250 per· annum pays 32s. lld. i" Queensland. and 251'-. in \rjctoria; a man in receipt of £260 per anmtm pay•· 40s. 3d. in Queensland. and 27~. 6d. in Victoria; a ma.n in rPcei pt. of £286 per llnnum pays 59s. 2d. in Queom. lond. and 34s. in Victoria; a man in receipt of £300 per annum pays 70s. 3d. in Queens­land. and 37s. 6cl. in Victoria? Thflt is anot.lwr of those illustrations that we get so tired of \Yhc•re these gentlemen just pick out one isolated insta.nce which thoy dish up to the people, and then aay what. a wondPrful Government this Labour Go vcrnment is, and they omit a true doserii>· tion of the position, or a general compan­son, which the:r know in the long- run must b0 against t·hAir argun1.ents. ThC'rC is one t.hing that the hon. member absolutely omitt0d to mention, and that is that there is a poll ta.x upon all unionists. Although these men ar0 cha1'ged 5s. per head on rm incom0 of £208. the:; have to pay. a poll tax of 10s. per annum to maintam and establish some Labour literatnrc by which thc·c gentl0mPn hope to roach their Utopia of nnionif:nl and socialism throug.hout th(· v:orld. The pcor workers \Vhom these hou. members opposite protest they ar• so anxious to as~ist arc m~dc to contribute 106. per head to some Labour literature before they arc permitted to work in the stote of free­dom for which the hon. g-entleman stands. Thot i~ a deplorable and dastardly state of afl'a.irs, and \et the hon. gentleman dor,; not say anything about it.

ML DASH: You don't like it.

1\Ir. ELPHT:\TSTO::\"E: The best propa· ganda wP have to-dav is the Labour litpra· ture. vYe have only to encourage our friends to .digest Labour literature, and they begin to understand-not what hon. gentle· men opposite protest and try to place before the people, hut what they actually ,;tand for. To-dav th0 Labour machine seems to be at variance with tho Labonr Press. The Labour organisations preach one thi_n~­socialisation-and the L1bour poltbcia_n preaches e_nothor thing .. He kno:vs that 1t is not nolitic to put m the wmdow the articles "thev has•J for sale. 'fhey therefore put in E"om0 innocent looking picc..-, of good:-: which the:; expect will attract the people to their Labour shops. \Vhy? Boc•usc their jobs a.ro dependent on it. They know quite well. as was stated frequently i,1 t.he conference discussions at Syd_noy and Melboumc, that, if t.hey allowed It to be known to the \vorld that Labour stands for this extrmTte ~oci alistn, their '' cak:e IS Uongh." Ro jt i dough. and "'C arc going to see that it i...; kept dongh.

Another point, and then I have ~nished ,vith tlw hon. memhc•r for Leichharat, who· m~\dc qnit<' a tcmucrah:! anU ple_asing ~pcec~1. 1-{e said that po}Julation \vas 1ncreas1ng 1.11

Queensland. Se it is in the p~rts that th1s Govf'rnnlPilt eta!ld for: that l"'! the town::. m Quccneland. Ho·'·. where, and why?

J1r. Elphinstone.[

Address in Hepl!i· [.\88EMBLY.1

Simply bocausn of the unpopularity of pnmary .production; simply because the man on the land is not given a ch:uJCe. and his sons and daughters arc driven to centres where. comfort mvaits them without effort. »·here relief can he given thorn whether tfwy work or r.ot, and whore all kinds of d('ViCC'S which play upou hurnan su~cepti­biJiiics, such a:;, Golden Ca.~kets and Libcrtv Fairs, arc available. H..aces cYc·rv dav .ii-t thn week. Everything which panders to the wcnknc<:;,sca of hurnanity is Pnc·ourat.re(1, and li1t<...ls a plaec iu tl-:{~ achninistnttlun b·; 1wn. lll('ITlhcrs opposite r:rhat j., tlw fart .in rc­g·ard to the population of Wnccn,land-a d{'t'rcase in the countn . and a,n increase in the towns and cities. 'I fail to see, in that t'egard. where \VP can find enc<Juragement ,n· satisfaction. _ I \Ynnt to rPfr · _110\Y to one' or two pcH;sagc 1n the CuYC'lTor':s Spee<'h, HlHl 1 .a111 distinct!\' tJ rnuseJ. at the anxiet" -which the hon. Inerr1-bers opposite show for the meat industry at the pres<mt moment. Thev say th0 conditions in t!I'~> past'oral industry are a 'source of grave anxwty to thorn, and t hev show their anxietv oo pronouncedl.v, that they arc not prepared to give ono ounce of relief or sympccthy to the man from w~om they are exil'acting, by n;eans of repudwtor\ legislat-ion, retrospec­~;ve 1:ents .for ci_ght, ninf', or n1ore years. [h~t Is their .anxiety. Most ]Wople's anxiety Is mdicated 111 some practical wav, but all their concern is in extracting from these poor haraesed people every pound thPv can t{Ct ont of ~hen1,. fo_r ~he purpose of bolsh~r­mg up their sociali,:tJC doctrinP• .. and their losing Stnto enterprises. vYc will han' a great deal rnon~ to say on thi;-; rneat question before the session ends, and there wili be those on the Opposition side who can deal with it more effcctivelv and more intimatelv than I can; ncverthciess there is the out­standing fact th~t tlwir a'nxietv is such that th''Y are not prepared to give these men one ounce of relief ,.-vllen it {>)fi1Ps to finance.

Mr .. STOJ_'FORD .= They got a 20 per cent. reductiOn m railway freights.

Mr. ELPHE•;S'TO:\E: vYill th" hon. mem­ber for Mount Morgan argue that that 20 per cent. reduction is actuallv relid? \Vhere is t.he economic soundness, ~ncl wh{'ro is the busine.;;s in Fimply redw::~in<r the raihvav freights ·for the benefit of an ~ppres~ed class and making another section of the corn: munity pay? That may afford temporary rehcf; but to give rebates in railway freighL< to an oppro,sed industry is not a wise or brave thing when the railways are a heavily losing proposition. and tlw position will becon1c a r,IJ.'V serious on(• bc•-forc \H' have gnn~) Vf'ry far~

A bovER0:~1JEKT ]\,[E}IBEn: \Yhat do you :--uggest?

Mr. ELPHI:\"STO:\E: Our railw,n·s are already a lo.;;ing concern. ,

IVIr. PEASE : Is the robat:~ not a good thing?

Mr. ELPHINc·l'l'O:\E : As a t<'mporary palliative, y<-- : but it is not goo<l finance: it is not a statcsmanlike method of dealing with the situation.

The Stotc Insurance Office is again paradod 11s being the one pet lamb which hon. gentlc­Jnen opposite can advance a-., an indication of the succc•.•, of State c-ntHpriso. Just lwfore commencing this speech I was reading tlw remarks of the PromiN at that famous lil'ishane conf0rence. when he stated that. if t·he sociali::;ation of i.ndnf'tr: ... · -....-a~ to b()

[M 1', Elphinsto Ill'.

brought nbout, it n1ean:.;; t.hat nur Statr Insurance Office \V<llllrl be run fol' the b0nofit of those• vvho ar0 engag-Pd ju it. That i:-: f'xaotl·. the position. H<•rc> is this pet lamb that they talk so n1uch of g-oing- to b.t' sac:·l­fieed s.hortlv to tlw dcmaJ!(l=i and P-x:Jgenr1e'" of the soci"U1istic doctrinl'. L(•t me rernind hon. nrf:'ltibPrs opposite on(''-=' more tha.t when: you 1nako insurancP ("0111]):.-tl·or .. a11d whf'rt' you g]y{~ a 1nqnopoly to the State, it cannot lJUssibl~· rcfrai~1 h·orn pa:.·ing. \Vhy do they not give g-rc·ttcr pnhliclt:,' to those othe1· htatP e11terpriscs "·hich nru conYcni0ntl~· Plin1inated frorr1 the Go\'L'l"IJOr,R SpE'cch ·: \\ThY not make rdercneu t<J thu St,to c:>ttl<' stat~on~. and tho~c other enterprise', lll .,·hich there is over £1,000,GOO of th·~ Stntp'~ n1oney investecl"t Ko reference is rnade to them· at all. \Yhy? Bl'causc they kno\\· tht . ar{' a colo~sal failure. and tlH~y sirnply '2i;" hold of this one little Stat.e c:Jt,rpri"Se '' hid1. as I ~,ay, l:;; a n1onopoly, and which is eornnulsorv. and what. ch:P can ~·on ('Xp0ci fron; a po~sition like that'!

1\Ir. RYAX: Station ownLrs arP giYing f'O\V~ and caln,s away up J\'orth.

Mr. ELPIII:\t;TO::-JE: l mu;;t taku np that intcr.iection. \Vhy are they giving awa:r-ctdv .'R?

lVIr. RY_\~: Th~·:v arc giving both cows and cah·0-, away.

:i\Ir ELPHINSTO:::\E: It is 'imply to 0vnde the cxtortioiuttc ta-xation irnp05l'.fl. upon them at the prnent moment by hnn. gentle­nwn oppo~itt'. It si.1lp1y shows ntH ' rnorP what a poor conf'eption the~c hon. vnni:JP1neu han' of the economic situation.

I '"ill pass on to the American loans, which figure somewhat largely in the SpeeDh. W<· haYe had two of those loans during the last vear. I want to point out the deduction ~,-hich can be drawn from tho c loans. if vou stndv the' price at which thev stand at the pres~nt moment. Tlw first _loan carriell intPrc.~t at 7 per f'ent .. and \\fLS F·c;ued at thC' price of £99. That loan is standing in the market at the present day of £10 prPminm. ckarly showing that we paid too lugh a pl'lc<' for it. It should not be shndmg ut £10 prc'minm when so short a time has cla;;sed sinre it \V:::t~ borrowed. Had we CXf'rcised businr'S' acumc·n at that stage, we should ha,·c bN'YI able to launch that loan at. a much more favourable rate than was the case, be­cause the market price of the loan should not stand at £110 only a few months aftPr it is issued. The second loan "as fl.oab~d at 6 pC'r e{'nt. at the issue price of 96~. an.d., when it is actually onlv a few months old, rt stands at a pr2mium of 3~ per cont. That clear!:· show,, that hon. g<'ntlemcm opposite. wer? not E·n wise as thev in1agincd in ruslnng 111 to borrow monev 'from that part of the world. when it is clearly indicated b-- the price at whic·h the loans stand to-day that they could haYf' maclc a YC'l"V n1uch bettrr arr _tngctnf'nt cYeJ~ w1th thrsc 'people in i-\1nerica.

The SEC'RE'I'ARY FOR PrBI.H' LAXDS: You wen' not YCTY wi~(' in tr.ving to block u::; front getting it. from another part of the world.

Mr. ELPIII:\'STO:\E: I wa10t to ren.d. to the Hou··' an extract fro'n a circular ~'"hiCll the :Metropolitan \Vater and S.cwcr"gc Boa1:d here rc('Pi.Yed fron1 an An1enran broker 111 r<;gard to a loan, which shows the Yie·,y of th" AnlcJ·ican monevcd peopl0 so far as Qnecn~­!ancl 1.-:. conc~_'l'IH'fL ancl thr intimate kr:nwlt,dgP

Addre"" i11 Hepl.'f· [5 JtLY.] Acldre"s in Repl!J.

which hon. gcntlL'll)Pn oppo~itc argu(•d the:~ 1wd about conditions hPrP.

Th0 SECHET!\.RY FOH PrBuc L_\XIJ·": \Yhc•n· doe~ that appear?

:Mr. ELPHINS'l'O:';"E: It app<'nr<'d in ti1P Brl•lHtnc ,; Conri.er." a11cl the records are to lw found in the• ;\fciro·wlibn \Ya•nr and S~:\YI_ rage Board ftles, if the hon. g-entlt•rnan

·(·a 1'( 1·• to l'f'ad tlv·m. Th~· cireuhn ~ta tt·~>-" \Yell ovc1· 30 )ll'l' cent. of the hoard',;

-.tcr1ing js,sue lu LoHdon is llt•ld in thf' t '.nitcd ··stntPs for invc:fuJPnt. Through 1ho i"81F' of th,: dollal' loan-:> hPrP of tho State of QtH'C'nslu:nl th(• HHIIH1 cDIHlii ioll~ and hi~h ·hnding n}' Que0ndand lwvi· hc:pn irnpros::>t'd on thu ~[~riou::; invP~tor ln this ('CJunirv. and the· brilliant succe~~ of the }i0trop~)lit~1n \Yatc't' nud 8 ·wPragP B:'nrrl· Hnd~; flll 11ll si((p,., nw•t eo:n}}1irnco­Uu-:,c CXJH'('::,~j(Jll.''

\\'l' can \Yoil understand that, if tho .\mPrican inve tor i-; "Fl.tisfir•d ·with HH' bril­liant uccc'' of the JVIctropolitan \Vetcr and Hcn,vt'ra!'.!:C Born·d, he is quite satisfied with tbc LaOotn· Govornn1cnt. becausp thev an~ both very costly c'X!Jcriments to Quccn~land. The sta+cnH?nt that tlwso hon. gt•ntlPnu~n in .'\rncr-iea rln~ oh:;:e-.Sf'd with this Yaluable ~rcnri~:'"' in Qunrn~Jancl is not only depreelat('d h.v t,hls ·rxtrnct I ha YC r0acl, but h i8 deni0d },y the rate at which thc,,c' loarB arc quoted ;et the present moment. It shm; '' that the :-~0curity is r~ot f:-<.1 n1uch annrrcjatPd m-hcr­wi::;~ \V(. shoulrl hav~ got a ~l;ICh 1nore' favour­n bk rnte on thr" i~·Aue of tho Joau~.

Rdcrc· Ice is al'o made in tlw Spe<>ch to tlw Inker~nnn irrigation sclH~me, givPn, no doubt. as an cxarnple of \\-ha.t the Governrnent lf!,tend. to do with regunl to vvater <'Ol1:3€rva­ri<Jn. It is onc0 rr1ore nceP..sarv to dwell on thC' fart.s of this first. enterprise of the UoYt'lTHilent in rrganl to in·jgation. l-Ien; is a. f:chmnc wh~c·h tl t it,, inceptlo!l \\"as C'1ti­

mated to cost £131.000. The lignr0> .. which will no doubt shortly bP placed before m, will indicate that this' sc1H'HJC has f"ost 11ean)r £500,000. or nearly fonr times tlw estimated cost.

:\lr. C'OLLIXS: That i,- not trUI'. Stick to tilt' truth.

:\Ir. ELPHINSTONE: \Vhat is th" effect IlJJOn the farmer-the man who has to :-;hould{'r t1Jf' hllrden in regard to this -!Yriga­t-inn schrrne? For cycrv 50 nert.•.;:; which he has under cultivation he" is to Gc callc•d upon to pRy £366 per ClDilUlll. No\Y wbut farn1e1~ utn (H' ~,ill p:-t:· that su1n fo1· just gcttiug a (·ertain al11ount {)f W~Jtclr fol' u few davR? Thm'P are only 130 '"ells in tlw "hok ee!wi·nro, and, thrrPf<JrP, I argue with som(' r~;:pPriPncp of the matter.

:\11". Cor.LIXS: Experienc~> :

:\fr. ELPIIIl\'STONE: If £1,00n had been pluc0d at the disposal of each of theje farmers to cn·,qt·, his own irrigation scheme, hP would haYc had a n1on' effiricnt onP, at a cost of £60 per annum in int0rest and reJmnntion. '' lwreas hP is now en llccl upon to pay- £366 per unnun1 for a ~(:hP1n0 thP efficiencv of which hns yet to be )WOYC'd. The hem. ,;1l'm­l,cr for Rowen is pleaoed and gratified 1.-ith this wondrrfnl exh'bition of business incffi­

·eicncv. No doubt the hem. ml'mhcr can tell Ll' more a bout this later on, I mav sav that ,,inec Ia,·t session I ha,·e had thr·· pr{yi]ego of goinp; OYCl' that arc 1 and kilO\·\- a. g-reat deal more about ir. and I am simply talking

·()f t~hf~ position noi only a:-; I fonnd it, but as

I k110\s i-t ~<l pxist fnH11 the rPpo1·t~ fttl·ni::-hed to us bv the Auditor-General.

Mr. l'£ASI•:: \Yhat do you think of it?

:.Ir. ELl'lli1'\STO::\'E: I have• already :~id what I think of ii-, anJ, if tho hon. rfleinber is not able to foliO\\" nn· ren1arks. l C<-t11l10t help it '

I am sonv to sec the l'nblic \Vorks Com­rui~sion rcslt.scitatcd. Evidcutly, there~ arP <"Prtain hon. 1ncmber~ oppo<;:itf~ who have been putting the sere~'.· on Gccnu . .:;c they have not bPen getting sufficient job, lotelv. \Ve "cc that the fiat has gone forth that the "'alariQS and wages of public servant::; aro to be reduced. but the Public \Yorks Commis­sion is re~·ived, and ho11. gcntlr-men start ofl' in their wandering;, through (~uccnsland at an additional expense to the taxpayer. \Vhat is the use of our pcrpetL1ating this drain on our resources? \V c are given report::' n~garding "\Vorks whicl]. are not nec_es­sary at the pncsent moment. I want to pomt out to thes0 gentlemen that the mtorcst on the public debt in 1921 "'iS .£2.930.000. and of that amount we' only received back from thP directions \vhe-ro the money was inve:;;tpd, £812,000. representing a loss to the taxpa: ers of £2,100 "00. Compare that with Hw situn­tion in 1915. when a Liberal Govemment wa' in charge of thP Treasury benches. Front aa interest bill of £1.975,000, no less than £1,707.000 was drawn a, income from direc­tions in which those loan moneJ;::; 1-vcru invested. Y 0t hon. nwmbers opposite are still wandPring about tho country, drawing their £2 2s. per da~', to find more .under­takings for public money to be sunk m.

At 4.48 p.m.,

The CHAlmrAx m' CO:II:IIITTEES (Mr. Kirwan, Brisbun.r) relie1·ed th Speaker in the chair.

M!'. ELPHil'i'STOl'i'E : There are some :-;er loaf\ om i~sions fron1 the Speech to \vhich I han' to call attention. One is the social Pvils vrhich are permeat:ng our cornmunity in recrard to ga1nbling and racing_ I-Ion. gentle~·?n oppositC', and every rnan with a conscience, 1nust be convinced that thcsP hvo ovils are eat.ing into the vitals of Queensland at the present moment. Yot. what do the.oc gentlemen do? Unmindful of tht• dignity of the GoYernment-if it possesses any at the r,rcsent moment-they haYe eauo<ed the whole of the people of Queensland to be subjected to the indignity of being refused. a fnrthPr license to sell gamb:ing tickets in the State of l'i'cw South \Vales. Instead of hieing that rebuff like rnen, and admittin" that a mistake had been made. tho;r iss;ed insidious circulars advising the peo]1k of New South Wales to.evad'" !he _law of the land, and to send then· applrcabons direct to C'ueensla nd, heca use we cannot afford to do without that inc0'11e which is derived from the gambling instincts of the people. That is a most dastardly po~ition. Th!~ GoYernment will be known in th0 fui;ure. 1f for no other feature, as one that has under­mined the morals of the people more than any other Government in this countrv. The pity of it is th"t the. hon. member . for Lcichhardt unkindlv remmdPd us that thrs Is the third Parliamecnt in which this Govern­ment has been imposed on Qucenshind. con­sisting. as it does, of gentlemen committed to doetrines of that descript'on. \Ye were u:-~snrf'd b'.' l1on. gentlemen opposite last Sf'S­

sion that !0,,rislation would bo introd11ced for tlw control -'of racing·. In fact, a Dill was prepared, y0t we find r~o reference to it in

Jfr. E1z.Jhinstonc. j

Address in Reply. LASSEMBL Y. l Addrc9s ;,, Reply.

1he t;JH'L'l'h read b::, His Exccllencv at the OIH'Hing of this se-,· ion. A Hili \Va"s drawn np and was roadv for submi~sion last sc_,~ion but it is a signifiCant fact th~tt as soon as th~ ;-.;lWCC'h frorn the rrhrone wa~ issued, in \vhich 110 reference \Vas n1atle to raCing and garnblin;{, I\1r. John \Vrcn loaves by the n1ail t t•ain t.h1s n1orning for the South.

0PPOoiTIOX ~1DIBETIS : Hear, hear ! :Y1r. ELPHI~STOXE: \Ye know how that

gPn.tleinan is wrapped up in proprietary racing, and we aho know to om· cost tho terrible efi:'cct that this increase in proprie­tary racing is having in Queensland. Yet hon. memLers opposite talk about standing ttp _fo~· the working class. rrhcy :alk about uphftmg the mass~s, but instl·ad of doing that, thev are practJcally drairi('ing them into rho gutter, so to speak, by their encourage­ment of i.ho~-;e vicious practices.

I want to deal with the question of ednca· I ion, which is only ju· t bridh touched upon 111 the Speech from the Throne. I have nothing vicious to say in this regard. All that I have to say is in sorrow, bocauso our schools >Lre being· starved from one end of Queensland to the other. In mv own electo­rate, just as in the cas,. of manv" other schools in c;'ueensland, the buildings arc over­cTmvded, and the children arc being taught nndcr grPat inconvenience to themselvC'''· The children are 1cot given tho facilities to which they arc cntitl cd, just bee a use this (~0\·ern­ment have not got at their di,posal for the advancen1cnt of education sufficient rnonev to look after the welfare of the coming generation. The money which is being spent by the Government on education works is <'xpc;ncled in such a ma.nnPr that they are only g~thng half the returns fron1 it, compared w1th what t.he Government got some years ago.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC INSTRUCTION : Do ,-ou object to the teachers being well paid?

Mr. ELPHINSTOJ\'E: J will deal with that intc•rjcction later. The GoYernmL·nt by sticki!eg .to the day-labour system in 'th'P comtructwn of. schools and cmLiic building,;, are paytng !1VlC'8 as much as was paid f.:ornc !·ears n go. The result is that the children of Quee:Jsland are suH'ering. At the present time you will see children being taught in the open. In the cold weather, when tho vvesterly wintls arc blowing, I haYt~ ~t-'Cn tho children myself with hands and feet almost blue with cold. Many of tho children are bart'footcd and haYe to stand on thc cold cnncrcte floors just Lecausc there is not suHicient accommodation f01· them in the ~chool buildings. How is it possible to instil n:to th0ir minds their duties as the coming <:ltJzPns of Queensland whPn they arc being taught under such conditions as that? The G-o:·erDI?-l{~nt haYc got rnoncy to wa~tc on then· ndwulous State enterprises. but the •·ducation of .the c:hildren cyidontly is a sceondnr,· constdei·ntlon. I an1 surprised that hop. members opposite tolerate that sort of thn1g for one 1norncnt. The l\'IiniRtcr asked" HJC: just now .if I objected to the teachers b.emg well pa1d. I ddy him to point to one 'mg-le speech from this side of the HDUSP where an:v mr-111bcr evf'r suggcP.tcd that the teachers should be underpaid.

OPPOSITION ME~IBERS: Hear, h0ar ~

}fr. ELPHI::\'STONE: If we are to [;et I he best out of our "'hools. tl1en we must have WPII paid and experiPnccd teaclters · but what is th0 use of paying the tcach<~r~' well

[Jlli'. l~7zJ71£:1sfanc.

to instil education into the minds of the children when they are haLdicappcd in the way they arc at the prcseLt tJme? The Secretary for l'ublie Instruction. instead of intcrjcct;ng, should direct his careful atten­tion to these mattc)rs and sec if be tannot remedy them. I can trell him that the Oppo­sition are not satidled, and we ;Jl'C gu111.~ to demand-I say demand-careful attention to this matter. This is 11 matter that affects c~-ery party. It not only affects the Govern­ment party, but it affects the part.y on this side of t.he House. Their children suffer· as wc ll as ours ; and this is a matter on v;hich hon. members opposite should rise tc' a scnP.c of their l'P"po::sibilitics.

:\1r. l'OLLOCK: We only spend £l,OrJ · a vcar 1norc than your cj_owd spent on edt~cation. "

Mr. ELPHIXSTOXE: No one will ever question the ability of hon. members oppo­site to spend. (Opposition laughter.) Hon. 1TI01nbcrs opposite haYe a svecial record for Queensland so far as spondmg is concerned. If the money was spent to the advantage of the children it would be all right, but it is not spent to the LP't advadage of the children at all. All hon. members opposite think about is how to spend mone.v. :Money must be found for the PubEc Works Com­mission to travel around the countrc·. and: money must be found to givo additional jobs for Ministero. Tlmre is no doubt that members opposite can spend the money, but \dwthor it is to the adyantage of the chil­dr~n or not is another question altogether.

:\Ir. PoLLOCK: Look at the number o£ new schools.

At 4.56 p.m.,

The SPEAKEn resumed the chair.

Mr. ELPHIKSTONE: I cannot close m)·

remarks 1vithout reference to our new branch of primary production. It is. I think. para­mount in all our minds to da.y that there i':-l in our pri1nary production in Queensland a. new st:tr to which we can lock with enthu­siasm, and that is in connection w:ith the growth of cotton. \Ye are assured that WC'

can grow cotton successfnllv in Queen"land. \Ye are also assured of the fact that in other parts of the world they are gradu­ally finding thomsdves less and less abiP to supply the world's demand for cotton. \\'" arc also finding that t.he cost of growmg cotton in other parts of the world is coming in close proximity to the cost of vrowing and picking it in Queensland. \Ve are· pleased to SPO an extension of the cotton growing a.reas in Queensland; but there is one point that wP as businesg men will hav<' to face without delay. l was privileged to· be present at the opening of the Wlnn­Rtancs Ginncrv a 'vcek or two ago, and I am sure that "('Yerv one Df us wh~ attnnded was interested in .;;,-hat we saw. I happened t•) be accoll1Jl>lllied by a ,g-entleman from Lanf'ashire who is an expert cotton Inanu­faetm·er. HP is ac;sooiatod with big cotton j ntcrPsts in LaJJcnshire, and has been fo1~ decades past. H(' took up a handful oi <'Otton, and hc> a.sked Dne of the attendant' how many {_liffcrcnt sainplcs of cctton \vere in that handful. HP ascertained that thcrP \Wre scyen ;;r eight different lemrths of -raple in it. 1\'ow, if that sort of thing is continued. it i . .; going to be disa-;trou.;; to cotton g-rowing in Qucend1nd. It is ?- good thing to r-ncounigP p('op1c to go 111 for cotton growing. and I know that nnrnb0r

[5 Jn .. Y.l Adrlres' in Reply. 25

think that they arc going to get relief from their prPsent cl<·prohion by growing cotton, but at the .amc time we must standardise om· cotton if we are going to succcccd. I do nOt know if any hon. tncrnber opposite has ever visitf'd the Lancnshire mills, but I can tPll this I-louosc that the n1anufncture:-·s as a,

rulc each handk ono length of sbple in the process of :nanufacture. All their looms and machinery are set to handle that par­ticular sta plc, and they \Yill not buy any cottou that ·.loos not come up to that stan­dard; so that gro•xcrs of cotton mu5t be educated to grCrw a particular standard. otherwise they will fmd that the bales of cotton they send a \Yay will be cast a·-ide as practically valueless. \Yhat we ha\·o got to do to-day is to sre that the primary producers of Queensland engaged in grow­ing· cotJJn arc taught to place the growing of cotton on a sound, scientific, and oeonornic basis. It is Eo use letting these men g-o

on planting cotton seed indis­[5 p.m.] crimina.tcly, on the brrsis of a

guaranto0 \Yhioh expires on tho 30th .J uno noxt ; a.nd it is no uso encourag­in,.: t.hcm to imagine thut they arc goinf( to have >1 deGnito 5~d. per lb. indcfmitoly. \Vhat YCO should instil into their minds, and what we should do our boc;t to assist them to achieve. is to let Queensland cotton stand on its merits. jmt a; Queensland wool btands on it-; rncrito. Tlwrc is no need to bolster up Que< nsland' s wool ; it is an article the standard and quality of which are known. It is quite possible for us to do exactly the same with cotton, but not on the lines along which wo arc proceeding at the present moment. It is uscntial that each ono should ilirect his mind to this important point. Thl'rC is an <'pportunit,v in our hands to do .von<:lers with this St :te of Qnoemland, if W'" keep before us that it is unsound to depend upon the arbflcial bolstering up of industry, and if we kr:ep prominently before the producer th<' scientific tackling of this question of quality which is so '"'sential in the marketo of t.ho world.

There is one other point with which I wish to deal briefly before rf'suming my scott, that is, taxation. I want to i1npress on hon. mem­bers the nc0d for facing this situation in an in11nediato and an effective rnanner. Queen,,,land industries and individnals are staggerir g und('r a Joad which they are less and les n blc to bear. I <·ould g·iye thr' House illustrations of men who have had to borrow from their bankers to pa~· thE'ir income tax. There are innumerable examples which one coul·d put before the House to show the deplorable pffcct which this onerous burden is basing on industry in Queensland. It is simply having upon the producer or the industrial employer the samn result as is being applied to the worker at the present 1non1ent. As the standardisation of wages which does not permit him to enJoy any benefit fro.n the quality of his work or thfl applicatioc which he pub iota iL ""' had the effect of rcJ.ur'ing nll nll'P to a ccmlnOI!

level of enterprise, so this taxation lev·.· is having the effect of depriving emplo7er; of that inconti vo which is so necessary if they are to tackle successfully the problems before the industrial community to--day. I put this before the Go,-crnmcnt in all sincerity and with all the force I can commancl-th'at we must do something to allc,-iate the distress which the burtlens of income> tax are impos· ing on the ncoplc to-dny. \Ye may derive some immediate benefit from it, but the

nltimate ofl'ect will be that our factories will diminish still more, our factory hands will b • fewer and fcwc ,., and industries will be driven out of the State. If I wore only fr<'l' to teil this H ouso of actual illustrations of industries which have bPcn closed, of ~ndus­tric:; \Yhich have gone to other States, and of indushies whi~h have been discouraged from shrting in Qneensland because of the onerous bu.rdons of taxatjon, I am sure hon. members opposite would view the matter with that seriousness which the situation demands. I commend it to them. 'This is not a party question. It is a question of the welfare of Qneensland, and it demands the most serious consjderation of every rncmbcr of this House'.

OPPOSITION ME'IIBERS : Hear, hear !

:\1r. PEASE (Hcr·IJcrt): The hon. member for Fassifern-Oxlcy has shown that he does not understand his new book. He has lately left Nationalism to take on the case of the primary producer, and he has cnrtainly shown to-da V that ho does not understand his needs. -

Mr. BEBBIKGTOX: I think .ho has shown that he does.

i\fr. PEASE: r am g-oi' ~- to show that he does not. ln his conclurli11~ 1cn1arks he referred to the cotton o-jnncrv a~ V~· h.in:-tanc.;;;. Pre\·iously, he had sPoken "on th~ que~tiu:n of labour in Queensland, and had _he uttPnded the opening ceremony at that gm­ncrv a11d taken note of tho speeches made). he 'wonld have b<~on struck by the remarks o£ Mr. \Vatson, of the Chamber of M<:nu­factures, vd1osc address vvas, to my m1nd, ouP of the finest compliments paid to Queens­land. He quoted figures and facts, and distinctlv showed that Queensland's manu­factures- were on one of the best wickets in the Commonwe,alth.

IlOXOURABLE J'>lEMBERS: Hear, hear!

.:\Ir. PEASE: Mr. \Vatson's remad<s w<•re ono of the finest compliments that could be paid to the Labour Government for their de,-clopmcntal 'work; and Mr. Vaughan, who has had such a wide experience, pointed out that the cotton industry in Queensland vcas going to bo something to marvel at. f:le touchccl on tho labour question, and he d!s­ticctlv stated that the opening of the cotton industry in Queensland was sound, an~ that it was not undertaken without duo considera­tion. Right through those speeches the finest compliments were paid to the Labour Go­vernment that I l1avo listened to in the last few years.

The hon. member also roferred to the speech of the hon. member for Leichhardt, in regard, particularly, to bad times. _ f!:e would have U3 believe that Queensland 1s m the throes of a deprc~sion. Because the member for Lcichhardt quoted comparisons with other countries, the member for Oxley­Fn· ,sifern--ou:: to decry Quecnsland-was not satisfied. Fortunately,! happen to have so;ne cuttings from flna·:cial newspapers whJC_h show that in the first two months of th1s vear there were no fewer than 1,160 bank­~uptcies in Great Britain-a record. The cutting goes on to say-

" Every kigd of business has been hit bv the commercial depression-insurance. textiles. rubber, oil, stock brokerage. proYision nH'rcbants, farmers, builders. liquor dealt1 rs, confcctjoners, and shipping fil'ln·,.''

Mr. Pease.!

26 Address tn Reply.

It also df\a ls . with Britain',- unemployed, and says that m reply to n. dcpntation. Mr Macnamar:', the Minister for Labour, made the follwcnng statement:-

" The total unemp:vvment benefit naid oinco November. 1920, amounted. to £85 000.000. Provision had been made for the po,,ibilitv of the pavmcnt of a furth,Jr £51,000,000 b0tween' no''' and .July. 1923. Ho pointed out that at pri•scnt there wPrc 1.440.000 wholly un­Pmploycd and 100.080 on short time, as compord 1:ith 1.800.000 and 300.000 re­spectively at the beginning of the year."

think that r1cals with the statements of tho loon. member as to conditions in Queens­land.

I am reminded that !a.st year the Anditor­GcnNal took the hnn. mcrnbcr to tosk for r11akinv, jn~('Curnto st.:--tt8ment.;. On the first page of his report t'wre is a reference to the hon. mc•mhcr for Oxley, whn had made an "'·'crtion which the· A nditor-General ('Ould not flllotv t,) vn unchallene-m1. v;,rhich ~oc,, to show that the hon. member is out to s~:v an,·thing- that he mav think will bol:-:t0r un his C'""'ll~C a!!,ainst the. Govern111ent During- 1ai3t VC'P~r severed rncmbors of th~ 0pr)o<::.1tlon w0rc out on a C'"l111pqign agaln!'-t tht' GovNnmcrtt. as the:: thO\wht. ancl thev tnt~do a 1Clt of misst"tcrnents v.rhleh VlCl"O nO:t good fnr 0uccnsland and I think we shnu!d take advantag-e of this opportunitv to show the peonle thot tlwir stoterncnts ,;Ne incor­rect. The first thinq thcv talkerl about was the Amrtor-General's report. Now, I notice that, when hon. mcmbc" g-ot the Auditor­G,neral's report. thcr did n'1t nuotc from it. When thev sec in it a good deal of mattm· to the cr<:>dit of the Government thPv calmlY drop it. ·> •

Mr. J. ,JONFS: Gag!

l\Ir. P~AS1~: Thf•rc wa~ no" ;ra[\" aboni. the A uditor-G cneral:s report. They could have mule oil thetr speeches on it, bnt once thov saw thnt stot0ments were mane to the rredit of I he Government it WitS ce lmlv dropped. I am going- to CJuo'to some fi.,;ure3 from the ropo1·t. which I think the pc'ople should _have before them. First of all, some comparisons-

" Percentagr< incren<;:es in 1920-21 a8 cDm-parod with 1916-17-

Population Rcceipf,s Expenditure

"Railways-

10.-3 per cent. 59.9 per cent. 54.8 per cent.

Receipts 39.0 per cont. Expenditure 68.0 per cent.

·' Interest on public debt, 28.6 per c<'nt. " Expenditure for B•·nefit of Rotnrncd

Sailors and Soldiers- £ 1916-17 25 993 1917-18 200 877 1918-19 259 271 1919 20 1.074,193 1920-21 1,066, 742.

•· Increa·ed Expen•liture, 1920-21, pared with 1919 20-

Hospihl :md Charihblo In-stitutions

Insanitv Ontdooi· Relief Police ... State Childnn

as con1-

£ 61.178 21.943 41.6~0 70 911 22,767."

The Pnblic Vvorks cxpondituro was-1919-1920, £394.553; 1920-1921, £534,950.

f1J!r. Pease.

:I ddress in Reply.

Tho hon. member for Ox!cv refelTcd to tho expenditure on State schools. As far as concrn1·0

, tho electorate l have the honour to represent. wo have ever~,- l'Pason to bo grate­ful to tho Govcrnmelit. because not one i'CCJUP3t has been turned do;yn whne the number of children has warranted it. I take this opportunity of thankin;; the Government for the manner in 1Yhieh thev h11;·e looked after the children in the far :'-forth of Qneensland.

In the cashin'i of war gratuity bonds, the payment, to 30th ,June, 1921, wen• £53,918.

I would like hon. members to take notice of the figure-~ I mn now going to quote, because '>>O arn h,jttcd \;ith the charge that the now agricultural policy of the Premier has been thonvht o·1t me1·ely as a catch cry. in vie\v of an cloc:tion. Hon. members on the other side say, '' \Vhat hrwo you done boforf' for the far:mcr:~ ?" Here i~ something we have done; the total an1ount O\ving by farmers at 30th J unP, 1921, on the ,,•heat and fodder account', was £d6.398; on the wheat and b,n]ev account. £3.521; on the seed-wheat and ·fodder account, £11.418; ''hi le the debit balance at 30th ,JL'!JO, 1921, on tliP ,,,ock di.">ases fund '·'a' £52.775.

Then ~se come to rhi·,1 new industry of cotton. The adYanc<"' mado in 1920 tot:.ned £965; in 1921, £13,466.

In regard to the Co-operative Agricultural Product'on and Adnmces to Farmers Act, in 1919-1920 tbere wore thirteen ndvances, lotallinc; £1.964; while in 1920-1921 there wero 163 advances. totalling £22.575.

I haYe to.ken out' those figures just to ,,how that this policy of the Gmernm0nt is no new thing. l clain1 to rcprf'·'ent a, rnnny fanners a. anvbodv in this Hou"'· Thn Pr.-rnier, in his recnnt' trip throngh my electorate, was received bv those farmers in the wav in which be should be-a, their friend. ' :'\ot one l'CCJUOst· that could be granted was turned down. \V c have in the Herbert electorate farmers who are real working farmers. One stotemcnt ma<le bv the hon. member for Oxley I challenge. 'That hon. member would lead this House to believe that tho people are IoaYing tho ('onntry bccau~o they are not being· trc·tted fairly, .nd that having a Labour Govornn~ont in p.::nn'r means distress lo tho hrmers. I kno , that that is abso­lute!'· incorrect. became the Hcrbert electo­ntb; had the record increase in population in Queensland.

An OPPOSTTTO:-\ ::\JL.\mER: .All sugar.

]\·Jr. PEASE: That industrv hE.i been bol,tcrcd up by this GovLc"nmcnt.

0PPORIT!OK Jl.iE}!BER'i : :!'\o.

]Hr. PEAST~: It i:; our raihvav develop­ment policy that has made that increase in the population of tho Herbcrt.

The PRDIUm: Hear. hear ! Mr. PEASE: From one end of the HPrbert

to the o+her. the Premier advocated the policv of the Government, under which iTacts which a few ycors a!!o were unrleYdoped co11ntry arc 1"lO\V flour-ishing farms.

.\n 0PPOSITTOX 1\fF.MBER: vVho built the South ,J ohnstone Mill?

l-Ir. PE \SE: \Vhy did you not put; it in the right place? The fnrnwrs of the Herbert realise tbat this Go.-ernment ha.-c done mort' than anv other GoYernment that has existed in Ouocn,lancl. At tho reception tendered tn the Premier in Innisfail, farmers who rrcYiou·l:v wen' not supporters of this Government stated publicly that it had dono

I·'> JL=LY.j Ad•ll'ess in Hepl!J. '27

tuore for the· H0tHcr~ Gf thP lierbc•rt district ·dwn any GovPJ"D111Pnt that had bel'll lll powPr in Qu'eensland. The farmt'l'5 throughout the -di~trict are rPsponding to the h·(·a.trnent, and arc going aJy,ad. l hope that, whc11 the r.,ilway Jc,-ekpmcnt policy has been com­plded, another sugar-mill ,,-ill be cctablislwJ, nnd then so.nc hundreds of fa.rmcrs will be ~cttled and nutking a prosp;·rous living.

I will deal now with thu llcp>trtmf·nt of J'uflic fnsirnction. In 1919-1920, £1,013.582 \\·a.~ \~fE'nt; in 1920-1921, the cxpcnJiture wa·.;; £1.2J8.i'08.

L• the rail:~~··, durinp: tlw five vnrs 1916 tu 1~1, the, t''1l'llin~s intTeit~l'd h.-v- 40.96 per ·cent.. while the cxp:>~lditure ilh_;rca·-:ed by :!3.91 per cent. I ,,-rrnt hon. members to ·liYitlf.rstanJ that this incre,u:C'u cxpcnditup· has hecu due chiefly to incroased 1va~r: . .:. and has not beNJ the fault of the Goyemnwnt. Tlw \Yagc", had to be increaf'C'tl. ThP fact that we have bhown such a n·turn indic"Ltos that the man,; gcment 1~ in ca.pable J1ands. \Yhen cmHlitiou;:; arc non;JaL and tho l1P\V

:..Tor-7-hPrn railv. a~ J arc or,~'llt'd np. the t'Xpt'ntllturo vYill be rnoro ll(•arly equal t1 thP l'C:\'CllU('.

·wn have hcanl a good tkal ab0ut thn ,('hillagoe mines latf•ly. Thl' .~uditor-Gencral stated there were 510 men Oil the pay-sheets, <t ud 500 lll('n fircv;ood-gotbllg, <'t('. The L.inps paid Stntr> insuranr;) anHJUl~tin(r to £4,825; a11d ~~aid in railway fJ'Pights, ±;26,493. Tht• Auditor-Gmwral Ftrrns up his ~en1arks by ... tutiug that. ' 1 thr::lp fac:tors n1crit con~idcra­tinn when dca]jng \·;ith tlw financial a·pec/. of t

111" nnciertaking." J ask lllt'ltlbC'rs of the• Oppc·ition to bear that in mind. In th'.> ·dm:;jnp- da~vs of the last sess1on attacks '~'C'l'C' lJndc on the Btate entcrpl'ises, includin1:< the '{ 'hillagoe rninef'. ?\o onP on the other s~dc took into c:onsidPration t}H'S0 factors ll1Cn­Tioncd by tht> Auditor-General.

According- to tht> Auditor-General, -in 1911-1912. th0 State expenditmt was £5.965,692, ot £8 17~. 4d. per head of population; and the' revpnuo was equal to £8 17s. 6cl. per hPnd of population. In 1920-1921, the exponJi­ture was £12.591.201. or £17 ls. 1d. per head of population; and the revenue ~.,Ths £17 1s. 3d. per head. It will be seen thrrt the difference behn:-cn the rcvenuc and oxpendi­·furo is practicall:"7 the same in both ca~~C''~, c~ud the increase has been due to tho condi~ tions existing. It is not a quodion of this ( ;o,~erntncnt getting rnoncy and throwing it .t\Ytty.

Hon. IY. H. BARXES: Reek!<•., cxpcrcditmc.

:VIr. P.E_\.SE: rihP r:x-Trca.:;:ure1· knot\ that tho Prcrnicr, th0 Trea~3-Ul"·.'r, or an;· member of the Government ':mnct dip hi>. Jun1ds into the c:1shbox and ~pf'nd ~~;;; hP pluusos. Fvory item of cxpcnditlll'c has to '!· .' certified to in a proper way. I won:d !ike hon. mrrnbers to untlcrf:ta.nd, too. t.hat Parlianwnt has voted, and 1nust U<'ccpt n'">pon~ihility for, this £'Xpcndif.urc. Ever 'ince I have been in this Pal'!iamont I ha' • Taken parHcular nct-ler• thAt ''"' h0n thP E,,~tin1ate_, have been lwfore t1l IIuu:::.e no-­rnH: hon. l1H'rnbcr ·oppoq-it'' ha in any casP attempted to do anything to Jpsscn t.ho t'xpPndit•Jrf'. As a rnatte>·r of fa(':-, t.hey \:avi!lod bet 'u"e we cut out the '()ppc'l' House. which 0 rtainly lessened the expenditure. They did not like it. Hon. nwmhers opposite c1ow get up and tak0 up the attit·ndo, "\Yh:v do you not increa,o the expenditure on the .,chools ?" I challenge tho Opposition to .... hO\Y one i~ n1 of cxpcnditurr~ whid1 }ws hor•n

· (Titiciscd bv them in any Estirna te which has gone t•h.rough during tho last t'vo years.

Mr. Krmu: £200,000 on relief work.

Mr. PEASE: That is the only on<'. IncrL•ases are due principa11y to \;ages and b::tt0r conditions, not only in this rc~pcct. but· in r ··gn,rd to the increased an1ou11t Yet; c1 for relief ""bout which the hon. n>cmber has interjected. It is ver,y significa11t _that. a IYC'ek or so a ·:ro the new GoYernn1rnt In ).; f~W South \Yaks ·had to appropriat3 £100.000 for rcli f. Nev. South \Yales fonnJ ont jtBt tht' r .. amo ad this Stat · found out--that it wa,; lll'('C"lsarv. It. dor-.; 1v2t 1nattor \vhat Govern­rnent is' ln power to-day, you will have to deal ,·.·ith this questio:1 of prcvicling rclid for people who aro unemplo:y d. \Ve find 1hat this attack on c·:ponditurc is general, and onl \T on this Governt11ent. Dr. }r,;J 1(' u rcnntnenting CHI thn l1'cr1Pral 1\udc"• t for 1921-1922, in the Fed ral l'a rl'.:­mer t :;.ta.7:'d thut. there \Vas an increase of £l.O~JO.Or J for ordinary H'rviccc;, and that ~nln r1('S c~tln1. tt.•cl to co~~t the Co1nnF n-r.'ea!th L..:75.1JOO nu'" C' ~t n1illionF. The I-I:gh Cmn­JJJi,sioncr's Office in London, cost £50,000 annualh, an cl tlw Prim' ?.1:inister's ])ppart­Tnf'nt c~st in 1917-18 .£238,000, and in 1921 ,f; :12.000. The appropriation for expcnec.; of Government in Amcnca in 1912 ''as 11 ~.hllar:-5 n T canita of population, and in 1920 :?25 doflars Pc'r capita of population. In England the orditt:Jr:v cxr>•n;;;c-s of Govcrn­JtJent '"""" £200.000,000 in 1915, anrl £700,.000.000 in 1919.

Mr. KERH: There was a war there.

11r. Pf~ \SE: Th[) war wn~ on in Qucen:~­];md juot the same. 'I'his GoYNnmcnt has t ;J find the increased expc·n•hture due t·o the

ar, and Que-ensland c ~.nnpnrr~:; IYC'l_l _,;,;jth other "ltat s with rcgarrl to the a.dmJmotra­t:on of rxp0nditur~'. The FPfh:r(d TrP'~snrcr (~ 1 1 ~(1•. 1 1 n"tPll''r. 1921 n~ nnnP'll'S in Ff'·l1Prni "Han,;ard,'' pRg·o 12069, qnctcJ an official r -·turn showing the comparat1vo oxpcnd1turn fron1 rf'\ E?nuc bv the States during the last thn•c financial "vears, and ehowed. the per­( '-'nta.Q"'C' of incrc:1~,, in 1921 as compared with 1917-i918. as follows:-

New South \Vales Tasmania Virtoria Q·,ccnsland \Vostern Australia South Amtralia

60.2 49.9 45.4 41.5 40.3 37.1

'T'h;,, ,ho\\, that this Goycrnrnent have handled tho afl:'n}r:o; of the countr in such a \vav th~t the expenditure is less in pc·oportion t.han .m ~;·"W' t\nlth v.- rdf'>7,, Ta ;_ rnarna, or V octona. rfho CH If" -f"inn of to.xntion i<;j univf'r~al to lllC'Ct

t~l'' <··~ .. Hlitim1~ ari.~lnrr frotn t.}w WP_r. l qu~)h_• thP fol1owing' e:'o:np<:lrison of Federal •'a~~ 'tinn figurP, :~

Ye·r. TnV, l Tax·1l ion.

£ 1 ~) ' ! li 1 ~. S70Ji0H 1Hl ~1--IC\ t:{. -,~-:~.fi·~H l!~ l (i -1 'i ~-1-.'12i (1.1(1

1~'':'-'R 2t.6 .7 ~ 'l l'~H -1\~ :12.H~1. HR 'GlH -~0 41 ~~7 onn Hl:?0-:!.1 'l')J rnx. l 5:i.fl O/l01)

T:n:~.q;~ 11 ]lf'l'

Cudta.

£ ·'· rl. a R 1 4 15

" () 7 + 10 0 H 10 R 7 19 n 13

I will now g-ivP an cxamplo of tttxation ln Enu-land. A C"asC' ,,yas C1Uot0d Y(' hero an cstah~­of .20 000 HCJ'PS, at an- annnal rental of £1 per ac·rc, paid lls. 6J. in the £1 for inconw

jtfr. Pea.oe.]

28 1,.\SSE~IBLY.] Address in Reply

and super-tax, 5;, in the £1 for rates under eehcdulo A "nt! B on all rented lands, 1s. 6d. in the £1 for land tax, and 2s. in the £1 for tithes, absorbing a total of 20'. in the £1, leaving undeveloped land duty, estate charg< ·c, ,;pkcep, eic., a total loss. It will be rcmembr.'red that whon Sir Archi­hald \Veiga.ll, GOYcrnor of South Australia. had to re;;;ign, he st:1b:d t.ha.t the reason for his rcsign.1tion \Vas sitnply a n1atter of finance and British taxation. He had to leave his position in South AuBtralia to go over to England to get rid of his estate, because he was being ruined by the taxation. Again, Mr. Hughes. on his return from England, in September, 1921, stat··d that the taxation on big incomes in England ranged up to 16s. in the £1. In 1914 the direct and indirect taxation in the l:nited Kingdmn from persons in receipt of lPss than £3 weekly eqwdlod £6. and in 1920 it equalled £13. The amount rcreivrd in 1914 Yias £54.500,000, and in 1919 £116.500 000. The standard rate of income tax in 1914 was ls. 3d. in tho £1, and in 1920 6s. in the £1. The a.vcrage for all States in Australia in 1914-15 was £1 Ss. 5d. per head, and in 1920-21 £3 6s. 9d. per head. The \VoslPrn Australian Railways ior the September quarter last year showed a deficit of £168.337; the Victorian Rail­wavs for the mc,nth of October, 1921. showed a dccrPHSl' of £31,541; and the deficit for the year ended J uno, 1921, on the railways wa' £651,635. In England and Scotland the privat(' con1panl0s who control the rail­ways have i~~nc~d orders for a tl•n-hour work­ing day for all emplovcos and a reduction of wages of 5s. 1,v0ckl:v:. ()f roursc, private enterprise ! In ::'\ ew Ze dand the average dail:: loss on the raihvays was £4,700. and the Premier proposed to reduce all salaries above £200 per y< a.t' by 10 per cont. It is quite unfair to compare the State of Queens­land with the Stat0 of Victoria. because Queensland has an area of 670,500 square miles and a r-opulation of 757.634, whereas Victoria has ;,.n arect of only 87,884 square miles and a population of 1.531,529. Que"ns­land has 1 471 more rnilc>o; of railv av than Victorict. Tlw number of passengers carried in Victoria for tho year ended 30th June, 1921, was 134,000.000, and in Queensland only 28,000.000. How on l'arth could it be expected that a. Gov<'rnmont whi,·h has a disadvantage snch as thctt could compete with Victoria? The gross r<'Y<'nuc from the Vic­torirm railways is over £2.000,000 per an· num more than the nul\vay rovenuo in Queensland. The percentage of aroct alien· atod to the area of the State is 58.47 in Victoria. and in Queensland 5.98. How could it be expected that undevclop<'d country which has under 6 per cent. of its country alienated could b" compared with a State like Victoria, which has almost 59 per cent. of it countrv alienated?

I am very pleased iwked that the Pre­mier, during his trip Xol'th, ro('PiYC'd Jnany deputations. I would lilm to lPt hon. members opposite know-and the whole of the people in the Korth, right from one end of the Hcrb<'rt to the southern end. are agreed on t.his-that the Pr<'micr wa,; depu· tationised by every section of the community to complete the railways in the North. The ~omp]ction of these railwavs will mean the expenditure of £500.000; and \Vill hon, mem­bers opposite say that the Government should not oxpcnd that money? It has been said by hon. memlwrs opposito tha.t, while the prP· t-!Pnt state of Lhc flnanC'es continues, we shonld

[.Mr. Pease.

not u~!l Id Oil(' lllOl'O inch of rn.ilway' 01~ spend an.v rnore money. lt has been stated that the funds of the Treasury should not b<' ']wnt on railways, yet '~" hu>o the whole of the rwoplc in l\'orth Queensland crymp: out for thc,,c r.<:<-ihva vs to be con1pleted. 1 am_ Ycrv plca:-;cd indeed that f1e Premier has dec.idcd that they sha.ll bo c.,mplotcd, bee tU~C it is going tq make conditians ±:ar more eqult:tblt', find is going to largely In· crPase that 6 fJC'I' crnt. Df alionatod country.

OPPOSITION :'\1E}!BERS : How can it do ~o ·:

fvl1·. PEASE: The raih~·ays arc going to· b" the meam of .,·iv-ing to this countr,y of Queensland pradi,':'J!ly another State. "ThP Commonwealth Statistician shows that for·

the last nine months of 1921 [5.30 run.] Queensland received as new

arriva1s 9.107 11ersons, .as against Victoria's four. '!'he hon. member for Oxl<•y criticised that statement made by the hon. member for L<'ichbardt, but those arc th" actual figures-that Quc•cnsland ~n nint'" n1onths gained ovPr 9,000 uc\v arnvals, a~ against \ 7 ictoria's four.

A question \v-as asked by a memb~r of the~ Countrv partv in regard to the Influx of Italians into ~orth Qu<'<'nsland, and I "J.nt hon. members of this House to understand what that mcrms. It m<'ans that Queens­land-ancl North Queensland in I?art_icular­l!ndcr a Labonr l}oycrnnu~nt IS 111 such fayour at the otlwe c;ide of tho world that. without the <'xpcnditnrc of one pumy piec" of State funds, and without sending_ home· :Vfr. Barwell ancl all the other satclhtos to· try and induce· people to come to this country. 'vc hasc pt'Olllt' corning here at thoi_r own cxJwnsP from far-a''"'> Italy, and takmg- up land because their corupatrlots, who have settled hero in tho past, hav-e been able to 1nakc such a vast amount of money under this Gov( <Innent. There is no parallel io such a position in an: of the other States. Then' is no other State in Australia that has gaim•<J. without spencl_ing ono penny pi"cc, the incr0ased populatwn that Quo~ns­land ha . ..; gainf'd. That js bpcause H"!ere JH a Labour GovPflllll('JJt in po,ver in Onccn.-;land. These Italians arc quite satisfied that under a GoYernrnent such as we have in Queens­land they are going to get a fair deal. 1 suppose more Italians come to my clActorate than to ,wv other distri"t in Queensland, and they arc ~pcniug up the land without one· ]H~lln:v piece of help from the _Govcrn1nont. "\Ve ha\'C a Country party wluch say they arc ont to assist the man on the land. Then \Yhv should thev be against Italians coming he1;c' Thev sl1ould be proud to think that anyone should go to ::\ orth Queensla1_1d or anywhere else and dev-elop the Stak w1thout assistance from the Gov-ernment. Thev talk of not·hinu· but doles. ThPsr people do not "·allt <lolr~·.. TlH'Y settle straight on the land \Yithout assistance frorn the Govcrntnent, and thev should not receiv-e carping criticism from peO'pk \Yho srty the:· are the Country pa~ty. I considm· that to be the finest adve1'tlSP· ment that tlw Labour Gon'rnment of Queens­land han' had cts regards their agricultural poliey. If th0se Italians arc r:ble to make the rn(HlPV that thev arc rnalong, q,nd are able to B'E-IJd to Tta'Jv and bring- thousand!" of thrir eonllh'JIDCll~ hero, thci1 our own pconlc an' doing- the san10. It sho,vs that thjs' CoYPrnment have got an ag-r1cu1tura! pqJ!c\·, and th:1t thE~y ar0 {1cYel(>pjng- thP ~fah~; nnd. in~tend of carping- criticisrn e<Jlllln~!' frorn thP ~o-e:tlh~d Countr;: part.~,, t!1~'.•· :--.hnnld l'- patting the' Govcrnrw~tJt on

[5 JULY.] Address in Reply.

r l>o back. That is what the Govcrnment of (-t_UL'ensland arc doing. The results are quite apparent to everybody. A fc s years ago the herbert us pr>Lctically undeveloped, >~hile to-du.y there arc thousauds of people there {'arning satJsfactory money. Those Italians l1avo told 1110 that in iive :,tears they are :rule to make £6,00] or £7,000, and they are paying taxes. Every Italian, as \Vf'll a '3

l'Voryonc else jn the Korth, is payi11g his - ~Jaru of the burden of taxation and I arr1 .quite satislied that ever] fair-r;riuded mall will take the stand I am taking up. C;_uecns­l:lllrl is 'the only State in the Ccnmon.realth ., hi eh is attracting people to it.; shores with­out the expenditure of public mone;.. You lutYC :\Ir. Barwcll going home and getting boy~ to come O-lt to Australirt h:v n1islc· d1ng I ht~rn. l have seen artidl:) in the Press in regard to those l::oys. lt is sard tlwy are scndir1g out the dregs of London. \Vo do not v·ant the dregs of London in Quor'noland. It is said those immigrants conducted them­selves abomin,~_bly on the boats whcr~. earning 0ut. Thc!:C aro the kind of irnrnin;Ta,nts that ·;he Cppositco!l stand for. \Ye de~ not want people of that sort. \\" c \onnr P< opl" to co.nc hero of their 0\1 n fn~e will, and we are g'l'ttin~ them. That i.-; the finest tldvertJsc­nlont that thi::; La Lour Govcrurneut hay(' ever had. H certain!.. must be quit,• apparent to any fair-rnindcd rr1an th::t t an v u UYC:fll­

n~ent v.rhH:h i8 able to attract ilnn1igrants frmn OV('f'·eas, a3 \Yell as ]lL~oplc frmn the olhcr btatc~, n1ust certajn]y Lt: doi11g sorne­rhiiig to do\Te1op the Slntu.

"Sn1lth's \Vuckly," of 4th }larch last, poirtts uut that a considerable amount of :\Icltourne rnonov has Lcen ittYest~d iu Quco11'l nd Go.-cr.nmcnt stock. Peoplo hero trll U:5 that ·we arc not to be eoL11parerl to Y ictor:a, arH1 yt't \YP ha n· the n1o11c. -cd peopL~ uf 1icll:oJ.rnc corning ht're and bu_ying up our stock.

Tho h.)Il. men1bcr for OxlPy -aid c.;on1e!hi11S .nLout Arnc~ricHn finance. Certain AnH~rjc;_tn financier::; think o rnueh o£ onr c.,tcck that Hw.· luvc bo·J<lJt all the a\·ai]ablc Quc~ns­lu ud stcck ou t~1e London rnad:::ct.

The PHE?IIf~.R: Ln1·ing thp last t•.-;; o o1· three '' ('(•j;._~ v~ctcriall invc~tOl',-; lHlYC bee; YlaUt­:ng to inve2-t hundreds of thou·0 .111ds in ~ uecnslnnd stock.

"-lr. PEASE: I pointed out last session that the cond;tions of tho people of Victoria were bad .. I then quoted sorne flgurl..:, and uow I will quote some more. }tt the ,~oroner's inqui1:<' into the lV1aeedon ra]l\vav smash, Driver Garland statod that the track was bad. ALo that the engines wore defec­tive and bro:rka:, ays wore fn·quent. That IPd to tho disa,tcr. The housi11g conditions also are bad. Take one house in Coiling­wood of siY roorns. One roorn was occupied by a won1an and one child. Tvvo roorns were occupied by a man, >Yifo. and seven children. Another two rcoms ,,_ere occupied b' a famil-. of .eight. and another room by a man and h1s wrfo, "hJ!e a shod m the yard v. as occupied by a woman, making a tot~! of twenty-one pN·sons for tho ono house. 'That is an in taJH·c of the housing conditions in Yictorin. The Victorian Government treat thoir crnplo.ve•_'s very badly. 1his is wh<•t tlu_·\1 do: Thov charge £3 ls. per month rental for a house co>ting £100. They have incr0·1sed tho rt~.ilway men's rentah from E·'. to £2 8.;. lOd.: from 17s. to £2 16s. 3d.; from £1 b. lOd. to £3 2s. Sd.

I want to shn\v aLy:J how the producer is tr-catPd in Vic:>-oria UP:lr·l~ a Govern1nent snch

a3 the Opposition n'pre.3cnt. The primarv prodnccr 1~ not protectc~ as we arc trying to protect him. 'l'he Melbonrne " Age" quoted the. cas'·' of a Croydon (near Mol­bcurrc<J) fru;tgrowcr, who got 7s_ for twcuty-

easos of pears, {Jl' 4J. a case ( !) .. whilst pears were sold to the consumer at 4d.

u lb. 'The pear:,, for which the farmer got 7s .. Lturncd to somebocb else £11 16s 3d Tuki11g a fuir average, ilH~ public paid 4d: !"''' lb. The grower got 4d. for 45 lb. vVho >lood in tho middle and made all the money? ask~ the "Ag·e, '' vnd it proceeds: "If such P'<amplcs are t3·pical. it is not surprisino- that the grower writes plaintiYeh+: ' Ho\v a~·c we to keep going with such 'treatment? The grower js being ftarYod and pushed off the land. v;hi!P a hive of n1iddlcmcn grow rfch -<'-lld ihn pub-_ic pa)'".'" I quot0 those few t ·~a nplPs io sho-..x the conditiolls 11r:dcr which dl~' 11eQple in ·victnri:t arc liYj1:g; and tllut i, H1 _, l')tn tc vd1ie:h the~ Oppo'-ition arc eyer­la t:c~·1y boJ.ding up as the State~ we should try 10 emuiatc. \Y-e are nDt going to Jo .-:n. \Ye l~O not W<:tnt any Gun 1.\llcy J:nurder~ l('j'('.

Durin[, thf' rf'Ct'S'·' a "~:liP attack '"as kn:ol]('d ~~t the Stc1t(' ciJterprisr-.;;, and J wu:-; ~,~1rpr:::::'•d j-r) h--'ar t!1n hon. Hll'~nbcr for Ox]ey

sln1ilnr ro·r1nrks to those th'1t appeared the Lordon .11ag;•zines "')ITlC' time ago. T

hnppcncd to be rending· tho P art:clc;; a~ he vv·,s speaking. The };on. ffi('mb-~r to'd Ufl. t~u.tt the Labrur pnrty were cndcnvouring to br·ing about thr~ soeialj~ation of indnsb·,-. It i3 rcm1rknbk tha' H cirrulur i ·u-·ti b. the Xodhf'rn Country partv-\·ch'elr i,' the c;_vp_ouflagcd Country part,v-whif'h rcc:ntiy \ tll1C' into 1nv h 'lld, stat('·d that th"':,- were dcYodng a cOnsidt>rul>le DlllDU!lt of m()nr;v to :~ _P(,~-;."' cc1:·;1v.ai~u, a11d the:: i'!r:) certa'inl~ (Hlll1~ 1t. I h1s 1s a snmniP of the- sort ot Prt , can1p~1ign they are indu1glng in. I arn snt;sfil cl thCJt e.-erv JPe'Y!bcr of the Opposition >Y!wn he hf'or what I a'Yl ~oin'l" to road will he .-(om•tkd at tho sort of dope which is m:.chin°rl cut in other p:·rts of the world to try and injure Queensland. The fDllowing is nn (~xtr •{·t fl·orn an artidn cntitJ.r'd '~ The Ur( 't L:rhr:;l1' Pnbblc-IIow it has TI1n·-t in '" tr<>'l'l" b",T T~1nrnas J. TI.Ic11ahon, in the ''London" Jnagazinc-

" In Q•l:'Onshnd industrial legislation ho s broutrht the Govcr"mcnt tn b:mk­rnpte:. Th0v arr sctuaJ1 co··l~idf'ring­t-hc) seiz::rg of privnte c,tatcs to ba!nnco G-nv'""fD'll('llt los' .. C'S.

"The people 0f the cities of tho State \\"(•re actuo lly suffering l, n1cnt famino on pccouut of u general strike b~,· the butr'hPrs' union.

" The national iscd m Pat sh~po; of (\u~cn3lntF~ baY<~ never pa1ri-so p:llpable a failure ha.-c the>· lwc'n t.hot no other Sbte intends to .follmv in th.. cnter­pri·,P.

"In n1inlrg·. f!'l'O~-?rs' n<;:si~tnnts. bar· bcrs, shop n ~· ·i~tants, wht~rf labourers. etc .. \H'l'P enlisted in the wnkin[! of Govern­mf'nt mlnf'" and pn.ld high rntC'~ of \vagcs.

"The efforts nt llatinnalisutjo•l hnve t~ot l0ngther:ed rail,, n~V'· bY on0 inc}l, and !)npulc:Jtinn. as in 1\Drth Qu"c·nslancl, has dropped by thou,;;ands ~. yt~ar."

'fr. '.i_c'\hhnn is a Far--to p·1t it mildh'­L.)cat'"C' the population in Korth QuPcnsland h~1.;; l!lf'f ·~, :0d -ir1 a hig1JI'r rn-1-;o thtnl any f'thri' 11ar';. of Q'J('Cns~and. ~fr. ~icMahon gqc m.1 to s:_t Y-

,. The formatiua of O•w Hie; Union

Mr. Pease.]

30 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

with th<' ohj0cl" of o0i"ing the rc•mnants of whaten:r rnoney pDwcr and pro ·p<.;rit:-· romaiu, bL•fore the probable dio:wlution of ClHlltllt'rcial ancl jndustrial A_u :tralia."

a'k if that is the sort of t.hing which vn:v fa-ir-Inindcd Qaecnslandcl' lvould like to ::-('e in :J, ·paper such as the ''London" n1agazln\.~ 't I would like to know if mcm­bC'n; of ihc Opposition _•_l ~ re p._.n~il)lo for that so• t of stuff-if that is thP kind of pro;1agandn. tho Korth0rn c-1u:1t•:_·y party, as well as the other section of the Country party, arc putting up twice a vveck. Ful~­tunatcly, this attack on the Stat·e enterprises \va·s :-: •cu Uv the Co~nrnonwcalth Governri_.cnt. It wa,, felt that this attack was likely to have a scricus effect, and that the credit not onl:.' ci Quccn'·innd but of Australi:t was concernc:d. 'Ihe rosult w·a:-, that a Com­!HOll\'. ·•cdth Gc~vl'rnrncnt official was deputed to deal v.-:th tlw attae],_ In th · next ie'L!C nf the •· London '' magazine, an nrtich; headed •• Sowing Seeds of S11cccss" appeared, shol'i~ing l1ow Aust.raJia's St•te enterpri.:les are dPvclcping th2 I~land Conti­neut. Stmng_' to cRy, the illuftra.tiGn in this art:cle showed tlH~ n1agnificcnt harbour of Brdmue. (Opposition laughtct.) The artic-le v,-Ds \\ r:ttcn by a 1ncn1b~r of t.ho Federal Go""~.~Prnrllellt, cnntrolh)d bv rvlr. I-I ughc6, '~ ho dol1 S not p1· Jf ~ _, to be a~ friend of thio Jl·rty. This i,, what he says-

" _lr. T .• J. Mc:Yiahon would UJilYCV the~ h'~hl· rnis~cndiug i1npre~"-Jon tha't _\_ustralia \YUs going to the clog .. 0 Indust.ri­a.lly, and that hPr tlo1Ynfall \Vas 1nai11ly duo t .. ) ihc Strrto cntcrprij 1.~ and the n."tio:nalisation of certain actiYitics.

"Had it been 1 ft to private enterprise to ccn .. ,truct raihvay:: in An- 'Ta!ia, the Cc:r:nrr -nwcalth would to-{1Ty onh haYC

rrtil ay tran~port. in the tnc;L'C ; ~!>ulous district .

'' ThC' ~\n~tralian State- \YQJ'(' cnn1pC'1lcd to hui:d a larg-0 nnn1lwr of raih\ ~L vs in nl1Y~HH'-' cf pJ:ofitnbk~ trafF.f ~

"\Vhat privat~1 cmnpany v,ou1d have d:• red to build :\u•:tralia 's 1,0CO mil , of transcontinental I i112? .1.\ private fin11 would g·ivc considcratlnn only to the pay­rnent of irnrncdiate dividm1ds. Surelv State ont:'rpriso i not to be blamcJ fo"r farsighV~d expenditure of public r;-:loncy, even thoug-h t.ho imnwdiate result ho an addition to th:· national debt. The<c new lines 1vhich the p,tato and Co!nrnon­"·t>alth arc buildin:>; den:lop vast tracts of COLll1t.l·y."

lie gof'~ on to ~-'1y-" An incorrect statement by Mr. Mc­

:\Iahon is that nationalisation-the balm <t11J lH1pe o£ thP \'i'orkc'rs-haR been in forc:o in Austral.ia for many years, and rwt onn indw~tr;r \Vith it.s army of national office>rs hPJ J;aicl,nor shows the least hope of cv1 r pay1ng.

II c then r n: s·-"Against this, quote the Commonwoal!·h

:Bank, c::;l :1 i)li~l1cd ln 1913, without nny capitai, and guarani 'C'd by the Cow­monwealth Govcrnnwnt (and a Labour Govcrnm •pt at thot).

" Sinco initiation, assets have risen to value of £70.000.000, accumulat•;d profits, 1920, £2.300.000, and in o,ddit.ion, u 11 jnitial cxpDnF>Ps huve been paid out of profits. If this i.., not a 8Uccess, it i~ difficult. to imuginc thl'? Jc[llliLiun uf the word.''

[ Jf r. Pmse.

Thc offici:tl in hi" 'uticle then d als witL Commuuwealth shipping;. and points out t.hat tbo Governments of Canada and Africa pro­po···C to follow Australia.'s example. Ht> points out that tho South Australian Govern­ment Produce Department lllad0 a proflt in 1917-1918 of £14,825, aft.or providing intcr st. \Yorking expense~! nnd maintenance. I-ie then goes on to quote thL• cx:arnple of ihe State:!' GoYcrnrncnt Insuraw--; Office Df Qu2ensland. and sa:~,-

" It was established by grant from Parliament of £100.000, but in.c;tc:td of ha ,·ing to dra,,· upon that fund it. has unintPtTuptcdly earned good profits and to date of article has inveotcd £185,000 in Govornrncnt sc~urities, b?sidcs paying cut thousand. of pounds a-; compassionate trrants to workers disabled by minors' phthisis and \Yho were not· '\ ithin 1he )i_ct.''

'rho \Vritcr then surns up, ancl says-" f-tu·~tralia's cxperinwnts n1ade by both

Federal and Stat;' Govcrnn1cnts in th(~ vcr'' difiiC'u~t businc~s of conducting UJH12r1~a.kin~r.;:; on a. C0 111 111Crcia_l b1.si~, -di~ proved tho hoary contentions of the hide­bcund n.s rt g<>Jds 'irnpossib:llt·y.' lt 1~ cler1r that the··e thinv,s can bo do"C'. \Vlwt j~ autt,~cl is a -will to do <:!gaiu~t a V1ill to fru tt·ate."

rrhr Ol1position obj rt to Stat-e cnt rpri~ef', which do l!Cic suit the pecple \Yho thP fur1ds for tb('it· cnC'i·ation'' The ·who fir>d fuiJc!::;; for r'1w Opposition ar,~ out to· dcsti·oy LaLour Govcnnnent, <:tnd :.:raJJd for private' ent<crpri:;c'. They knD\\ that tl1" lJig~,·cst bnr to thl'ir UC{ "" in QtH' 'usbnd j:-:; the Stai"C' cn~r:rprise~. rrhe Wl~itc•r f.;Of'~

"It 1s nothing tD the poi11t that all public enterprise attempted in diffcrf'nt t-~tatos ha~ not been uni£orm1:. succc.~~ful."

Th" State Produce Agency has been re· ferrod to. ctnd ;, >vill ccrtainlv have ih np~; and do\vns, as C'very oth0r bl1si nc~,s has. I will mention a fc~N private cntorpri~cs. San1ucl Allcn nnd Sons, in conn,·ction with their TmvnsYil]c. Brewery, have Jo,t thou­sands of pounds. BurrB, Philp, ,,_nd Com­pany, in connection wit.h the floating of ceda.r logs c.vcr the Barron Falls, ]os~ thousands of JlOUnds. The North Broken Hill, Limited, mines lost £62.242 for the year ended ,)um. 1921. bnt has kept v,oing o:1 previous profits. In 11'1'13 the company's proflts were £:347,000. The No·v 'l,ca!and >tnd Australian Company, Limited. balance­sheet show·cd a loss on la"t year's transaet1ons of £87,259. The Stanmorc: Preserving Com­pany, in Sydnc y, sho 1N('d a loss in seven months of £103.000. Cocka.too Prc&ones, lV1clbourno, sho\YPcl a lo~-~ in nine rnonthf! oi £100,000. The South Anstrn lian Frui1· Growers had a loss of £25.000. Tlw Yanc<> Cnnnery, in N cw South \'i' nlcs, lost £145.000 in 1921. Presct"'·es Manufacturing L''nitNl. in England, in fiftpon months lost £?~7,982.

An 0PPOSIT10~ }{E:\IDER: ..-\rP vmt trtking­thP figures for all over the world?

Mr. PEASE: Yec;, just to sbo··- that tlte "dop0" \Vhich i;.. g1Ycn out in Qw 'nslaud is going ant to all parts of t.he world. and doing incalcnlabl" harm.

An OPPOSITION ;..rE,IBER: vYho is rcspon­sil.•lc?

)fr. PEASE: It is your pconle who are doing it. The· I3ank of New South Wale"'

Address in Reply. [5 JULY.j Address in Reply. 31

1nad1~ all advance on 1vhich there was a Ios, of £100.000. The bank did not shut up over that, but sackc<l tho officer who made the >tdvance. The Merchants' Bank. in Cann,da, <-o:Iapsod vvith Josscs in regard to loans of £2.500,000. The C!audc Lofon­r:ains Banking- Company, in Parie, failed with lo~scs on advaDCl.31 a1nounting to £300.000. The Dnnlop Rubber Company failed the <·ther dav. with a loss of £8.000,000. 'l'ho chair~nan of dirc>ctors re­ct•ived £12,0. 1~ a vc•u. The Columbia l; r<iphophoEr, Companv failed ''"ith losses a mounting to £1,500,000. In 1\' ew York tiYl'nb·-Gyo brnkcr hou, c,;; failed in two rnollths, fron1 21st Dccernbt~r to 22nd June; thr- 1os .P IVCl'U over £2 000,000. VVikcx and ~\I <'Win, dca!i •. g in pasto1·a l product•. on 30th .Tnnc, 1920, ,Iwwcd a profit of £148.665, •Yhilc on 30th ,June. 1921. th<•r,, was a loss of £23.875. Thcro an; l1o;:on~ of other pn.s­t;Jral co:nJ1!lTli{·s showing ~iinil---r lo~scs. \Yhnt I nn1 tr:, ing- t:J get at ]3 that State, l'lltcrprises an• subject to tbe ~a,nl'~ flnf'tua­tion., a-s. priYat>~ businc <~f'?>. 'l'h0 lvlini".tcr fo .. St.1.te Enterprise~, V> :~en n1;~kiug his last "!,l Pch, point0d out that C'YC'r:;· sncccs-fnl tm~inr ~ had to b(~ built up; that you never lnPdc• the samP nlista]n~ twirc; and T <: ~-:ref' ,~. ith that. En_'ryonc vvho has bC'(~n in busi­r;,•<;:s kno· s tlwt there r~re lean time<:l nnU fat ! ltr1(''•. I have qnctcd ln~sinc~sc,~ in uvPry !>H! of the •mrld to ehow yon that t.h0 dcpn~ssion is not conflne<l to Qncenslrt!Hl l •'<', u:-;e a Labour Government ls iu pOI\-c :.

;un qt1oiin!.! ther-e~ flgurl's to :-:bow tha.,: ! l1~' 'JP· itH'l! I\ -: r·rcntcd as a rc~uJt. of th1: (·cnd~;-ion~ iJrought about by tbc war. It is rl•allv t!H' aftt•J'n1ath of thl' wnr. There i~~ no 1:oy::d road to g0t OYP1' this ii1u:tncial d;ffi('ult\·. Fv!'fY eountr'~ is sufl't'ring in the

11\P '~·a~·. l'\o~ n1 ~ttcr. \Y}H re ;voa go, no t.~atter 1!1 ·what part of th0 world. you 1vil!. iind i hat rhl' saEte .condition~ p;-j~t ill CYPl',V

<><:unu·;' JU~t a~ 1vc fl.nd th0n1 <'·xi'·~·in,r.; in Qni'{~!H:da~Hi to-day. I run qn]tn sa+-i~f!r'd ~ha1 <)lH'<!TJSl~tnd ;tand-; on i'(:-< O\Yn so far <H }H-r<:;­

pPrity is conc(_•rncd.

GOVER~\I";>,IENT ~IEJfBER~: Ilear. lu :11' ~

J1r. PEASE: It is only the propagaJJda oi nwmbcr.:; oppositP and thPir snpport.,•rs which hn:- dmw a;~.v harrn i;1 Qne0W3land. I1on. rnembt~rs opposite }Jaye entcr('d on a ,-,n 1llpni.S?;n ,vit.h the idt_'a of ousting the Gcvcrnruent. During 1he Paddi1~gton eJec­tion all sorts of propaganda work was indulged in by tho Opj>ocition in order to defeat the Government candidate. I hoard the leader of the Nationalists m·.,ke a 'rato­Htcnt. during the Paddington <'loction a boul the GoYcrnmcnt giving dolC's to p0oplr' in Brisbane. Hon. members opnosit" talk ahoui· the unomplo.vcd in queonshtnd, but look at HH; uncmplo~'tnc11t they hnxc !1:0t in Xe1Y Sont·h \Vales at the pres·cnt time. There i.' more unemplo:nnont in New South \VaJc ... to-do,• than thNc is in QurPnsland. So far :•::; lPlf'tnnJoymr•nt is f'onf'crncd, wn know that : 1)1-. QnrPnsL:md Go-.;;crnment is thP- onlv (to­,. nnH'IJt w!1ich ha;;:. a1tcn1ptcd to do 'some-1 hin~· to relieve the unemplovc·d. (Opposition d1~s,~nt.) Th0rn are oyer 3.000 In en (mgaged in raihYny construction in Queensland to-day \YLo \\-"re not engaged in January la.~t. That ehows wh:.t the GoYPrnmcnt. have don<' to rdiPY0 the' pcsition. Through th0 t'fforts nr th(· Prenlicr nnd tiu\ hon. ll1('D1l-,cr for :.\I;JHnt }forgnn, tho l\Iount ~Iorgnn n1ine has h00n rropenC'd, und how rnan~· tho1~,,and;;: of

men are employed !here directly and indi­rectly'! If a Labour Go,·ernmcnt had not b<wn in power in Queensland to-day the Mount Morgan mine would be closed <..town; but the Premier and the hon. member lor ~lount }forgan, by their cffortf{, \H~re enabled to get the mine at work again. Look at the thoueands of workers being absorbed at Mount Moro·an now while there is an increase in fi1e raihv~y traff-ic whi~h b_rings revenue to this country. If any fau-mmded n;an looks at 01o position now and con1parc.~ it with tlw position last year, he must adm1t that th<" Guvemment are responsible fo;· relieving a Jot of the unemployment. I consider that siucc the bcginniEg of the year the GoYCl'YJIJ~ellt have beon responsible fm· put· t.ing· something like 10,000 ':'en at_ work. l tnako tlwt statement knowrng what I am talking about. ln the electorate I represent the !'I:~ an· hundruds of rncn employed in rail­wav colls1 ructi(J!L and hundred~, of other men ha ~-e b(•t\I1 pllt iu employincnt through thC' action,; of the Go,·ern.,lent. The other clay JU le;:;s than seven stowaways were found "" boarrl a H' '"] ccning from Nm1 castle• tu (~ue<'nsland. They told the police magis­Irate they w<'re ab;olutcly starving in New Sonth \Vales because there was no work for thew to do, nnd they wanted to come to (,)ncpns};\nd tH"'aUSO the,- Were told that Que<'nsland '·"' the only State vihero· they ronld [!;d work. 'With regard to the strrte­n t•ut thnJ \-VC' , ivc doles to men out of work, <lnrs the lradl'J' of the Opposition coetcnd that 1.1r· nug·ht io let thl\1n Rtarvc'? Perhaps lwu. nH~n1ben;; opposite~ ·would like these men 1n work for 10s. rcr week'! Before I sit down [ v ,)uld liko to give smnc testimonials to t.he ~t;1tP cnf.e1'pri.~.,cs -ir .. tl'oduccd bv Labour Go­\'t'J'rtJncHts. I ·have nn cxtr:"J .. Ct here fro111 a testirnonial in the ·• Brisbane Courier " of the let October, 1921, in reference to the Commonwealth Ba.nk. This bank was cstab­lislwd b:• a Labour Government, in ~pitc of grcnt opposition from the party oppo·ite. ju,t n' all f\tato enterpris<Js initiated by Labour hove been opposed. Just the eamP ho1,·l \\·as sPt U!J by the '' Courier " and by 'llpporters of the pHty opposite as hon. l1!Nn1JC'rs opposite induJge in now in regard to our State enterprise<. Look at the howl that was set up whc'n w0 started our State insurance. lion. 1ncmbcrs will r~;mcmbcr r:ho famous circular that wn.s issued by the insur­a· cc• rc•proscntativos .,,ho set out.' to dcstrov i"l1~s G-overruncnt; but, in snite of t.hat, State i thunnce ha:; gone ahead by leaps and J,o,mcls. Thi~ is what the " Courier " said "' it,, isnw of tlw 1st Odobcr, 1921-

" The profit and loss account for the half-year <'nclcd 30th June. 1921, was £403,041, as against £292 218 on 31st December, 1920. 'Ibe profit is "" rried half to reserves and half to rE'demption, and each account is in credit £1, 725,68~~- or, in all, £3,451,364. . . 'rh is immNJse re <crve (as practical!;, rc·ern and redemption are the same thing) built up "ince the establishment of iho Commonwealth Bank, illust,rato< jn a niCnsure the power of t.he institutio11 for service in the country. . . . Tlw dn.y inC'vitably \vi1l c•o!:no when the qnC'fl · ~ion of dlHposaJ of the ' accurnulated pro fits ' of tho Commonwealth Rank wili bavc to be considered."

Tltc Commonw0alth Bank was set up in its jnitia] ·,Jagc·~ hv a Lnbour Governn1cnt. h: fact. it "'"" onl,· a Labour Government thct

ilfr. Pease.1

32 A dd1'ess 1:n Repl,~;. LAt:lBE!IIBLY.J

could make the CDrnrnonvvealth Bank po;,·:.:ible. That bank has bc•cn a great SLLCc<:·· ,, and has been able to bulld up an i:Hmensc H"·ene. The " ~ourior'' now says that the day inevit­ably wdl co"ro when the question o( tlw di,.­posal of the accu1nulatcd proiit5 of the Con1-nioinvealth Bank '"'ill have to bo c-on,idcrcd. I \Vender \Vhat the " Couric1·" said \\·hen th ~ank \Yas boir:p <:>,'tablishc_J ·: 1f_ wn look up ~he fiks, v~~? \Vlll f~nd the "' Canner" Dpposed rho cstn bushmont of the Commonwealth Bank. I int.Pnd to look up the "Courier'' files myself, and later on I \Yill giYe thD [-louse the bc'ncftt of lHY resparch. 1 rnio·ht alf'o read a tribute to onr St a tc: lnsura~rP Department which was paid b:.· the Chillao-oe L;mitcd Company as follows:::._ b

"vVhon tho State lnmrallC'' Commic-­.sionor was in Melbourne recontlv a tri­buto ''as paid by tho Chil!agoc ·Li1nited Company as to tlro cflicicucv of the Queensland State Insurance l'Hlico and by which the company hus sascd a laro·e > u:n becau;:c of the insurance of it· .. Mou':;t J\1ulligan cmployr·es with the department.

" Before the inception of the \Vorker"' Compensation Acts, 1916 to 1918, iu Queen"'land, WOrkers' COTillJCll::Jation VOli­cie is~uLd on 1nining ri,~k" by insurance con1.panios con+-;tined a provision lin1iting the liability of .,uch in·.Lirancc C<lmpanie .. s for co_rlpen;::atimi, damage:;:~ and costs in re· poet of inj urics or rkuth of one or 1 101'2 \Vorkrnen at any one time. Such provision, in the inSurance world, is known as a disaotm- limit. Ilad the State GoYernment Insur.anC'o OHico. vvhich giveR unlimited disf!.stcr cover, not been created, aad h>td Chillag<Jo Limited untiuued its t:ystonl of insurance with a vrivatc offi.cr-•, it is probable that the ·disa<tcr limit on its poliey would have bePn £5,000 (it wa> £1,000 at Mount l\Iullip;un at the -clatP the State took ovnr the im :1mnce. only a ~.mall staff being employ-ed at that time). Cover might have be'n obtlillr'rl for a disa~tcr limit <Jf £40,000 (tlw probable cost o£ compensation insurance ill the Mount Mulligan die-aster). but the pre­mium would have heGn almo"t prohibi­tive, and is, therefore, outside considera­tion."

I have got another testimonial from 11r. Frazier Hunt, a leading American journalist, who paid a visit to Queensland. At tho conclusion of his visit he gave his opinion as follows regarding Queensland:-

" State enterprises were run carefully and efficiently and were keeping prices down for the benefit of the people."

State enterprism are not Pxportcd to pay in proportion to private enterprise-s, but. they pay indirectly. (Opposition dissent.) At any rate. Mr. Frazinr Hunt considers that the State enterprises a1·c justificcl in Queensland because prices a.ro kent down for the benefit of the people. This Government wa· returned to legislate fm· the workers of Quct•nsland, and it is plea,ing to ns to know that the workers are getting- the bnwfit of our legisla­tion. Another tribute to the Statl' enter­prises comes from In-inebank. I haYo 11

quotation here vvhich refers to the gf'n('ral slump in mining, and eJntinucs-

" One of the groat benefits to the people hero and district has been dis­pensed with, namely, the State storo. and is regretted, as during its operation it has bP-en the means of eaving the people

[Mr. Pease.

fro ~~ L:,•ing fleeced? . as It k('pt prn ate cnt<~rprt::;;c fro1n l'Ulsing thp prices. and \YC'rt- able to sell n1any thi-ng.~ at le~:3 than nt other stor{'s."

Tile G<Jycrnmont \Yero retunll'cl to look after the intere · ts of the workers. I claim that. in vi(nv of tho facts whiC'h I ha vc rm.t bef.orP the I-Iou:;c. we have justified our existence. and that ~~Yt' have carried on 1 he gon_•rnllH'nt for the bcndit of the pe'lplo of Qno<:nslawl.

Gon:l,s'lEKT 11EMBE:RS: Hear, hear!

:\Ir. TAYLOR (Winrlsor): I think most of us ha:c read carefully the Governor's Speech. and hstcucd wrth a consrderable amount of ir;terest to tho sper·ches which haYe been delivered upon it; but, \V hen one con1es to

analyse it clo~ely, one ls driYCll l7 p.m.j to the conclusion that it is not so

remarkable for what it contains as for what it doe; not contain. Quite a l!urr1ber of 1nnttors hnYc boen introduc~·d 1vhiC"h in da.J s gone by, if I understand the po::;ition 1·ightly, -..verc quite foreign to tho present policy of the Government. vV e find n refer­mrce to co-operation, but nothing at. all about t ho socialisation of industr;, which i' really the main plank in the platform of tho Labour Government and the Labour party alikr·. dld has been advocated bv the Prmni0r and practically every member on that sid" ever since they ha vc l.Jecn connected with the ~novement. I do not know, I an1. sure, why it. has been loft out of thoi1· progran1n1e now.

.A Uo\~EHX:HEXT ~IE:'I!BCB iEterjct'tod.

JHr. TAYLOl'l: It hurts some hon. lll<'lll­

lJers opposite, Lecan.c they havo changl~d i1 or droprH•d it out-the socialisation of illdus­try and th~ wiping out of all that is termed by mmnbers on the Governrncnt ~-ide­' Jpih,listie Pnte.tpri8o.

.... b,..nd we do 1:ot find uny reference iu the ~PC'- c:h to one thing which has wrought havoc tn Queensland. I r·ofer to racing. vVn find proprictar~· and other racing being carriE~d (;d.t 11e rlv eYcrY tlav iu J31·i;jbano and t.hrourdrout Quecn~lcurd; but I challenge any man rn this Chamber to tell us that horse­I·acing, as it is lndulged in at thf' prespnt time, is for the bPrwfit of the StatP. It is working a tremendous injury and harm. If the. money which is being devoted to horse­racmg wtt.o spent on reproductive and <ievelopmental work and the encouragement of industry, I contend that the return wo would be getting as a State would be infi­nitely more than wo get from horseracing. \Ye hoped, and a great many people through­out Queensland hoped, that a measure would be proposed to. be i'1trodnced dealing with propneta.ry racing.

~\fr. BREKNAN: Arc you aware the Bill is printed?

Mr. TA YLOR: If it is printed, it would be interesting to know why it is not men­tioned in the Speech. I take it we are eJl Yery pleased, indeed, to know that the Governor has been taking a verv keen interest in the affairs of the State: It is what we expect of him. A Governor should cc,rtainly travel throughout the length and breadth' of a country, ancl make himself thoroughly acquainted with the conditions tmder which tho people live. Personal con­tact with individuals. and peroonal mspcction of the districts of this great State, of course. enable one to form an infinitely better opinion than one is able to form by· reading, or from what one may be told. So I take it

AddTess in Reply. [5 JULY.] AddTe'-' in Reply.

"e arc all in accord 'vith what His Excel­leuey is doing in that direction. In the rc•m<trks "hi eh ho has made srnce he has come back from his travels, he is simply, of cour3C conhrrning the op)nion which every ono ol u~ has-that in Queensland a. rnaguifi­ccnt heritage has been bequeathed to us by those who pioncoreu this great Common-\\ ealth and that what is llccossary for us­the de~cendant:; oi those pion(~t'l'S who canH' out here sixty or seventy ~-cars ago and laic! the foundations of this State-is to hnild a solid and secure superstructure, which will be for the be11efit of the whole· of the people of Australia. Unfortunately, quito a number of people in Australia to-day woulJ tear up the foundations which have been laid, and destroy the existing institut:ons, if they bad the opportunity. But, if I _untlerstand A ustralra aright and if I can !Ilterpret the posrdoll which '.'l.ustralians take towardo that ntt:l·ude, there is little doubt that the great majority are opposed to anything of the kind. .U the c;ame tJme we ha vc to be c"'reful to sec that any sectio:r who propose to do such things have no opportunity to gain their ends in C.Juocnsland. We claim to be in the front rank of the democracies of the world-nnd l believe we arc--and yet any num bor of individuals in the eomrr1unitv are not satis­fic•d with the freedom -,,_hi eh we as Aus­teali ans and .Britishers enjoy in the British Empire, awl it should be the concern of ;•very one of us, whether he be Liberal, or Labour, or 1'\ationalist, to do all he: call to >eo that any efforts b:l" such persons are not allowed to destroy the free institutions which we have throughout Australia to-clay. One could not expect a freer hanchise than ours, and all we ask the people of Anstralia and Queensland to do in the 0xercise of that franchise is to oonqider what is best-not in the interests of one section, but in the interests of all sections of the community­and then see that the interests of the whole "re absolutely conserved and duly safe­guarded.

The Governor referred in his Speech to the i>olation and attendant hardships of the people in the outback country. Anyone who has travelled outback realises the truth of that, and I take it that it is the duty of Uovernments, both State and Commonwealth, to see how far they can go in making thai· isolation as little as possible, by means of ~ommunication in every possible way and th<J settlement of adclitiomtl people in those areas. CertainlJ, during recent years the 1tdvent of the motor-ear. of the a0rnplane, and the telephone has helped to relieve the dreadful monotony of our outback areas. We -hall, for a number of years, of course. have thP-e iwlated areas. It will be a matter of time before we -'hall be able to make con­ditions wch as we --. ould all like them to be. '0 that those people who are living outback may have the reasonable comforts of civilisa­tion which we in thP citie". and towns enjoy to-da ·-. So far as the K ationalist party and its relation to eountrv interf:~sts are con­cerned, I have said ber'oro. and I sav a'iain, that we ha,-e always been in thorough '!-mpathy with eountry interests.

The PR!cmrm: Then why did the hon. lll<'mb:-r for Oxley desert you'! (Laughter.)

Mr. TAYLOR: I cannct an-wN that. I .-.:JggL:t that tho Premier givP notic2 and <>sk the hon. member for Oxkv to-morrow. :Laughter.)· \Vo clalm th::1t w-'e have bncn just as zealous with regard to country interc-"t.s a3 any man m this Chamber to·day.

1922-D

\Ye haYe recognis0d thC' fact ever sin<.:t' \\:c h'l\'" bc:cn a purty that th0 rnan who b

working all round the clock in the outback :n·, a,.., h n'l'V larn· ly Jll'OYJding tho cornfcrb which we i1; thP "<'it'] e.._ and to"~ns 011joy.

~Ir. RYAX: TlH_· rniddlcn1oll cou:cl not du without- them.

-"1r. TAYLOR: Then' arc mi-dclil'men a!ll·i t]J('rt' arc tail-enJ lllt'll, and I would soon r lH' a middleman than a bil-mrd mun. Any­one ·vvhu ·wishes to s<'L' the State d('velop tnub1 haYc syn1pathy with agricultural intProsh and do all ht· po8)ibly C'an to s.·c that. th<' prinutry indu'-ltrics of this great Rtate an· maintailH'c/. in a solid condit:on so that then• ':;ill b" every possible induc,"nent for the llH'll L'nga~·cd in dwsP activitiL, t<) carr~· {JJ1 th_,ir- dLttlC'f'. Tho'-' men rn·oyid<). first of all, the freight both ways for our railways, from Monday n1ornlng to Saturday night. ThPy arc• f'lg:hting drought. Hood, and pesti­lc-neo of yariou~ kintlc:,. They prodnc-c tht' fcod O'{UppliPs f0r tl1e people in t.hc cjtles and tov\·rh, :::nd ''he pruclact3 for the rnanu~ factun•s of the citi s rrnd towns. Therdon• tht',\ an~ descn~ing uf (\very possible coE­::;idcrat\on. In thl~ various speeches I haYl' mad\~ fron1 tlrnc to tirne in this Chamber I haYc' nnt fall d in un.v shape or fnn11 t·O 'dvn< ;.tte that propt~r cons1dPr:ltion bu given to rh<' lllf'll on thu land. .:\ot onlv have the­men on .the land ro be comi<lercd; but therc:' arc the womm. \Ve should have verv litt.lP agricultural production, and we should not be in th0 position we arc in to-day were it not for the big-hearted women "ho go into the isolated areas and a·sist their husbands to c: ITV on work such as that e1:hilcd in thf' u1rryin'g on of the dairying industry.

One mat.ter should claim the attccLt'on Gf t·he Government. Can we not find w.cne better sy~ten1 of housing a lot of cur pc01)lc in th'' out-hack are:ts, and in the northern part . ..: of ().lL'cr.~;~and than exi:::-t.;; at th_. presPnt tiuje; Qr1ih' a 11urnb~~1· uf people \vbo to-day :tr<' <·ngnf:cd in agricult _nal a.d:Y·tics al'l'

li\·ing iu what tU(' pr:1ctiral!y incubator hcu.~t'.:-. ThP]· havt' an iuadf'quatc water upply, and Jo net ,'njoy any of the comforts

cf civilisation \Vhich VN~ enjo~v~. If we couJ.cl f'volvc a ~uita.blc-, cheap, c;ool hoLL..,e for thos0 people to liYc in, we should be doing­:J. \·rry great sel'vicc.

The SECRETARY FOR :\1INES: \Vhen did that st.rik- you?

i\1r. TA YLOR : It does not seem m·ee to haYO struck the hon. men1bcr.

I wculcl like to extend n yerv heart,­WI?lcon1P to the SP(·retarv fer l\I{nes. A'S tho biggest ruinc-owncr, :1r mine-controller. in QueL>nsland we arc Yer;-· pleaspd to SOP

him. vVo have quit-e• a lot of things we want to ask him in connection with those wondNful miHcs which he 1s endeavouring· to run with signal succ _·ss in the northern part of Queensland.

In tho Governor's Speech, also, we find J·cferen('es to new settlers and to in1migrat.lon. vVe want new eettlers and we want immi­gration in order to fill up the empty spaces in Queensland; but we do not want t-o settle people on the land and lPt the !and settle• the people. Unless we arc c'<:c?ptionally careful in the methods we adopt, that is what. is going to happen with qu 'te a number of people who are on the land to-day. I clo no"f know of anything- iY!Ol'~ pathetic than the deserted home,teads which we see in

Mr. Taylor.]

11"" .. ,llin" about the State. Tl,ev "'•eak of hl'cken hPart~ and of e1npty pool~ct.s: Prob­ably, after y(•<us uf toil. n, rnan with his wife and family has had to g·pt out and find ~onH~ Dt'W occupation with prac·tically no money in his pocket. I wa~ struck vvith smn<' remarks that wer.• made thP other day reg>erding new s0ttlers. If I am informed correctlr, it is practicall,v an impossibility to g·et people who arP farn1C'l';3 in GrPat Britain to come here and sett·lP on rhc land, hrcan~c thPre is nnt suffiC'ient indllCOrnent. If we go into the history uf iand :-:Pttl<.~nlent in QuePnsland and Au~tralia., hov,; rnany men and wume>n will WP lind who camp out wit-h prartical know·ledge and experience?

The Ho~m SECRETARY: They cannot get them to settle on the land in England.

.:VIr. TA YLOR: Probablv that is so. If vou take the hundrecls of thousands of peopk ·who arc sctt.Ld on the land throughout Australia to-day, you will find they ramP out with prarticallv nothing in their pockets. Thev had big hca,rts. n nd a gr0ai n1ajol'ity of them have won through.

:\ir. KrxG: Th0y have fr0eholds.

}1r. TA YLOR: Yes, th''Y have free holds to-dav. P.r·rsonallv, think that, if the nptioi1 \Ycre p::vcn ~to pcopl0 ccrr1ing- out to Australia of having freehold or kasehokl, freehold would be preferred. A man will put a great deal n1orc work into a piece of land and d -velop it very much more quickly and more highly when hP knows ho IS g<'tt.ing the freehold title of it. than h•' wou:d if it WCrP a kasc•hold. rndcr lease­hold tenure, if h:' {loe' not g0t along. h<' can walk out and leaYe on thP ~election the few improvements he has made. If it is a freehold. he will do his utmo't uud so develop that land, bringing ii· to such a high .stat0 of production, that there will he every possible indu('erncnt for hin1 to continue as a producer.

The matter of raih, ay construction also is mentioned in the Sp0ech. A great deal more careful consideration should be given to railway construction thrm has been given in recent years in Queensland. We cannot go on as wo ha.vo been doing for :;cars, ex­tending our railways into areas which are not going to make them revenue-producing oven after they have been running for forty or fifty yen rs. 'I'hcre is only one section of our railways-that from Northgate to Gympie-which i' payinK interest and work­ing expenses. That section has to pay the same ''age~ and the same price for materials as cvery other sr ction has to pay. Yet it is paying its way.

The PRDf1ER: What does the hon. mPmbcr suggest?

Mr. TA YLOR : I will come to that in a minut(•. \Vhy is that railway paying'! For the simple 1·eason that there is close settle­ment along the line. On both sides of that liHc from N~rthvato to Gympic. cxhndinK probably a distance of ten, fiftc0n, or twenty miles on either side, we have settlers. Thoro is no other s0ction of our raih:ays paying nearly as well as that particular• section. IE the Gm·nrnmcnt nctivities were directed n1orP in tho cJirection of increasing settlo­rnent along 11nite a nnn1b0r of our existing railwav lines. and if the Government took in hand the ;na th'r of inducinl( closer settle­ment within those areas. we should not have thi' trrribl0 ngurC'S that 011r raihvav>S are tliedcsinp; to.da.y. I am quite awa1:e that

[Jfr. Ta .. >;Tor.

th<'re aru a nurnbcr of existing lines along which WC' cannot have closPr sC'ttlcment. In some of the back country we cannot ha vo closer :-;ettlC'mPnt.

The PREi\IIER: Do you wish us to resume those estat0s?

M1·. 'I'AYLOR: That should be done in the agricultural areas. where the scheme would not be r·xperimcntal, and where people would bo suree· ,ful. If hon. members will turn up tho last report of the Railway Commi"i01wr, thC'y will find just exactly the name thing as I have said to-night. I cer­tainly think that. if a lot of this American dollar loan money had been expended in that particular direction, it would have been a gr<·atcr benefit to the State. That is my opinion. Had the money been spent in that particular way, I think that we would have had very much better returns than we are likely to get at tho present time.

The PRE'\IIEH: Three million pounds will not purchase Ycry much la.nd along the railway line.

Mr. TAYLOR: It will buy a fair amount of very good land, and will settle people practically immediately. It is going to t.a.kP a verv considerable time before we shrdl be >eble to settle people on the Burnott lands.

Mr. STOPFORD : Why not make the people­work the land they own?

Mr. TAYLOR: Possibly we can make them work it. Something ought to be done with it. It ought to be brought into pro ductive use, and, if that is not done, som0 system should be adopted in order to bring it into productive use.

l\1r. FER RICKS : Y on are asking for the purchase of frcebold land in order to give freehold land a.way again.

Mr. TAYLOR: It does not matter whether I am advocating the purchase of freehold land oc not. I am advocating clo'<'I' H'ttlPnwnt along the existing rail-\Yav~ ~:o that. the raihvays 'vill have <.1 "h,;n:·p of payillp;. \Ve all know that tho f'O>t pric(' of a lot of things has gone up. and it is the boast of the Govm·nment that thev havp not raised railway fares and [roi'l(hts. I repeat that, so far as the metro­po!i'tan area a.nd other areas similar to Brisbane arc concerned, they arc not pa.ying: their fair quota to the railways. I am not one to advoca+o the raising of fares a.nd freights in tlw country areas, ':~:here our producing fric·nch an:. but I do. contend that thP eo~t qf f"raYelhng on the ratlways 1n

tbe nt,~iTOl H)lltn n area of Queensland is lowpr th"ll ·ir 'honld be. It will not. trouble mP nTv nnH'h whether the people of \Vind­r-ol' lik0 it or not. I am here to advneatP ,-hat I think i, right and proper. \Vhen T :-pokP a y~'a r or two ago, advocating. an irH'rrasc in fal"P'"· and freig-hts in a partiCu­lar dirrction. IYitbin a, fe1~' '.Veeks the Go· ,-ernm<'nt raised them in the metropolitan area. and. if thPy would only do. it .this time, it 'voukl bclp, perhaps, to bnng 111 a little more raihvay revenue.

The PRE~IIER: Do ~·ou suggest incrC'nsing the frucs and freights?

)Jr. TAYLOR: In the metropolitan and similar arpa.s. \Vhy should any man in th_is Chamber be .:ble to ride in a railway tram t•) Sandp;ate and other watering .Plnces. and the people in the conntry have to pay for him to have the privilege of riding cheaply? If there arc any people who deserve cheaper

Address in Reply. [5 JnY.] Address in Reply.

railway travelling to visit. the seas_ide, it is tlw people who only sec rt once m twelve months or once in two 0r three years. If a freer hand wa" given to the Railway Cam· missioner than he has at the present time, and if this infernal political control, which is like a dead ha.nd on the railways and a number of activitic, of the State, was re· moved, it would be very much better for the Stat0, for the rail ways, and for the whole people. \Ve hav<~ to boar in mind that, if you have got to tax the people as they have had to be taxed in Queensland in recent vears to make up the loss on what we claim to be the finest and best asset in Queens· land, and if vou ha vc got to bleed the people white ir1 all these areas in order to make up for the deficiency so as to pay the interest bill on the construction of rail­ways in Queensland to-day, you are simply taking away money from industry and manu­facturing development. I do not think that anyone can deny that fact. The money could b.; much better employed, and we would get a much better return for the countrv than we will by expending it in the way 1ve are at the present time

\Vater conservation and irrigation is also touched upon in t.ho Governor's Speech. It is a grc'lt pity that greater attention was not given to that question fifteen, twenty, or thirty years ago.

The PREoiiER: A Nationalist Government was in office then.

Mr. TAYLOR: If a Nationa.list Govern­ment failed in its duty in the paot, is that any reason why the Government at the present time sl>ould fail in their duty?

The PREMIER: l'\o.

:Mr. TA YLnR : If the man on tho land is going to be c·hargpcJ the enormous amount that the Inkcrman farmers will haYe to be .eharged to c·over interc't and redemption on the money expended in the Inkcrman irrigation scheme, thPn. I take it, the scheme will be a failure.

Th<~ PnEo!lER: Doos anyone say they will not be ab) c tr, pay those costs?

).1r. TA YLOR: It has been stated thev will not. I only hope they will be able to carrv the cost. I am ver.v pleased to sec that in co~nec­tion with their irrigation sch<'me the Govern­ment pronase that it should be placed under the control of a committee or board of experts -men with special knowledge, and not mem­bers of Parliament who do not know anything at all about it. \Vith all due respect to the prese-nt mombcr~, the greatest failures on Public \Vorb Commissions, public inquiries, and Hoyal Commissions arc members of Par­liament, simply because they have too many people to pleas" outside of Parliament, and have not the freedom of action which inde­pendent men have in canying out such activities as are required to be carried out in connection with a proper ,:;;ystf~rn of irriga­tion or water conservation. If such a svstom had boon introduced and caniod out t;Yentv or thirty year.::. ago, I venture to ;;:.a v w'c \vould never have had to go to An1crirci.

Mr. RY,\X: It is not too late now.

:\Ir. TAYLOH: :1\'o, it is never too !at0. Had this matter had the attention that it ~hould haYc had many ycnrs ago, the trc­nJcndous lo~~C'~ \vhicb have been incurred throughout Qur ens land b,v tho Jose. in st·. ck and crop3 at ,-arious tin1c·s \YOuld not haYe placed us in the position that wo arc in

to-da "· Anvthing in tlw way of a semibk. sound prop~sal fur the conservation of water· and for irrigation should I'ot bo made a party matter, but should have the atter.tion and intore,t of en'ry hon. member in the Uham­b2r. I welcome the fact that wo arc not going to have simply public servants control­linD' the scheme, but that a board of men hav'ing special knowledge of tho subject they arc dcaling with will bo appointed. Exports arc, gene-rally speaking, di~appointing. It i ...

quite a pleasant thing to hear on<• [7.30 p.m.] expert's opinion of another. If

you get a tradesman into your house to do a job. such as altering the water supply or eomcthing like that, he will tell you that the other fellow did not know any­thing at all about it, and that, to a very large extent~ is similar to the position which experts take up to-day.

The SECRETARY FOR PDBLIC INSTRUCTIO:\ : \Yhat is the remedy?

l\1r. TA YLOR: I must confes·- that we arc in their hands, and I do not know the remedy. \\' e have simply to exercise the greatest ca;·e in the selection of our men, so that we wrll get as good a return for the expenditure ::1~ we C'an.

Another matter referred to in His Excel­lency's Speech is the cotton industry. ThP Government arc for ever telling us what a splendid lot of "chaps" they have been; how much thcv have done for the cottoa industry; how thev- have set it on it; legs. It is no credit t,; anv Govermnent to do what thc>­have done ilr regar·cl to the cotton industry. It is one of dw fnncticn,, of the Govcrnm0nt to assist and encourage, as far as they pu~­siblv can. cyerv indmtrv in the State; and. jf there i::i one" n1a.n Ino'rc than another who deserves special mention in connection with tho cotto11 industrv, it is Mr. Crawford Vaughan. His name has not been mentioned in the llonsP in conn<'ction with the cotton industrv and vet he has done more in the' last twelve months for the industry than this GovernnHmt or any other Government haYe done in five :;cars.

The SECRETARY FOR HAIL WAYS: Rubb:sh : The GoYcrnment guaranteed the pric' of cotton.

Mr. TA YLOR: I do not claim to po~-0ss all the knowledge, like the hon. gentleman interjecting. with rf'gard to this matter, but I do know that twelve montfis ago thoro was no cotton grown in Central Queensland, and· to-day Queensland cotton is very near the British markl't for sale.

The SECRET.\RY FOR HAIL WAYS: Why·: Because the Govcn11nent guaranteed a pricP for raw cotton.

Mr. TA YLOH : I say those responsible for the position 1norc than the Government. >;r<' :\1r. Crawford Vaughan and the Bnt1sh Empire Cotton Growers' As.oociation. Twelve n1onth'3 ago tberr was practically no cotton in Central (Juc<'nsland, and there was no ginning plant. of any k_ind, but they bro.ug0t machiner ,r from Anir-rica and erected It 111

Rockhampton. unci to-da:·, as a remit of their pfforts. our cotton is vcr.v near the rnarket:" of tho world.

The PRE~.:rm: The two ginnurics b,·otqrht out hero WC'l'P th., rp,ult of-order; plac0d by the Qnp('n·> 1a nd GovC'rnrnent, and we entered into" an agrC'crnrnt with I\fr. V-,-aughau':-: cumpany to Prcc·t the Hla('hinrry.

Jfr.Trn;ior.,

[ASSE~IBLY.J Address in Reply.

Mr. TA YLOR : Thcv ha vc half a dozen uinnerics at work. I llayp :;;pnn tlw.n \vork­ing.

The PRE~!1ER: There are onlv two ginneries in Queensland. ·

Mr. TAYLOR: Tlw hon. gentbman may he talking of buildings, but I a,n talking of machines.

The PRE~IIER: There arL' two ginnf'ries, ;md all the machi:1ery in them wao brought <~ut here ltS the re-ult of orders place cl by the tJut•cnsland GoYcrnrn0nt.

Mr. TAYLOR: Placed on order b;; the Qucemland Government probably on ac•·ount of ~lr. Cra\Yford Vaughan.

The PRE~JI!:R: :t-~ o.

T'hc SECR"TARY FOR R.\lLWAYS: There was 110 cultiv ttion until the Govcl'llJnent guaran­teed a price of 5!, cl. per lb. for s0c>d cotton.

:\1r. TA YLOR: I give Mr. Crawford \ 7 au~han credit for the positlon a.s it exists ill (,cuccn~lancl to-dac··

'fbc Speech is not so remarkable for what i' says as for hat it ~oc·s. not say .. Ther'' i;:; not a sino·lc word 121 1t regarding the lHanufacture

0

0f CDtton into fabrics. Mr. STOPFOED: That is a Federal matter.

The Comma .wealth controls the tariff.

i\'Ir. TA YLOR: Then we may as well pass over all our ir1dustrics to the Federal Go­vcrnmeEt. I sav it is not a Federal matter. If we want t(; see tlJat industry solidly established in Queensland, th<'n it is time we got to work to soe what ''"c can do about ;nanufacturic g cotton into fabrics. \V e are ahvny::l ('Olnplaini.~g about the faet that we ~end· a'vay aJ our primary products to be made up in other parts of the world, and yet. here, when there is an opportunity of establishing a secondary industry, we do r:ot see o::c single rcfere~~ce in the S!wcrh to nnv attempt to pro",noto the manufacture of <'ot'ton into fabrics in Rockharnpb:Jn or any­where else. So far as secondary indu3tries are concerned. the Speech is lamentably deficient. I carnot see any reference in it which would give us any indication of the Gove1nme•1t's sincerity with regard to sccondarv industries. It is all vPrv well to ~o on er.couraging prirnary producflon. \Ve ~ll believe i", th1t, but we know the estab­lishment of sc•rondan industries is absolutely essential for the prosperity of the primary iEdustr· e,. \Ve have in l,lueensland to-clay anv amount of unemploved. \Ve haYe any amount of opportucities to engage in manu­facture, a"d yet we are losing the chance of a lifl'lime in that regard.

AnothPr matter in connection with the cotton indu•,try which I omitted to mention i' this-though I dare say the Government ar<l doing somethirg in the matter. We ought, n.s soon as ever we possibly can, to get hnld of men who have a special know­kdge of the cultivation of cotto~ in the great. cotton-growing countri0s of the world, ,o that we can protect the cotton from diseases wh'ch may attack the plantations. \Ve ]oavo been told that one of the reasons for the prcse t high price of cotton is because thP co'ton plant in America has been ntbtckcd by n weevil, "·hirh has given the indmtrv in America a seth"ck which it will t 1k0 y0fl r« to DYPrCOl11C. Thorcfo1·e, we want, if at all pnssible, to keep out these pests. \Ve know that in a climate like Queensland

[Mr. 'l'ayTor.

they thrive wPll once they gN a hold. \Yt· war;t to protect the industry and gin• it a chanC'C to get on its feet.

In the Governor's Speech teferonce is also n<adc to thf' ;.;u$.rar industry. \V c all know how \<L:; that industry i~ 'to the prosverity of Q"''""·'land. It is mote vital to this State than to an,. other State in the Common­wealth; bu~ how it is that people in the :-;outlwm C\tatL'o of Auotralia arc so blind tq thrlr ow~' intPrests as to "\vish the pt>escnt t~grt'Pnwnt .cancP1led, I fa11 to understand. :J,'_lary burough, Bu~;daberg, To'' nsyilh_·, l'airus, and other to,vns along our coast arP practical\,- dependent on the sugar industry f~._ r their existence, and the greater propor­tion of the manufactured articles which thev rolbtuuc ].::~ thof'C t.ovvns con1cs fron1 th'O St<Ctf's which are kicking up all this fuss. The people in tho South do not seem to rc·alisc that those towns in Queensland, which cxi~t as a result of the growing of sugar, re tlly obtain the greater proportion of thPir gocd, from the South. Of course, the "white ...:-\u_tTalin~' nuliC'v C{Hncs into the n1atter. B ·~·an~l~ Sir ~I-Iea~-y Ban\·dl happ0::ed to say t 'l't:lin things \Vith regard to a •• white ..c\us­t ralia" we ar(' told that the C\ ationalist party mod others on this side of the House "r" opposed to a "bite Australia. Men who ·'"·' tlnt know quite well that it is not true.

Mr. KIRW.\X: \Yhen <lid the:: change?

JUr. TAYLOR: They ha ye lWYer changed. I\1r. ULEDSOX: Quite correct ! They have

m•vcr <·hanged from the old kanaka days.

l\h. 'Li. YLOR: It is quite evidcEt that thn hr~n. rnen1ber"' wl-_o nre iLterjecting do not know tlw alphabet of thll coloured-labour bu~ines.-:. BPfore eYc-r thoro v; as a Labour party in Qu nslar:d, or in any other State in _L\..u~tndia. nwn lik(' Sir Sa. llucl Griffith adnwated a ,·:hit" ALrstralia and thD aboli­tion of co:oured bb,,m·; and they earriccl it cut.

l\1r. KIRWAX: \Y c introduced it.

l\Ir. TAYLOR: The slogan "White Au"'trall·t" alll\Caled to the Labour party, and they put it on thr·ir platform. but it \\ .._1:3 never off our platform. \Vo are not e-o hlind to the interest3 of tho Shb as to wish to sec a mongrel population settled in Queens. hlld; wt• are not so stupidly f, o!ish as that. \Ve knov; what has happened, and is happen­ing. in America and other parts of the world. \Ye have bren able to demonstrate lo the wholn of the world that it is practic· fl blP to grow sugar in the tropica1 areas o[ Queensland under white labour conditions, and EO far as we arc concerned tho;:e condi­tions will {'Qntinut\; but there ~re quite a lot of things we have to do in the dev0lop­ment of a white \u,tralirt. In the main­tenance of that policy there is a duty thrown upon us in Southern Queenslard and Southern A u ·tralia to see that the condit'ons under wh'ch the people in tropic>tl Australia are living- to-dav arc surh as wlll amplv compen­onlc the•n for the work the,· are doing. and Pnable them to enjoy th<> comforts to which thcv ar0 'entitled. Althou2'h the me,thods whieh h'we b0en atlopted hv the Common­wealth Goverwncnt nnd other Government~ h'•ve not satiofactorilv scttl0d Darwin and other parts of North Au<trnlia. that does not prove that the settlement of those particular ports of Australia cannot be carried out by wh'te 'llen. \Vc shall l•ave to change our methods, and be prepared to pay the price

Address in F!eply. [5 .JlJLY.] .lddress in Reply. :n

for making that change. It is not fair to ask me'; and women to go to the outposts of . -\uslralla to rear familic•' of white Aus­tralians undl'r the conditions which now cxi~t. The re~ponsi?ilit,y devDh-c" upon every n1an a.:nd Yvoman 111 the sDnthern part of tho con· hnent to M'( that tho;sf! conUitions aro im­proved, and th>tt the people there are acle­qnately pai~-1 for the- vrork they arc doing.

! \vonld hke to spC'ak about tropical indus­tnu generally. \Y r have provC'd that we can grow cugar. Last SPsoion I quotP<l the flgures given hy 1\Ir. 1\tlas~v Gr:-ene in the Federal Parlianwnt \Yhcn discu~sing tho Federal tariff. in so far a:;: tlY"' rocoa bPan was concerned i11 tho rnanufactnrp of confpc­tionery. The quantity of cocoa h·ans imported irto Australia for the manufactnrP of confoctionel'Y is simpl~r staggQring. a11d I ask the SccrPtary fnr _\griculture to llnd out if we cannot grow the cocoa bean in tropical Queensland \Vc do not want to be absoiutclv dependent on the one inclu<trv titc>rc>. \V~· want to fi~1d out jf \Y0 C':.l111(;t grow oih(T crops becidc,; sugar that will hdp to dc•volop 1'\orthern Qucensiand.

Mr. FERRICJ<S. You 11ever took 1Llss Groone as an authority about t:he propaga­tion of ~ugar ratoons.

Mr. T •\ YLOR : I did not quotl' Cl"' assy Grec'ne as an authoritv. If the hon. mPmber woulcl listen. he woulZl seo that I a:u simply quoting· figures which l\Ir. Massv Greene quoted when the tariff wa~ bejno- ·discuss~d. c.:.s to tbn f'!Uantity and Yahv:o of ~Of .la beans import0d into Australia. l\h. l\Iassv Groeno PXprcssC'd no opinion as to their c1lltivation in Queensland.

1-1r. FERRICJ<S: He ,,aid somothiug- about the planting of sugar ratoons.

Mr. 'I'A YLOR: I am simply raising- the <]Uestion as to what mig-ht be another profit­able industry to establish in Qucensl>tnd. and I think it is worthv of our consideration. The figures in rci{arcl to the importation of cocoa beans are stag-~erin~ in their nlagni­hule. and one would not have thought that ~~nch a trernpuJon~ quantitv of this conlmo­dity was imported into Australia for the manufacturo of confectionorv. \Vo all know that a rnn ~nHiccrt factory ls lH:--ing built in Tasmania bv C'adbun's and one or b,-o other British firm; "'•,ociat~d with the mannfact·uro of sweet". I taln> it that the reason thev have g-Onl' to Tasmania is on at·count of thO witablo climatic conditions there :md easv access to watN. Our Department of Agricui­ture should sec if it is not possible for us to produce sweeb c:ommcrcially w that thc:c· mav be manufactured fro~ Queonsland­!!rown cocoa bf'allS. We have inst passed throuo-h ··Australia Week," and it was quite eefreshing to see in the ,-arious shops in Brisbane the stocks of articl0s mannhctured in Qupcnsland and other parts of Australia. I would like to go one step further. Instead of having only one week every vear in which to displav the industrie,; and 'manufactures of Quoc>nsland. I would sug<rest to the Cham­bPr of "'1anufacturers and the manufacturers of Queensland that thrv should arr01we to have one continuous exhibit of their I;:;anu­fecturc" in Brisbane. TownsYi!lc. Rockhamp­ton. a.nd oth<>r prmcipa I cil"ic's. 'l'lwre should be one in Ouefln ~trect. ill Brisbnnc. ( )ur people would then be able to see nur pro­ducts, and to pnt t'noir rnonPv into our industries. \V e talk about 0 :ono!1w but the £rl'Patest ~eron?my tlw people of Qt;Pensland can practise IS to spend nll the mon<'v thPy

po~~ib1y eau on Australian-mado go~ds, and t;ot send ~o n1uch rnoncv out of the Lotnmoll­wealth, as th('y a.re doir;g at the prP~ent tin1e . tu bring in articles which we could produce oursolvc>. If the people won!J only stnnd bc>hind the manufacturing interests, greate1· pm;peritv \voulc! ensue to the State. But it is ill('tunlJent on those' "\Vho arc nu1nufacturing good:5, as W('ll as on the consumers, to bring before the people the fact that they are providillg' an articlE': second to none in thP Commomvcalth. vV<' should thus stimulatP our manufactm·0s and make conditions better­in <•very po.<sibl0 direction for the whole of the people of Austmlia.

I v,ould like now to refer to the Brisb<1rt<' Tram\\ a vs Bill. I do not kno .v whether the Govenurlt)nt have seen the latest reports on the ;\lcwcastlP tramways, but if not. the• WO!lC'r thev do so the better. The:; will get frorn thP reportr the experts' opinion with rega.rd to a rigid road tramvvay, such a:-< Pxists in Brisbane to-day. Anyone who tra.vels in Australia--probably not eo much in Quecnsland as in other parts of the Com­monwealth-must realise the value of good roads and the motor sYstem which is being introduced, more particularly in New South \Yales. The goocl roads and the motor system thCI'Q are ~"in1pl,y ousting the railways. rfhert• i~ a railwav line of 50 miles from Tamworth to Barrab~. in ~ew South \Vales, but it rnotor service \Vhich is running between thes<· towns is simply pnshing the railway out of existence.

The SECRET.\RY FOR AGHrCl.:LTT:RE: It Is " v.'OJ?dcr yonr part:c have not adopted a road policy.

:.VIr. TAYLOR: "'P have not had a ohancP ::o far. but \Vf' \Yill hnve a road policy yet. T SllJl!lOrt that polic,,-_ Anything that is fm thP bem•iit of Qu<'enslancl I will support ever,· tinw.

The SECRETARY FOR AGRIC1;LTURE: Then you support th0 Labour party"?

:VIr. TAYLOR: Not on your life. Tlw Governrnc!:t ar0 not rHc'nared to handle th<' tran1wav·" thC'nl~C'lvc" .. ~ rl1he Government are proposing to intl'Oducc a Bill for the forma­tion of u tru~t. to carry on the tram\Yay~ in Brisbanr•. rThey recognise that it is a " gone" cont•f•rn, and they do not want thP reeponsibility thrust upon them of making a success of it. The Government know quite well that they could not. make a success of the trams. and that is why they arc pro­posing to hand the• business over to the local authoriti"'· Tlw local authorities will not make the trams pay either.

Mr. Gr.EDRO~: You are a local authority n1an.

Mr. TAYLOR: My reasons for saying tnat are beransC' of tlw report I read in connflction with the :\'ewcaslln Tramways, and because of the striclPs which motor transit is making· i:1 the l"l'ge't cities of the world at th(, prc-sont tinw. \V c need not go to the largo­cities of the world, but wo can go to cities in Australia. to SC'f' the suecoss of 1notor tran­sit. You lHtYP oitly to go to Rockhampton, and a1sn to Toowoornba. to see what the nwtor 'busPs ~n·p doing tbcrc. You do not 1vant to go to ?\"7P\YCa~t1e or to London. because vvp have ('Vidcnec of the sucress of n1oi·or transit at· oul~ vcrv doors. Yet, a Bill is going to be intrcdured to foist llw S'--stcn1 that <•xif't~ at thP nrPsent t!1nP on to the local aulltorit ies. Th~ GoYcrnment wilt say to the local authorit-Ies, " B ere arc the~

111 r. Tnylor.l

. , "'

A.ddress i11 Htj!l!f . \S:'\E~lBLY.i

Tran1H. You will have to makt' a :-.UCCP:3S of

the1n.'l As soon as tlw lo<al authorltiP:-~ t._d:t!

1 hPnl over thPn' t\-ill lw a ri:w i•_t t1H' farC'~. l toll tho people of Bris\>alll' th:d. and l guarantee that I am right. They wi11 not run the trutn\vays for bvPlre nh1nth~ L.cfoJ.'P thE' fares are Ul~ ld. Jt would be 1nllnrtei_v· better if the Gon~rnmcnt gayc the present owners an oxt0n::;;ion of the fran~~hi~, ~- Jt wonlcl hrrn> bcc•n better i'til\ ;{ ih" loc,,l n nt horitiC's had ac{~Ppted t hP a rrangPnl "lJt I nt bP fore thmn by the TrannYa~-s { fmnpany ~omo .n•nrs ago. The Trarnways Cornpa-11~· offered the local authorities in the 1mtropolit<m area n partnership in the Lusin0s3 \Yithout askirJf_.., them to put up "ny ca•-h at nil. lf the local authoriti03 vrerc lJfE'I>a red to grant thc' eorn pany an extcn~ion of th(' fra1ldti3l' alont; their roads, ihe eornpany was JW~'lHll'Ct1 tt'

gi\·n thl'rn a ~bare in t1ll' profits l!!Ll di·n­df'ndc;;. It v;as a profit-nlaki:lg ('OHL'Pi'll thPll, and it has been a profit-rnakinl!; 'Hn't:'fn fol' the last fifteen years.

The l'llE,HER: 1'h<> s!tareholdel'o in tlw Traun\ ays Con1pan~' \Yf'rP to bP w, 'HlL·nnt cd their proftt.s for all time.

::IIr. TAYLOR: Tlw local authorities would not go lnto the business o;1 that occasion. ff thoy were not satisftecl with tlw .agreement offered then':! by ::VIr. Badger, the.'· should have told him that they wc·re not prepared to accf•pt the agrec1nent. and l\lr. B:-tdger \Yonld ha vc been 1Yillinp; to rneet thcn1, and probahl.v would have altered it to Sllit tlw local authol'itics, becau~C'. at that tin1C', thP Trarrn\·a~.:;; Cornpan.v vvel'l' anxious to get an Pxt.Pnsion of tho frauehi:-('. I was on a local authority then, alld I know that the local authorities would not l'Y~n discuss the proposaL

::Vlr. STOPFORD : liow did you vote'!

-:\fr. TAYLOR: There was no Yote taken, but I SU!:Jported it, and I would support it again to-morro\v, as I wa~ in favour of the local authorities going into partHcrship with the rrra1nwa:·s Company.

The HoME SECllETA!lY: Arc you sure you 'llpported it?

Mr. TA YLOR: Quite sun'. I .always reckoned that. the local authorities made a great mistake when they turned down that proposal, because every local authority in the metropolitan area would haye boon in it, a,nd th~y would have been receiving thou­sands of pounds in royem1e, whieh it would not have cost them a penny to collect. Thcv would have been assured of getting thoi" profits every year provided they \ven' pre­parC'rl to give aYI Pxtcn~ion of the franchis(• to the Trnnnvays Cornpany.

The l!O}!£ SECHET.\RY: Do you really think that 1\Ir. B1dgPr would ~.riYc u,n~7th1ng a\vay fo1· nothing ?

:\fr. T~\YLOR: All I c·an '"Y in regard to that is, that v:hen the papPrs were placed before the local authoritiPs, theY were showll quite clPnrly what the,- could ;,xpcct in the> way of rC'YC'TillC' at that padiC'n1ar ti1nc.

1_'~he· PRL:\IIER: That agrf'PnH•nt practit:a1h· guara~:tN)d i hC' shareho1clPr:-> thPir UYCrage

profit~ for all tiiHe.

::\Ir. 'I'.\ YLOR: _\nd it practicall.1· guaran­tec•d to the local authoriti0s that th<>v would get profiG for all tin1('. ~

The HOME SECHETARY: That proposal gave th" rwoplc of Brisbane the right to hang· .o~l to straps in the tran1s for t1w re~t of thC'ir liYC.'".

[ilfr. Taylor.

::VIr. TA YLOR: \Yr· had to sit on l h et.<' .s it1 tl!P railway C'HI'!'iage thl' orll('r day b('cau~~· tlwn~ '''a:-- 110. rooJn juside.

::\Ir. RY.\:\: Yd, .''ou <'o·ui'lain that th<' tr:tins al'l~ rnnniug Plllpt_\·.

:\lr. TA YLOR : The hon. lll<'!Illwr !IPYt'r hr•ard l1H' r'c'Htpl:tiu ahont th(' 1rnin~ l'Hill1i!l.!2:

en1pty. \Ye l-1:-tYP ncrr. got \Yhat ]:-; J.::··o··.n a~ tlw

ullicaineral system. \Ve ban• wlpPd out the Gppcr Ilou~P, at:d \\'C' arl' now a singl0 ChambPr. If ~·ou go through the list of Bills in the GoYcrnor's SpcPch, you will fmd thirt<>cn or fourteen provosed amending Bills. After all the trouble that \Yas taken here in going through the first, second, and third reading·s, and Con1mittec stages, and after going through it all ag-ain in the Upper Ilouse, we find that we haYc got thirteen or fonrtccn Acts that require amending.

::VIr. FERlllCKS: That is wh~· tho>'C amen~­lTIL'llts nrc nPcc•ssarv-bec:tusc the Council interfered with the uoriginal lnCasures.

:vir. T _\ YLOR: When this session of Par­liament is oYer-I understand it is only going to last n week or so-(laughter)-and we come back ngain in thP next session of Pnr1ian1C'nt. there will be some more amondi~g Bills. \YI' shall find, when the next Parliament meet;;, that there will be an amendment of cyery Bill that is pass<•d throul{h the Chamber this 20.;~io11. That is 1n:v opinion of "hat iR going to happen. To-da:v. certain qu::-~tions w~rP askr~d with rf•O"arcl to reductions 1 ;1 sa1ane~. It ;, onh· a fair thine: that, if the public son-ant::;; ;1nd other pco}J1P outside a.re going to haYe their salaries rc·duced, we should start at th0 top of the tr<>o and reduce thC' ,;alaries of ::V1inistcrs and members of Pm·lia· rnent.

0PPOSITJO:\ ?llE>IBERS : He·ar, hcar t :\Ir. TAYLOR: If the cost of living ha.­

~one ·down for the v,orkcrs outside, thc•n it has gone down for rrtcn1bcrs of Parlianwnt. (Hear, hear!) It is onlv a fail' thing tu use th€' pruning knifC' ri~ht through. Tb(' Premier >'aid during tht· last fe\Y days that the ontlcok finanrj ally is not too good. and he propo~cs certain cconomiPR. \V Pll. tlu' cconmni()S sl1ould be started in hPl'P. Cut out the free raihYa y pa'"'-St's which were given to our ,vin·s. and Cut out tlH' free raihYay passes rrjypn to mr-n who haY(' bPPtl in Parliament for three Parliaments. and aho cut out thP free passes which were givcn to the> cx-mcul­hers of the Leg·i,latiw Ccuncil. If th<' GoYcrnrr1ent an~ ~-sinc·crc in thcjl' df'sirc for N·nnomy at all. let them plav the g"me. Tlw GoYerni::nent prdns to b,., the friend.' of tlw '\vorkerc;;. ThPY sav thcv are thP frwnd.::. of the 111en who haYe ~to wOrk and toil for th0ir living. TheY arc not the friend' of thP workn' at aiL If tlw Government want to show thcil' >incerit.v, they should >'tart their ecollOlnies hPr0 and Jet u.; all sufft'l' a, l'educ­tion in our sal a rir<;,[.

OPPOSITION :\IniDEllS: Hoar. hear! The PRE:YIIER (Hon. E. G. Theodore,

Chil!'t[JOC), whu ,ya;.; l't'CPiYt'<l with Gon~rn­JD1'nt cheers, said: Two hon. n1E'1~1bcrs havr~ spoken on the opposite side of tlw Jlouse. o1v i'epre·~pntjng the Countr~, part~7 ' • n.ud a pp:~· rn1tlv be \Vas delcrra.tcd to that dutv b~· the• ll adc;r of thP Con;1tn- nartv, ancl thP othe,. ~JH'RkPr wns thP lr•ade;. ?f the ~ation(~li~t parJ·y. ~f)ithr>r of tht•rn '--<aH1 an~,thn~g rr£ta1n~r the {;o,·,·rnnJt'nL ::\C'ithr>r of the1ll d{•t.dt. lll a 11 '

Address in Hepl!f· [3 ,Jn>.]

·:ft't•di\ way, fron1 a critivalpoint of Yi('W, a.J. auy ratt•, w1th t11o progranurw plact>d before 1lwrn for ibis ~e:s-ion. The" hon. rnembPr who ha~ ju~t Hnished hi~ ~pPct·h hardl.v refprrcd to thr· Guverllor's Speech at all. In fact, he wao hard put to it to continue• hi, 'l'L'ech for a ln1ost an hour in hi~, attack upon tlw Govorn­HJlint. I will repl:;· to !'P\·orn 1 n1atters ho n•fc'rrPd to after I haYc refPrrcd to the rPmarki of the hon. mt'mb0r for OxlPv. 'l'lw 1110mber for Oxley occupied a unique iJosition

thi~ e\·ening in rpplyi11g to the l d p.rn.] Govornrncnt progranHne on behalf

of thE? Count1·~y party, and onP \'"t:uld hAve oxpl~CtPd !:o hear front hirn sorne ('Oil~trnctl\·c SU[gC'.;,tion or rritici::-:m, if ho did not agree ,vith it, i11 regard to th0 Govern~ uwnt's agricultural poliC'y. Th(~ hon. Jt!emhor, l undorotand, spok<• for his full t imo. an cl his "]'oech amounted to nothing more no!' lcq thau a bittor. Yih·iulic reaction­<l rv attack on thP n1Cn1bers of t ho UoYcrn­m;;nt. If ono \YPnt back over the pa.ge~ of .. I-fansard" for a fe"'\Y years and se>ught out :.;pecehos of the true 1·epresentative type of Tory politicians in the old cla:•cs, when Pvorything that emanated from Labour was anathon1a ill thPir rninds. one could not ha vc got a better spt>ech or one~ less founded on rca~ou or ju~tificahon than that or the hem. rrwmb0r to-night. He spok0 of rho Labour party having· stolen the Country party's thunder. Ho us0d this phrase. or something like it: that the policv which we arp now placinf! before the coud,rv. and the policy on which we arl' appealing- to the fi>,rm~lS for &upport. is the VPry policy which the Country party has been advocating· for years. vYh.v. he ha< only bPc·n in the Countrv party a woek or h·o, and I nndorsbmd that, when ho left the ::\ationalist party the .. Courier" referred to it as a " political prD,·ol:·tising stunt" on his pa.rt.

~lr. ELPHIKSTO:s'E: vVhat <lo vou think about it?

The PRE'VIIER : From what I hPard of the hon. rncmbcr's specch0s last sc"'.sion and tlv:- ~r<;"-,ion before, when h<~ wa:-; cmuncia.ting tho Nationalist prnty's policy, 1vhcn he said that the :\' ationalist party'" polio~' was all that was roguirC'd to satisfy all section of the

. people in Queensland, I am rlriven to think that his action is contemptible. because it was apparently tr1kcn to bring nbout his own 1 lPrsonal aggrandi~cnHmt.

:VIr. ELPHIK8TOKE interjected.

The PREMIER: I ha Ye not chang-ed mv opinion on that point. I shall read the hon. mc-rnbcr's O\VI! staten1cnt in M<'lbourne. \\'hich he did not think would be reported in print in the local newspaper' hPn'. TherP he mad0 a speech, or gavt' :n: intPrYif'w, to the roprcscntati1·e of the l\IclbotJrn<' "Age." and he gayc thi.; as. t1Jc l', al l'Pa~·on "·hy he di"ociatc-d himself from tlw Nationalist part\-

" Mr. Elphinston<' l'X]Jlrciricd that, al­though the Cm1ntr:-~ party "'\vas numeric­ally the stronger of the anti-Labour forces, it yet lacked strong leaders. Its mc·mbers po·· ossed sound knowledgT on put/ic f]Llfstions. but lackPC! adminis­trati \'C :Lbilitv. In the caGe of the N ~tiono list party the opposite ob­t tuned."

.-\ppal •nt1y tho Nationalit~t:-; had 110 sound knPr" on publie quc.:.:;ti~lll..;, hut th0v had a.d!nini rnt1vo .·hi lit~'. (Go,~Prnnwnt 1augh­t0J'.)

Mr. T. R. RonEHTS: Ho is apparently hurting :vou.

The PREMIER: I am sugg-esting that he is hurting- hon. lllC'mbcrs. He is evidently hurting the "Courier," to judge from their bitter attacks on him. This is really well worth the notice of the Country party-I cor~tinue to quote fro1n the hon. member's remarks to the Melbourne "Age" r<'portcr-·

" The Conntry part,·· n'cogniscd this, and it wa~ at their request that he, Mr. Elphinstone, had recently gone over from the Nationalist party, although he had been elected for a town seat."

l\fr. ELPHTNSTO:s'E : That is exact! v what you would like to do. but you have rwt got the pluck. (Government laughter.) Be a man ; con1e over !

The PREMIER : If I had wished to come over. all I need ha,-e -done was to accept one of at least half fL dozen invitations that you know of. (Government laughter.)

Mr·. IHoRGAN : I do not think there is any truth in that last statement of yours.

The PRE:WIER : I will reiterate it. At !oast half a dozen times in the last two years J haYo bPf~n [0 inYitcd h~· pcrsonf' \Yho said they had authority-(Opposition laughter)-I must accept their word. because they repn!sented hon. members on the oppo­side side-who said tlH"" had authority to sounc! !llP on the qu(,."tion. (Oppos!tion laughter.)

Mr .. J. H. C. Rom:ms: Name them! The PREMIER: I could name them. On0

of thPm mid he \vas acting for tho Northern Country party. (Laughter.) They said they had full authority to conduct negotiations with the idea of my forming a new pro­grcssi vo party in Queensland. "hich they said would "''cm·o from the Opposition the most reasonable men on that sid0.

Mr. MoRG.\N: Name one of them. The PREMIER : 'The hon. member whose

remarks I am criticising adopted the role that he initiated last vear, whic.h was quite a change from thq attitndc he took up when ho came here first. Then, it will be remem­bered. the hon. member was inclined to be somewhat rc"·1sonable and rational. and on more than one occasion g-ave credit to the Government for "'-'rtain things thev did, and to individnal Ministnrs for tlw conrso they adopted; but I undcrshnd that the hon. member has becm told that. if he wants to rnake anv proQ"ress in Opposition. hn must opnosc evcrythin?: that emanate:, frorn the Labour party, denounce the Government on everv occa~inn, and never admit th0y do anything right.

Mr. ELPHTNS'l'OKE: I h~.vc ncvPl" found them do am-thing right yet.

The PRE:\HER: That seems to sum up the ]Josition. (me woulrl have exnndcd that the· Country partv would at: least have given its blessing to that part of the Gov0rnment programme which -deals with the reforms for the man on the land. and "'\V11 lch is int0nded t.n np]ift ~vrirn1 tu1'(' :111d pla•·0 it on n nc\v ba"j" in Qttr'ons1nnd. Bnt in:-;tC'ad of thif. tiw ho". member for 0-xlc'" ind;Jlges in the fa11lt-findin~r ::~nd carpi~H.,. crltir;Fm of a l¥11111 v;Tl1o 1~ opp0""rl. tD f'V.f'rYthinr- th"t enmc~ fro1n Luhnur. l1~\'t'll ;JIJ ag-ricu1tnra1 news­l)'IIH'l' ~n('h q..; tl1(~ '· Prodne('rs' Ilevicw "­(Onro :ti('n ht1~thtPl')--

:Wr. BERBJXGTOX: A Labour paper!

ll on. E. (/. Thmdore.]

40 Address in Reply.

Tlw PRE:\IIER: I firmly believe it is IF•connng rt Labour papc•r, hut it is ~till the official organ of the Queensland Fanners' 1-.-uion.

Yrr. BEBBTXGTON: No.

The PREMIER: And the hon. member and others tried to get it displaced.

Mr. BEBBINGTOX : I did not, but I would do it.

The PHE:\1IER: Tho "Queensland Pro­ducer~' R.Pvir''\V" is the official org-an also of the 1JnitcJ. Cancgrov;,'crs' Association.

11r .• J. H. C. ROBEBTR: Did von not ar­range a secret moetine with the editor of the .; Producers' R.oview "?

The PR!~MIER: Anrl the hon. member for f'ittsworth is ar:othcr "·ha went round among the farmers trying to get it dislodged from rts pos1bon as the official organ of the Queensland Farmers' Union.

Mr. J. H. C. ROBERTS: It will be dis­lodged; make no mistake about it.

The PREMIER: I do not think it will be dislodged.

Mr. J. H. C. RonERTR: Tell ns about some of the 'ecret meetings you had when you went through to Sydney.

JYlr. BB:BBINGTON: And then. again, did you not send for the editor to help you with your poli~y?

Tlw PHEMIER: Tlw. " Pl'Odneer,· H . \~iew " i~ still rPpn~::'iCllting a -,·r_·~-v l~nu:·~~ body of farnH:'l'.3 in Qul~Pn:,~Und, ~tnd ~s ~loi;Ig' ~t vad arnount of go]d for thn <tgriculturul 1ndustry.

GOVERNMENT MEMBEHS: Hear, hear!

The PRKWIER: It is a " Producers' Hevi v.." If nn_·urLc apart. 1~vn1 the Gu':Plll­J~1ent deseno_s credit for tho policy which hnds ex:,re,,sJOn 1n the Speech, it is the " Producers' Review," for it has advo~ated and pn_r:::ucd a sound policy, and has not l)_cen~-hke hnn. IDPmbc•r:-; oppos:"to-con~t.ltu­tl~nally and absolutely opposed to ovory­thmg Labour, because Labour happem to be in office. It has been ahlo to take a broad v!ew of questions rdating to agri­eulturc m Queensland. It is broadminded enough to accept assis!ance and co-operation m carry111g out a pohcy for tho farmers in Queensla_nd, no matter from which quarter that pohcy emanates, so long as those who a dvanct' it are s;nc0r0 in thf•ir <h"~i1·n to carry it cut. ThP hon. n1r>1nhc-:· fer Pitts­;-vorth ju'-'t llC;W by interjection a·~ked JilP how 1t 'vas that. I had arrang-od SPC'r0t nH~0tincrs with the editor of thP " Producei'9' H~>YiPY\1.'"",, In case thcrP n1ay be SOlTIC rni:-:;nndl'1'·l"'lWl· ing-. I want to say plainlv that I haYc rnrt :\lr. llnrri~on. the editor': ll• <camp down to se,:' tlH': W<' discussed matters of polic,·. and subsccnu_'rth~ I a~kr>d hln1 to 1 )iiJP dr·wn and see me again. vV e have met on many occasions. He also has met the Secretarv for Agricnltur<>. I have accepted his adYiee on some occa:;:ions. IIiR knowledge is sound, and his advice alwavs worthY of serious con­sideration. \Vhy should we' not accept that U'rlVlCC? He io editor of the " Producers' Review," which circulates throughout the le!!gth. m:d brea,dth of Queensland, and I tlunk rt rs the most reprcsentatiYc acrricul­tura] journal in Queensland to-dav. "

:\Ir. BEDPJxGTOx: Xo. .

'l'!w PHK~IIER: Jlo hon. rwmb<•rs on that ~idc sugge"t that tho l'ditor shnnJc1 not

fHon. E. G. Theodore.

.iddrcss m Reply.

PH'Pt d1t' Pn'nJier or a ::\linistcr, and that he !'lrould nor di~cusf:. qnc;:;tions of poliC'y vvhieh his paper i~ adYocating vrith those \vho havp th" power to put them in operat'on? 'I'hat is thP sugg·p:-:;tion ·wh:ch hon. rrwmbers oppo· ~ite UHtk<'. Talking· about· si11ist.or influences, let. m<• relate this to the Chamlwr: Since tho '· Producer'' R<'vicw" adopt d the line> of policy it has followed during· the last yoa1· or t\Yo, since it fonnd that the Govern­ment \i\'Cre developing an agricultural policy upo11 Hw lint's it ha·d bc.'en advocating. t.hp hon. rn."mb<•r for Pitt"Yorth has tried to " ckull-clrag" the cd:tor of that journal.. Th[~ bon. nH'rrlber b td ,,pccjal n1ecting,, called an·ono· branches of the Queensland Fanner.;;' - l·..-:i;ion to tr and clisn1acc tlH' c>clitor. \\"hen he could, not accomt);ish that, he tri. cl to get the Qtccnsland Farmer"' -Union tn d('n1ar" the "PrC'd'l('(1 rs' Revi0w ,. not to be the ollicial org-an of the Queensland Farmers· l:nion. He failed in that; and he has usPd L'VC'rv -device. so I und-:-rstand, to throw di;-<crr·~lit npon th'1 " Prod.uc Pr~· Review " and upon the editor.

J\~Ir. .J. 1-I. C. RoBERTS: You "~kull~ dragged" th<' Gov,.rnment Printer in th<' same wav that vou sav I tried to "~kull­

]~l:~r~·t:y: .. ,, t.h' cdhor o.f the " ProducPr:->~

The PREMIER: Hon. members opposite, have tried to get the farmen to influence the political policy of the editor of the " Pro­ducers' ReYiow," and have pointed out at meetings which have b<>en reported that the­" Produc0r~' Revic•w" oug·ht to be f:Quclrhed. brf'ausc it \Vas supporting the Labour policv.

Following· out the !in:' of policy which Labonr ha~ a-dvocaU'cl CV{'r slnce it has been in offiec•-that is, n~aEonab:c, fa.ir, and mtional tn'utment, fm the man on the land­which io represPntcd on the statute-book h~-80 or 90 rn·-a,;urc"' dc·aling \\<th refurrn.'"' for tlw rn<tn on tlif' ]awl. we further devclorwd' our policy this Y<'lll'. 1 outli!lcd the Govem­rnent.'s p~nus in a spper·h at L1idl0y, f_urt.h~·t at Lowood. and wb't'qucntly c"n the Down''· \Yhat cli~l bon. n1 rnhcrf\ ~'!Y 8ftE'r I hnd InallP those speeches? Tlwy said they were on!: SO lfl<lllY \HJl'd:i: they WPrC 01Jly 'ipCPChL':-.

intcnt.led to tickl0 the CJ. rs -of th _ )lector:-, bccnust:> \H' Wt'l'l' cxpt>cting an early _]1ect.iou. "nd th<"" could f''C]Wct nothing from this Go' 'l'lUllt~nt.

1-Ir. ELPHI);f'TOXE: Except comn1nnisn1. The PHE::\IIER: To show our bona fides

in regard to that n1attPr, \,'\ c have put our policy, ur an' putting it. now, into operaiiou. It i;;; bccauAP w·e h::tve made such great btridPs in putting that policy into 0'1Cl'll­

tion, becauf-:. th:~ Gov('-rnlncnt a..re bPing· 'llpported in that policy by bhc farmcrs­,·.-ho wili htlJPfit undt'J' it-that hon. mcmb L'

opposite find themselves so discomfited to-da ·.. H is nuite dear that. to carry mlt, the r'omprchcn~~;, ' po1icv out lined, to bring· about a real uplifting of agriculture, to giw the farn1c-r ·tlll' etat.ns he one_ht to occup~· in tlH1 corr:Jnunily, to give tho 1na11 toiliu_g· en th0 laud a fair rcnlunf'rnti<'n for lu~ tc;l-to ,.,lJTv a policv of that kind fully into cffc·ct i:::~ going to take. not a week, a n1onth) or a y rrr. b'Ut a long series of .: cars. ;But W<' 111 11-~t ~tart sonleWhf'rt.'. It is rerogn1~C'd ihat un:l<•r such a policy we will get no g·1·C'at dist'llH'f' unl0ss it is backed up and forc:'<l en b-,- th<' farmer•>: themse]yes. Tlwv n 1 u~t haY crganisat·ioll in order to do th~!t: rhP.v must haYP nl'gan1s.·-:tion in orcle1· to b~'('O~llf' at·t-;('t!l<lh'. in onlc1· to supply thP

Address in Reply. [5 Jur.Y.] Addl'c'> in Reply.

force to influe~we Purli-uncnt. public op1t~lon, and cvcrvthinp; cls.:'. An cfl'ectlvc hasis Df organisation has hl··:'ll adoptc•d b~r the far~ nlC'l ,,' rC'fH'(~~cnt.Lti Yt' ., and j~ llf'ing pnt into npcratio11 with the ;r~",i.-;tnnct~ of the GoYcrn­mmd~. That organi:·mhon i>. not intondc·cl to disC'omfit ho11. nwnlb,•rs opposite; it is not intend• .l to clisplac • any political organi· satic;n \Vhic1t hon. n1cn1lH'r:-: ntnv desirf' in country districts. That iei entirely' apart from the intention:-; of t.h:' GoYerJnnPnt, vvil:ch really aim at an uplifting n1ovcnH'nt mnongst the farn1.ers. VV c vYant an organisation which rnu5-t be ke1>t ab:o:nt~,]y separaTe fror11 poli­tical fad-ions and polit:c .• l cxploitaticn. That i~ vvhat hon. lDPrnbt:_•rs opposite do not li.kf'.

The SECRETARY FOR AGRICl'LTC:RE: Get b0-hind it ! It is your only hope.

The PREMIER: The Government have shown their sincerity by assisting the farmers to establish an organisation which will bo entirely farmer-eo .. trolled, which will not be controlled by politicians, hy GovelTl'HCnts, or by Parliaments. From the local branches, i hrough the district councils, right up to thc council of agriculture, thf' f:Jrn1ers \rill be in control of every unit of their organisation. There can bP no chargP aga1nsi· the Govern­nJ.ont thttt we are ereating a 1nachine to be mod politically. Since the sehemc has bc•m outlined and the org·anisation Lunched, I have recnivcd from eYPl',Y part of Queens­land hundreds oi letters from men directly concorncd-mon who will benefit under this . ·-chemc. pas~ing cncon1iums upori the schf'n1o, praieing the GovornmPnt for their efforts, and, generally, offering their support. This i,- a typical letter addrPsscd to my colleague, the Sr cr:ta;·y foe A[;Ticu!turc. by Mr. Harris, who is the Sccrebn of the Dov;ns Co-opera­tive Dairy Company. This is the reply to an intimation that the Conncil of Agriculture had made a change in regard to the personnel of the Advisory Board appointed for the dairy industry, and had ckcidcd to merge the• Advisory Board into the Cnunci I of .\gricul­turr. Mr. Han·is was a member of the Advisory Board, and was one who was left out vv-hcn the nH~rging· took plarf'. Ile said--

" l am ~trict1v in accord with the act~on taken in rrducif:g th0 number of the Inem­bf'rs of tho Ad,,isory Board and the Agriculiural Connril. 'and, to m." mind, it is a wise move• for the Advisory Board to act as the daininQ· section on the Agricultural Connci'l; 'this wculd have been tlw correet thing in the first place, but ratlwr unfcrtunatch· the confercncD decirl{'d othcr\Yise. I cx~1 a>:·:m.rr- vou that I will ('Ontinuc to give 111~' ut.mo;;t~ support to bring to a ~Ucre-.sful issu0 t;hc sC'hmnc ontlined by Mr. Thnodorc and yourself at the dairying- confcn·nce lwld in Bris­bone <m 24th March la··'. and I will also give 1ny actlvo Assistance whore necessary. to bring- this rnovenlc'"'t to a succes:du1

is.:ue, b0cnu:;;:c, to m)' n1ind, it is the most eonlpl·rhf'lJ:;lvr :Jnd h:-'nC'ficial t-·chcme of organi,atic'l yot put before the hrming community.''

GovERNi\fF.XT 1\lE:\IBERS: I-T ear, hl)ar r

Tho PREMIER: Thoro is onlv one other reference I vvant to n1ake. Thero is a reference in that !otter to the dairy con­ference.

Mr. li'LETCHER: \Y c clo noi criticise the scheme; the '<:hem<' is good enough.

Tlw l'RE.l\IIEH: The hon. member mu,;· I\{)t critici:"."" the s.chcmP, but s0me of hi'"' col1C>aguc~ ]n the Country party are going l'ound the country trying to torpedo thu schcnlf\. The hon ID8'T1bcr for Plttsworth. the' hon. n1crnlwr for Dra:vton, and even th( hon. mr-rnber for 2'\anango have gone round' actiYch· trying to urdcrmi·•o the basis of this sriwmr~. (Oppo'ition interruption.)

Mr. EDWARDR (Ta,.,an(lo): I rise to ,., point of order. The statement made by th" Premier is absolutely incorrect.

The PRE;iTIEE: I drew my d0dudior1s from information in regard to the ho11. n1crr1ber's attitude--which was given at Hiecting;:; of farrners in the N anango district.

Mr. EDWARDS: Sec how careful you ought to be. You 'trc misled by your own oupportcrs.

The PREMIER: No. If I am misled, I am misled by farmers in the.hon. member's district.

1'lr. ED'.·.'ARDS: Your own supporters.

The PREMIER: If the? have bccomC' our supporters,' I am very pleased to hear it. I assure th0 hon. member that it is fr~Jin his own district, and from farmers takwg an active part in this' ~chcme, .that I have learned that be is trymg to discourage and undNmin0 the scheme.

Mr. 1i;DWAHilS: That is untrue .

The PREMIER: If the hon. mcmbcL" i.< supporting the scheme, I am very glad to hear it. If hon. members are what they ]Jr<'tend to be. if they r.epresent tne farmers and are desirous of gettmg the greatest. good for the man on the land, and for the pnm::ro: producers of this State, they will g_et bPhmd thi" policy to a man, and not _cavil agamst it ,md go round the country trymg to _un~er­mine it, but will assist to carry It mto effect. ·

The hon. member for Oxley, in his criticism of the remarks of the hon. member for Leichhardt, referred rather sneeringly to that hon. member's reference to immigration from oth0r States. The hon. member for Oxley IB

in tho habit of adopting a very patronising air as I haYe had occasion to mention bef~re. The hon. member spoke ~neeringl,Y about the hon. member for Lmchhardt s reference to immigration from other States to <-;ueensland. The hon. member stated that that was an incorrect or improper term to LJse. He ought to criticise the Commonwealth Statistician for ho uses the term. 'l'he Commonwe~!th Statistician publishes statis­tics, and they arc brought up to date in tne last quarterly summary, which conveys very significant information when you take mto account the constant attack made by gloomy propaganda distributors, such as the hon. member for Oxley and others, as to the pro­gress Queensland is making during Labour administration. 'l'he Labour party has been frequently attacked by hon. members OJ:'P'?­site for being what they call antagomstw and hostile '!o immigration; and t.hey refer to what 'Western Australia is doing in bring· ing in thousands of immigrants: The:v also refer to what dher States are dmng. Accord· ing to the Commonwealth Statistician, la~t year, notwithstanding this wonder;ul. tmn;.l· p;1ation policy of Southern Natwnahst Gon'rnrrwnts. Queensland had a greatc1·

Hon, E. G. Theodorc.J

42 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.J Address in Reply.

r x:cess of immigrants over t'lnigrants thau any other State of the Commonwealth.

An OPPOSITION l'IIEi\rBER : How many ?

The PRW\IIER : I will toll vmL The t\XCcss of immigrant3 oYer cmignults, includ­jng people lvho came from other St1..tcs, is as follows:-Ncw South \Vale~, 1,546: Vic­toria, 3.375: Queomland, 4,584; South Aus­tralia, 4.434; and vVestern Australia, which has been bringing in thousands of immi­grants1 had a 11et excess of in11nigrants over Pmigrants of only t·wonty-sevun.

:\h. li'LETC'HER: Thoir scheme has not pro­JlN l.r taken effect yet.

The PREMIEH: The hon. member fo,· Oxl0,. would brusquely brush that aside by 'iLying- that the nomadic nature of the popu· lation caused thc;w to come here from other Statns. That might be all rig·ht if thcSt• figure· only relakd to a portion of the year, hut they r0late to the whole twelve months.

l\1r. ELPHINSTONE: \V ell, you aro paying dolt•s for the whole twelve months.

The PRKVIlER: So do tht• :\pw ~5outJ, Wales Nationalist Government, and the South .._>\u"traliau Natio11alist Government; and even the Victorian Nationalist Government ar<' ! ayirw doles to uaemploycd. Those figures show that there aro more actual uncmployo,] in Victoria to-day than there arc in .Quoen,-lalHl. ·

:\1r. Eu•if!NSTON£: \Vhose statistics? Your :-.tatistics!

The PREMIER: No, the• Connnonw,,aJth stati·tics; "') that the hon. nwrnbPr is carc­lt'" about his faets.

The hon. member for \Vin<:bor, the leader of tho Nationalist part.y, has made further rdcrence to the railways, and to what lw calls railway inefficiency and railway mis­management, and th0 parlous conditions exist­ing in connPction \vith railwa ,· finance. In rd•1tation of that, I need do 'no more than quote the rrrrwtks of the Corrnnissioner for Railwavs himself, and there is 110 particular reason why he should supply any false infor· rnation. I have here a voluntary statement macle by him at a dairy dinner.

An OPPOSITION MEMBER: He might be• trpatod like Cumming was.

The PREMIER: Does the hon. member want to convoy by that that Mr. Davidson is manufacturing untruths?

2\Ir. ELPHINSTONE: N 0.

The PREMIER: What is the sug-g-c•stion 'I

:\1r. ELPHINS1'0NE: If he spoke his mind, he might bo treated in the same wav as Cunl!ni~~g. ~

The PREMIER: How has Cummincr been trc.tt•'d? Doe< th? hon. member for "oxley suggest that 'lo actiOn Fhould have boon taken jn that case Y

~fr. :YIORGAN: It v.7 as a shame to ~ack an olcl man like that. (Government laughter.)

The PREMIEH: Mr. Davidson at the dairy dinner, remarked- '

. ': The railway chargos on dajrying mdu ~try products were much lower in Queen ·land than in am· other State in Austmlia, and notwithstanding the low heights. only the actual quanl itv of cream placed in the can waF. charged for ir, Queensle.nd, whilo the full carrying

[Hon. E. G. Theodore.

e:apaeity v:as charg-ed for in t'\'ery other State. Irr the case of buttc'r ar:d ·cheese, the Qucl~nsland ~t:hedul(' rates wore abo n'rv much !ewer. He quoted 100 miles. for 'instance: Queensland, 21s. 10d.; i\ow South Wale·, 35s. 5d.; Victoria, 25s. 2d.: South Australia, 38s.; Wc·,r Australia. 3b. 6d. In addition to the low sehednlt• rates, a further rL'duction of 20 pPr cont. had r·cucntlv been made. ::'\ot only were the charge~- for dair.;·ing produc!~.-~· rnuch lower in Queensland than in other States. but tho railway fares charged to tht• peopl8 cngagPd in the industry were also considerably lower than in other States.''

Later he says-" To the casual reader our heaYy deficit:;

are apt to be taken as a reflection on the Administration. but I have no hesitation in saving. and it can bD borne out by flgure~s, that the sf'rvicc is 1noro efficient to-dav than oYer it has been. and com· pares' faYourabl,· with the r;ailways of other States with up\\ arcls of tf'·l times the voll!m<' of busine'>s per mile of lim·."

)\gain. later~

" Our :::.tatist!e:-. sho\\ that both tra,in~ and \Vagon3 an~ now carrying bC'tter loads than formerly. and the tonnagf' hauled per emploYee is greA.ter than Jt was fiyc years a~,o. Had the rates and fares in Queensland been im'l'e~sed to the same extent as in New South \Vales, and our tonnage and passenger business grown on the samt' mtio, the net return last ;~·oar \Yould he1Ye b0en OYfT 4 1~cr cent. in Queensland. imtcad of about 2 per cent.

"The Qucon·land sor.-iee. llotwith­standing our heayy lo•.ws, will hold its own with the railways of other States. and I con~icler it wOuld b9 a national calamitv with our Yerv light traflic to endeA.vour to make the 'branch lines pay 4 per cent. or over at the expense of primary iJ~<1n~tric~.n

That r"pi'l'·'onts the polic,v of the: Gover!l· ment. The GovPrnmcut has no dcsn·c to d!S· place or burde '1 the primary producer or the people who han· to u'e the rarlway.". The leader of the I\ationalist parh advocated an increa!<o in railwav larps and frejghb. Last year the hon. gcnfknHLll advocated a general increase in fare. arc! frcighb, b,d; he ha modified it this year by sa)·ing that lw would only do that for the city of Brisbane and other places similarly situated. It would bP a woeful policv to attempt to reliPYP from taxation those ~pcoph• who arc qu:tc ablr to pay and put the burden .upon the prod_ucPl:o ·who rnust use the raihvavs. Such a policy 1~ <·onl:rarv to the b0st irt~rests of l2nel'\bland. and is 'inimicll to all prog-rco, and yet the hon. nu~rnbc~r for Ox1PY co'ucs along as a kind of IlC\V Adarn Smith this aftf'rnoon and savs that Uirc'ct taxation is 1101- p·tid hy tlu• p~rson who pays the tax, bnt is paid b,· tlw whole rornn1unity.

::\Ir. ELPHI:\foTONE: You said the same thin~· in 1915.

The T'REMTrR : I ~aid nothing- of the kind. If the hon. mcmbc·r \vant to go bark over mv career to find anv ~urh foolish statement as that, he would h·aYe to go back to the period before I 10ft school. Certainly I have not said ic since then. The untenable po,ition that thC' hon. member takes up­that direct taxation upon net incon1e is

:a.lway~ pa"'3ed on-is a t~ing that is . !oo ab .. ~urd, and shou]d not require any refutatiUtl ir .. an a. scmbly of grown Incn.

:VIr. BEBBTXGTo;-; : \Yhat >tbout iho tax on business prmnises?

The l'RlDJIER: Every economist of n1odcr~ tj1nc.;-, and cyery financier, and cycry Treasurer v, ho .studies his subject. kno\\ .~ th::tt the fair:_'8t burden is a diref't tax upon net incorno. That is the fairest fonn of taxation. .I do not. say that none of it ("ln bP pa:.:.:;cd

on, but it is too nttcrl,· ridiCLdons /f.30 ,,.m.] to say .that tho \Yhole. of the

bunlo:1 IS passed on to the corn­nlunitv. There is no fairer wa~· that can bQ dc;i2cd for getting reYcnuc than in1posing .a clircd tax, and it is fair and just, because en_•r.v indiyidual t>lxpaycr know .. ho-w rnuch ·he has to pay, and eyeryoL<~ else knows ho\v much the individual pays, etnd it is not c·oyercd up as rcYcnucs arc~ coYcred up when tl!L'V aro colh~ctcd by an inclirC'f't n1f:'rtlls. such as I'"\'""·i:1g upon in1ports, au cxci~~;' U.uty upon 1nanulactnr(~3 or anything of that kind, or rnihvay freig·ht-s and fares, which arP t}H• rnc,t l~nrdC'nsomo kind of taxation that can ·be levied upon the produccr,.

:Mr .. J. Jo;-;Es: \Vhat about retrospective increases in pastoral rents?

The PRE::YliER : I fancv I hear the yoico "f the ho'1. member for J(ennedy. I must tolerate that hon. member's interjection, becauw ho has one plank in his platform. <-l nd ho nlUfit get an opportunit57 now and :1~ain of intC'rjC'cting. IIP i~ 0ntircly ob:;:esfwd "'·' the question of the Land T11x .\rrwndnwnt .\c! of 1920 and the increase of pastoral rPnts. [ do not know what the hon. memlwr "'mld do if bv an:v cha:Jce or 1nischance that }-::;sue were' rf''noycd. If it VYt'H', the ho'n. tnPnlb~r would bo left absolutely poverty-stricken, so far as a policy is concr-rned.

The !Padcr of the Xatiocalist party sug­gested that the Government _are not doing· what thee might do rogardmg settlement :along tho oxisting raihvay lines. 'I,hat ~Ot'::-1 rni::-c a qn0stion that d0~Cl'YC'S YC'r,v ~l'flOus ( ;u,,idcnttion. It is quite oln·ious to n.nyo:H• the t ther0 is a lot of land <:lose• to th0 0xi~tlPg J'ailwav line" that is not 1wing u~cd that ,.nght to lH• more clo~-el.\· oc(·upiPJ and 1H'011'-.!'ht nnd"r nrodnction. But thi:-; is a prnbl0111 that ,·;-nnot.-bP solYf'd bv r:naking- snf'f'ChPs in this fTon.::::r. If anv SL~Q;~:rt.•stion's ~~l'f' 1nadc•. tllP 'L~on'rnmf'nt w'in listen to thf'ln and giYt' thPnl OYC'rv con~id0ration. It i~ a problL'ln that wr rn"ust all cndC'a.Your to ~nlYC'.

-:\Tr. ~IORG~i~: It is a qucstio11 of giyiug land away.

The PRR"'UER: \Vo cannot gin' it away. n-; v:c do not po-:sess it. 'l"'hf' land thP bon. gentlPman is talking about is rnostly frN'· lwld land.

Mr. MoRGAN: A lot of the land is not frflehold.

The PRE:\IIER: Does the ho~. member ·'U""'Clt that the land close to the ]\;ortlt ('o~t~t Hailwav that is not mcd is not free­hold land? ·

:\1r. 1\lOJlG.\X: Betwe0n here and RonHL tbne etrc thoU'·ands of acres of leas<'lwld.

The PRE:\IIER: Doh the hon. memlwr rc·fer to the la::d around Chinc·hilla 9

:Mr. MORGA;o.<: I am referring to land l,otwccn here and Ron1a.

The l'REi'diER: Botwoen here and Ro,na hPro is a lot of prickly-pear i1JfcstL'd areas.

Address in Reply. 43

There m a v be leasehold land them, and Wl'

m a\ deal' with that; but. tho land referred to ·bv the hon. member for \Yindsor is the frnol;old land that exists along etll om southern lines and 1nain raihvay routes. \\hi eh is unoccupied ar~d ea pable ·of being used for closer settlement. That land oughc to be' s0tt :oJ. but how io settle it is orH: of the diilicult problems that l he Lands Dcpctrtment has to deal with. Practi eallv the whole of it is freehold letnd; Htat is r'lw land on the Xorth Coast ard South Coast. ntih", ays, and land betwt'C!l hcl'c a11d Tuov:oomba Und on the various branch linos. For the State to get hold of that land, it 1nust be pul'rha~ed by the GoYcrnmrmt, ur:d("·,~s ic is to be conftscated. That means that Il must bo purchased at current prices, \vhioh n1cans burdening the subsequent Sf-~ttlers voith a YPrY hcayy charg·o. \Vh>tt has happened

hen,' land ~vas purchased by prcYious Go­Yernrnents under the Closer Settlement Act 'I Pnu ~ically in CYcry rase unreasonable bur­dens hetvc been placed upon the men who ·Pttled on tht·'e Lmds. and the Go1'ernm~nt ha·;p had to come to the relief of the sr·tt.:urs b,,- wiping out certain arrears of pay­ments and gi,·ing them a clean sheet. That i· the problmn that is inyoh·ed in the con· sidcration of this question. It was thought­] "'V this franklY and frcclv-it was thought that· the opNatlon of the" lace! tax would force !llOl'l' of these estatf's into occupatiou t!lan has been the case. Son10 of the cstdtPt' cPrt ainlv h>tYe been subdiYrdcd. but not so man~' a·s \VC 8X})ectcd.

:\lr. :\IOORE: There are no settl0rs fol' them.

Tlw PRE:\HER: Tlw hon. member, then. oppose:< the suggestion of th h ador of tlw X <ttionalist party? The lPader of thP Xaliormli .. t party says that, if that land ('onld iw thnnrn open and ~;;f'ttlC'd the rall­\\'a- ~ ·wlluld J>H\'; but now tlw ho!l. H1ernbcr f(H." Aubi!.tnv -sa·,.s thero arc no settlers. ThP probll•ln , i~"' a SVCrious one, a.nd it \V ill hav:D to be tackled bv the Government and by this Ilou•<'. Possiill,· f1 policy can bo formu­lated that \Yill enable t.hP GoYcrnmcnt to makf' that land aYailablP \l·ithout injustice to the present holders. and Yet on ter'11S t;o the incoming settler that wlll enable. hnn to earrv Dn profltabh·. These are thu;cgs that will have to be considered; but it IS not a probl m tha.t \Yiil be solved by l_Ilaking Par· 1i:ln;t-rJtarv 1Jf'0chf''3. _ Jt rcqull'CEi- f'nrne~t (")~!":dcr•t.ion. rrhc Sccretnry for Pubhc L1nds rPePnth- L llcd n ('OnferorH -::! of land con1n1i osioner~ .. in those r1istricts whero t~noccu­piecl fr• Phold ]?,nd exists dose t"? rarlways. Thr'v \Yf'l'(' n sked to con~l-d<H th1s problcn1 and V n1ake a rcec,mnlCIH1ntjon to the Govern­ment "' to th·· !wet \Ynv of dealing ';·ith _the po~Sitinn. rrhoy ha-Ye hc'C'n cons~dcring Jt­t''e'' h'w" not yet co:nplctcd then !abmu;s­nnd tlw only sng-gcsbon made so f,.r rs tnat the land tax on those> estates shoul':l b'' rh~1::-ticall:· 1ncrea:--ed in order to force them illl • (h c·npatiDn.

:\Jr·. ~\loom:: .J n t what you \Hmld expect fl'c~n {'rowu la:1ds ranger~.

Thf• PRE:\IIER: Land commiB'ionNs. :Vlrnn- of the lanrl C'OlTIDlis~·ioncrB who have lYr'n, <'O!l_sil:C'rinr::: this probl0rn \V81'8 appointed by the plTYiou:-; .• :\d~nin1~~yation, :tnd .r hope that th0 hun. Hl('mbc'r l:J not rr1nlong an attack un<Yi! them. The~· arC' nwn ,vhr: oughL hP ea n•P ()f tlwir <'Hrf'f'r:.::.. to ha VC' cons1dcr~ble t~xperil'l!(;(' Df thu:-.e tnattc1··"'· They cor:ne rnto

Hon. E. c;. 7'/u,odort:. i

A ddrc ' i 11 llepl;. \.l.:-1c-:EMBLY.] .-ldd1'ess m Reply.

cont::tct with the man on the laud C'Yt'TY daY. and to whorn eau we go fer ad\'lt ·if ,~·o cannot go to th(',~l' rill'll '? I call assu !'C hml. nrcn1l.H~r" ihat th~_• problPm i~ not bPjng OYPJ'­lookcd. but at the :mrnc tilllC' I adn1lr that it is a very dif!icnlt pro!Jkrn to wiYP.

The leader of the Kation>tli .t par'y abo nu:d~, a YPl'Y unfortnnat• rPfPl'C'Hcc, 111 m,v oplll!Oll. \\·hr-n hP u~r-d t}w tcnn ·· ·ju;.C'rnal political control of our railwavs.'' I do 1101

think that is warranted, ancl ·tlw remarb I quoted frorn thr- prPsf'nt Cun1n1i~s:orwr's add res.;:; do not give auy ju ti fie .1Jio11 for p.uC'h an attack. Tl_1o Conunissi\m<'l' for Rail \Yays, under the Ra1lway~ Act, IS o·jyl·n verv l'Oll­

siderabl0 power in regard to hihe admilli~tra­tion of his dPpartml'nt, and I think there is lesR intcl'fl•renf'<' \\ith tlu~ Con1n1i~~ioucr t.o­d:lY than thPrP ever has been in lJnc'C'n~]and. 0-;o rnan ',VhD has a(_lrnini.;:.tpr~:d that dcpnrt­mcnt has had n freer hand than '\Ir DavidsC'n, and the railwaY . .; an' nr,~ in ;ha~ deplorable condition th~t hmt. memlwr' opposite keep asserting the:· a rr'.

An Ho:o;OFRABLE :V1E1IBEH: Th0n• ,, a dceficit each year.

The PREMIER: Then' i' a. d<•licit <'ach yPar bc'caU-'(' it is th0 policv of tllf' Goyeru­mcnt not to burden the u ~('ttlPr~ ou th 1•

branch rnihva~':-<. Th\' pffici('IH'\' of tl1f' rail­"\vays .is far gr0ater to-du~v thu·n CYC'l' it has bP<'n m the past.

Mr. GREEN: Ask your drivers.

The PREMIER: \Vc do not driYers when we \Vant infornwtiun. tho Co"nmi~Qinnt'r. PPrhan.:;; tlw }Juu. has been asking the drivers.

ask the \Y1' ask llH'Inhcr

rrho hon. men: bel\ in his r,•llla l'ks ill l'lgurd to the cotton mdustry. failed to gin' anv praise to the ~OH'l'nnH'llt for the prl''<'n"t pos1tJon. He <hd 110t ac·knowledRe that the Governmf'l~t have d~ne anything tO encourage !he cotton mdustr:-· 1n Qnc·mBland, hut. know­~ng that thr cotl'on iEclustry has JHOspc•rcd In QuecnRland a11d i::l 1nnkin(r vtt"t prDo'l'('::iS

he thought hf' ought to givPnpi·alsc• to ~on~~~ one, and h0 gave it to l\lr. Cra\Yford Vaughan. I do .not \\·ish to dt'tmd onr> iota from the erecht clnc to ~lr. Crawford Vaughan. IIc has bePn a rnost Pnt}lu:.:iastic ~nd vc>ry capabl<> in:vpstigalor in the cotton 1nduPtry, and he is doing A 11 Pnorrnous amount of g-ood to this State•; but I cannot a._Jlow it to bP said that h<· alo'l(' is rp,pon­RJb!e fr•r the progress of thr, i1edustrv. :VIr. Crawford \.rRughan canw to Austr'alia in connection "·ith <'otton for the first tirnC' last y0ar. HC" cam(' hen) with a ('0ll1mission of mquiry f'onsisling of hilllSt•lf. :Ylr. ,Johmtonc, a cotton culture exnert. and n. bnAiness man. 1\1r. A rm..::trong-, The~v '''Pl'C' iTJvitt!d to cnmc here bv the Queen!'=lnnr'l GovPrnnH'-nt. nnd \VC g-ave them <'VC'l'V facilih to trayeJ thr01wh the StatC'. 'When they ,;am~ hPn' thrv we~·e in1prP"~ecl with Quec_'n.slanrl as :' cottoJ1-grow­lng Stqtr brca nr;c ~o llHHlv ftHn1cr~ 'were alr£'nrl;.- grn,,·ing cotton unclrr the· GoYC'rn-mont'~ R"l1~'l·antec. -

1\1r. a· T'. B'RXE": Largely becansC' of the <'ifort-. of lVIr. Daniel ,Joncs. · .

The PR!i;MTT<;R: Xo Oll<' dr,ir0s to do­tract from Mr. Daniel ,Jones's efforts. becausf> he is entitled to C'Ycrv credit fo1· his errtru~in~m a.nd his insistcnC'~ thqt Ouoc•nslnnd would prndnf'c cotton. But Ml'. ._JonC's has been Pnab)Pcl to corn nn his 111Vf·~tiP'Htions and carr.v on hi~' 11nbli('itv work b,· th<' actions of the Qn<'C'llslaml

rHnn. E. G. Thrndorr-:.

Gon_'l'llilh'llt. I-Io has been ~ .. ;i">·cn e\f:ry eu­<'''~u·atSmnent, and he has been pract~call:· <'11l)lloyod by the Secretary for Agriculture to carry on bis publicity, and indueo farrner5 to gTOIV cotton. l do not wa.nt to d0trart hn'll the work done bv :\Ir. Joncs. Ho ha> <~one a \YondPrfnl atnu.nnt of work; but. un­fortnnatt·l.\,, h(• is ll<)t ~o fully prin1r~d on modf'l'll l'Otton culture as an exp0rt ad,·i~inf~ 11 lar..:~P body of fanu0r~ in (~ut)ensland ought 1 ') be·. bt•<·an~P hi~ Pxpcrif'nce has been gitined •·hidlY in this State. At the same time hl~ is~ entitl()c1 to a vast arnount of creclir: The rc"tl f'ucou1·agen1ont gi,·en to cottou growing. in Qnecnslancl dates from the guar­antC'c g1vC'n "' 1920. \Yhen I was in Eng· land. after baYing ·tn interview with the ]--3ritjsh Cotto~l Grovv<·r~· _As-so~·iation-Hn orgaui~ahPn repr<''"<'nting the- Lanc~~~;hirt• ~plnn<"'-:, l.Yhich 1lw lwn. niPllllJer for \\'ind~ snl' WI'Ollglv thinks i~ thn ('OTlCPl"ll ''vlth \\ hit·ll ~\Ir. ( 1rnw.fonl \Taugbun io..; conneutl•J--\YI' f•ntc•r<•d into a!l <J[!,'n'c .. Ht'rtt with that assoeia­tion. und"r whid~ tl10-,- nnde1took to pay u~ 1s. 6d. pC'r lb. for cl<>an lint of good qmilit)·. lnnded at Lin·rp ·ol, but limiting their los- to £10,000. Follo\ving on that guarantPe whic·h 1-Ve obtained, rn,v colle<.1gucs in Qucrn~Jand decided to giYP n guarantee to all growers in Queensland of 5:\d. per lb. for seed cottm1. That is what p:a.YP a fillip to cotton growing in Queensland. I do not say this is the only Go:vernnwni. that hav0 acted in that wa>·, but we did thnt. We did not negh~f'l om· opportunity in 1920. 'l'ha.t rc•·,ulh,~l in thP D<>partrnr•m of Agriculture importimr a vast qnantity of sN•d for plantiLg in 1921. A :-·par aftL'r lhat 1\lr. Cntwforcl Va.nghan c·nn1e hen'. aHd after he saw the nos~iLiliti0s .. h:- wa.4 quite st:tisfied to advise his eompany to e···tabliBh thc>msdves here. lire went back to England. He could not arlviso us then. but WP go1· :,JvjcQ sorno time· lat'~ last vear. -:\1oa.rnvhi1e Wt' had to m::tko some progress towards ( ·-tn blishii1g 1nnchincs to trr'at the f'otton \Yh1ch '""a:-; being planted, and \Ve pla<'<'cl with tlw Agent-GPnNal orders for two c>Olllpleh• ginning plants. 1'fr. Cra.wford Yaughun hacl thnn [rOt into touch with th<' Awmt-Gencral. and he nblod to 11s and said he w;" pt'<'JH1recl to take over thost' plant~ and work them if we would agree> to hav(' our f'otton g-inned throug-h his­plallts. \Ye nrrr<•Pd to that, and that i;; whv dw cot.ton gins arrived so early.

Mr. FLEl'CHER: Don't vou think it is the artificial ronditions in America which are­responsible for the advancement of cotton growing in Queensland '!

Tlw PRKMIBR: TlwrG are rnanv reasons for it. but it is quite obvious to 'the most casual observ0r that, withont tlw ~uarnntee. ther<' would not have been one-fonrth of th<' cotton prod11ccd that i; bc•ing produced now.

An 0PPOSIT!O); :V1E,IBER: Ha VP you l'l'­

nc-....v0c1 thP guarante<-~ for five y~aps?

The I'H.KMIER: Ko: the cxistincr guar· a PloP e-xpires next .Tune. "vVc h~YC exhansted the guarant''" in Eng-land. a.ncl the £10 000 limit has bef'n rpached. \Yhd<"vnr now har>· l'Jf'ns liPdC'r thn Pxi~tiPg .Q'lVlrnntf'B. tl1p Vi-'ho1<)

obligation falls on the Oueenshnd Gm·ern­Tl10nt. Tlwt is otH' b11rden "'''C have to b0ar to Ol'!.!'ani~P the in(l11strv. The l1nn. rnen1hC'l' for Port C'nrtis said that it "·a.s thP a:·tifici•tl c nditions ln .._\rriC'ricn Yvhif'h hnd 1P<1 to thr"' 'rrowlpn· cf cotton hc·rc b11t I think tlw hon."" nwrnl~·er j-:;; \\T011fL ~·I have h~'r" -nn

Add1·ess in Reply. Lii JuLY.] 45

mtcrestmg addrr's bv Sir Herbert Dixon, at an International Congrc.·s held '_lt Zurich a few months ago, a.nd reported m the "Manchester Guardian." Sir Herbcrt Dixon said-

" America was so troubled by the boll weevil the decreasing supply of labour, and, pocsibl:,·, an insufficient enrichment of the soil in recent years, that 1ts pro­duction was declining. At the same time its ovvn consumption \vas increasing. Unless we realise this, the necessary steps to ensure a sufficient world's supply would not be taken."

The whole object of that Intemational C'?n­g-ross w~,s to get new areas planted Wit,h eotton, m order to keep up the worlds snpply, and the British Cotton Gro"·crs' A,sociation, and a later body estabhsned by the Imperial Government in connection with Empire cotton-growing, of which Lord Derby is chairman, are making <'very effort to get the Dominions to grow cotton. and they have ;q>proached the CommonwP~lth Government, knowing that we had asked the Common­wealth Governnwnt to get into touch WJth the Imperial authoritins, and ask if they \Vould givo a guarantee for cotton grolvn in Queensland or Australia. VIe have suggc,tod that 18cl. per lb. for lint, <·.i.f. Liverpool, will be a remunerative price to growers in Queensland, and I think there is m·ory hope that we can got that carried through successfully.

HONOURABLE :MEMBERS : Hear, hear :

The PRE;}IIER: I notice that the leader of the Nationalists omitted any reference to the agricultural policy of the Government. I do not know whether he is afraid to commit himself to it. 'l'hc onlv allusion he' mad<' in his speech "as to the alleged fact that; :\' ationalism had. always uphold the interests of agricultural producers.

1\1r. RoBERTS: That " something you ,,hould kno·,,-.

T.ho PREMIER: I do uot knO\v that he {'Onld quite demonstrate that, because they are losing tlwir members to the Country party. (Laughter.) I sympathise with _the leader of the N atwnahsts, for I have no hme for deserters. I sympathise with him entirely-(laughtcr)-but I would suggest to the hon. member that he take heart. \Ve also have suffered from the loss of a sup­porter. (Laughter.) Even the Redeemer, when He was on earth. suffere·d the loss of -.me of His supporters. There is no doubt that :\ ationalism is suffering because it has no policy. 1t has no policy, at any ra~e, with which it is prepared to come out mto the open. Occasionally we hear an ontburst from a true-blue Nationalist like Sir Henry Barwell who comes out in his true co1ours. Then there is a great silence of N ationali-ts in the other States, who think it would be indiscreet to disclose their policY at so unfor­tunate a time. But the Nationalists in Queensland h~ve formulated no policv. I have tried to discover what it is. Their policy seems to be one of attack upon Labour; that seems to sum up Nationalism. A couple d leading Nationalist ncwspaners in Au,tralia admit its reactionary policy. 'The Sydney " Bulletin" says this-

" A would-be defender of English Lilwralisn1 once wrote that it wasn't so much a pnlitical philos0phy as a frame of mind. The trouble with 'Nationalism'

is that it isn't a frame of mind. It is simply a device, worn pretty threadbare."

The Melbourne " Age " had something more striking than that. It said-

" In politics, what damn' d jobbery but some ]\ ationalist patriot will drown the protut with a verso of 'God Save the 1-\.ing l'"

(Government laughhor.)

I onlv want to make one further refer­CJll'e; that is to the position of Queensland in the matter of its credit, or in regard to its statm. The hon. member for Oxley, carr:,·ing out his line of propaganda, has been dPnouncing the policy which has been indulged in since Labour l1as been in office.

Mr. ELPHIKSTOKE : SiHcc you preached communism.

Tlw PREMIER: The statement. that the :Labour polic·y has had such a detrimental effect on the State deserves to b<O answered.

i\1r. ELPII!XRTOXE: My inquiry about com-1nunisnl wants to be answered, too. Tho people want it to be ans,vered.

The PREl\HER: 2'\o doubt, tho poople will r:in_• .a very emphatic ans\ver in Oxlc:v at th,, Hext poll. The hon. member fmds him­'<'lf so deficient in argument, that he keeps on with the parrot-cl'y of communism. The hon. member made a suggestion that Queens­la.nd has got into an intolerable state under Labour Government.

:\fr. ELPHIXSTOKE: :\o; Communistic Covcrn1nent.

The PHEMIER: The hon. member i.i a fr"id I wam to point out that QucC'nsland doe' not occupy that dt'plorable positiou. Hdativ••ly. l)ucensland is in a good position. TlH•n} i~ dcpr,'ssion here, as thm~o is depres~ :~on ]n C'Yer:_v country. There i~ grcat.er deprc~sion in sotne indu..::trics here than there i' in somP of the ·industries of the other Stah•s. notably in Inctallifcrons n1ining, i><'causo of the collapse of the ovorsea mar­kPts. There is also a big dl'Pl'Pssion in th(' cat-tle indn tn h2re because of the col:apse of the o\-crsc;:L markets.

Mr. 1\IORG.\~: \Vhat about the incrcaoed n•nb~:

ThP PHEMIER: The hem. member is Jib• the hon. mPmltc•r for Konncd;v. and cthc·r l1nn. rn<'Inbers opposHe w·ho repeat vritL a parrot-Jike er~,- thP reference to incrcnsPd re-nt·~. \Vhcn the l'{ ... nt J \verc increased in 1920 the pastora.1i.~L were rcc ·iving a v0rv h~gh price for their cattle. I have already inti­m:ltcd to hon. members opposite and to qt]wrs that, if any lesoee has an:; cl'fficcdty in rncct.inry hjs YPllts, th: Government havL ... no .:]p.;;jrt ... to !-n·:nd -down anym1e, and VVf' \vill giYC' fair consideration to any n1an who has a bcnii fidP case in the rnntt0r of rent". (Hear. hear!) Queensland occupies a much happier p~)"-:rion than hon. nl':'rnhcrs C]llJositf' would like it to occupy. In the matter d ercd;t, T ha vc a 'tatcrnont here i•·oued bv th0 National City Company giving the latest qnobtions on the :'\Jew York Rtock Exchang<'.

::'IIr. ELrHIXSTO~E: Your \mericgn friend.

The PHEMIER: Y f'S, our Am rir •n friend. It ,['""iv0-, the quotllt;ons on the New York Stn~·k ExrlHlllg'C. The qnot ~t•ions Drc g-iven hC'r<~ for fnrh,T differ·'nt GoYrrnrncnt stocks, <;Jnrl thP Qnc0usland ft~ck ~bnd-: relativ-:..~ly higher than any of the other Government

Hon. B. G. rhPodnre.]

[ASSEl\1DL l.j A d1re.ss in Reply.

-~tacks, with t.lw Pxc·0ption of the Government of the United K:ngdolll.

1\!r. ELPHJ~~TOXE: Because you pay rnorc int 'TQSt.

ThL• PEJ::~.,~lEH: :\o, not l;ccmJ:;;(_' wP pay tnorP int ~l'e~"-. I an1 speaking about tlw rc•turn \\hi r-h in\·c~t.(~r _, rt.•ceiYc. Quccn~land ~tuck j:' h:ghcr than that. of rw;v other <'ountrv emoted on the :\ew York Stock Exchai1g -\\ :th the sole exception of Great Britain. Qurf'usland ~<toC'k star:ds hi·ghcr than that· of the French Government, or the Swiss Government, or the kingdom of :\Tor­way, or the kingdom of Belgium, or the kingdom of Denmark, or the republic of Chili, or the republic of Uruguay, or the .Japan ·se Govcrnnu,nt, or the Argentine Government, or the Czecho-Slovakia repub­lic. In fact it is better than a whole host of other eountrie".

Mr. ELPH!KSTONE: There is ovidentlv no other British Dominion. "

The PHEMIER: There is onlv one other British Government quoted, and' that is the Govormnont of the l 'nit-od Kingdom. An investmmt in the "tock of the United King­dom will yield about 5.25 per cont., while an investment in Queensland stook will yield 5.80 per cent., or a littJ.2 more. The French Govcrmrwnt. stock yields about 7.60 per cent.

Mr. ELPHIXSTOXE: Yon cannot compare France.

The PHEMIEH: ShoJl I compare Norway then?

7\ir. ELPHIKSTO};E: No. Give us some other British community.

Tlw PRE:Y1IEH: The hon. member makes all sorts of stat?ments to discredit and damn rhe Labour Gm·ernment, but here are the quot-ations from the Ne>v York Stock li;xchangc itself. The New York Stock Exchange i:) 110t influcncPd by politics at all, but only hy the consideration nf the .;oundncss of th~' inYt'stJnent. In all ( asf's QuePnslancl ranks nbovc all Govcnnncnts ••xcept that. of tho UnitL·d Kingdom.

:M:r. ::\IoHGAN: They arc all foreign Govcrn­nu~nts.

The PUK\1IEH: Thev arc aJI foreign Governments on the Now York Stock E'change. The hon. member for Oxley made another reference to the unfortunate position of iuvcstors in manufactures here. Let me tdl th' hon. member that the statistics con­t.>incd in the quarterlv review of the Com­monwealth Statistician show that, so far ilS the manufacturing indu.stries are con­<:ef11Pd. the margin of profit, aft·er al1o\Ying for wages. fuel, and cost of n1atcrial, -was hig·hcr in Qu_-cnsla.nd than in any other State of tlw Cornrnonwealth.

:\lr. ELPHIXSTONE: I would like to check that.

The PREMIEU: You can check it at any time. So far as the manufae·turing indus­triu arC' concerne-d, the margin of profits 11ft0r allowing for wag"'· fncl, and cost of materials for chc year 1920-21 shows, m the case of New South \Vales, 12.11 per cent., in the caeo of Victoria, 16.08 per cent., and in th0 ea so of QuNmsland, which is tho largc't mar'(in of all, it is given as 20.67 per cent. 1n Sonth Au,tralia. the margin is only 10.79 per cont.-only half what, it is in Queensland.

!\Ir. Er.PHIX.,TO'E: I thought you did not lJdic•ve 111 " Knibbs's'' statistics.

!Hnn. F:. G. Theor1mP.

The PREJH iER : Those figures show that not onl~' is- the grcLtl'~St rnargin of profit returned to the rnannfacturer in Que>cns~ land, but, in 11ddition to that. he has to pay the highest rate of wages for those rnanufacturcs. while his employees work the ~hcrt0st nun1bcr of hours in the Common­''"""lth.

I will take another item to show the· rncesuw of prosperity which. exists in Queens­land. What is happening m regard to our oversca exports? As a matter of fact, for tlw year 1920-21 (,1ue(msland is the only State in the CommomYcalth which shows an ir,creaso in the averse"' exports. New South \Vales showed a decrease of £2.400,000, and Victoria a decrease of £8.200.000, while for the same period Queensland showed an in· crease in tho oversea exports of £767.962. The decrease in Western Australia 1was £4,000,000, and in So nth Australia them was a decrease of £2,700.000 in the ovcrsoa exports for the year. How can it be said' that. owing to the misdeeds of the Govern­ment, the industries of the country are being ruined, when we can show such figures as those?

1\fr. ELPHIKSTONE: That is primary pro· duction. Your figures do not refer to industries at alL

The PREMIEH: The hon. gent[eman used n lot of figures recklc'Sly because they were ill-considered and not understood. He­referred to the loan cxpenditnro in Queens­land. The loan 8v.penditur<' pf'r head of the popula.tion in 1920-21 was £7 in New South Wales: £7 5s. per head in Victoria: and only £5 13s. per hc·td in Queensland. \Vhat flbout reckless extrayag-ance? \Ve arc, told thet w0 had no con-sideration for thc flnances of the oonntrv. vet in Victoria­which ought to be able ·to show a good finn.nclal position bcC'RUse it is a small. compact Stat0, dcnselv sdtlcd-the loan expenditure IS much hio;hcr than in Onc0nsland. Queensland's fignrcF, in com­parison, do not ut all show to our discredit.

I regret that there are a number of other things that I wished to refer to. but the time at mv disposal will not permit mC> to do Bo. The fig-ures I have quoted give an indica.tion of the prosperity of the State. \V0 would not be· able to show fignrcs like that if we werc gnilt:: of mahdministra­tion and the reek!"" handling- of the finances. or if we had driYen copital out 0f thP conntrv. I consider that the greate,t amoun't of prosperity in the countrv. i' dis­closed bv the Srvings Bank denos1h. In Quernsland lhc average amonnt nor df'posi­tm in the Savinp:s Bank f0r 1921 '-""" £o7 lls. That is the hiP;h0-l, of anv Srrto in tlw C'omrnnnwcalth. In t!w othnr f't,tc·' thn f'IVC'rago :"'ffiOnnt por dop')Ritnr i~: 1\"c,v Ro11th \Vales. £50: Vic·toria. £4:: Ronth .\nstrnlia. £39: \Vrstern r\ ns\rali>t, £34: and Taom'lnia. £34. If one-tenth of the sbtement' made bv hon. rnombers. about Qn ·en.-:;l-1.nd i('l'C:

h~110, thrr~ y;:onld l10 PO clr,po"-its in thr• Ravings Bank at. all: there would be Jl()

retvrn of proflt.;;; to manllfnctnr~._·r..,: nnd· th0ro woul·d be no incrc::P8 in the• O\'C'r:-:en t'Xports from c;ueC'nslancl: bnt then• \Yon]d be r1imjni,,hcd exports. and tb~' C'1UT1tr}

1.vonld be on the verge of rPin. 1 cnn~.jdrr that Qnoons1a.nd is n wondorfnl ronntr:v. \Y0 haYo a \YO~JdPrfni hf'ribtg-c•. nnd "\\(' ntJg-ht to dPvl'lop it as it should lw dc'VC'lorwd \Vcc

Address i 11 Reply. j5 Jr:LY.l Address ·in Re.ply. 47

should induce people to come here b:c making the conditions of life such that they will be able to obtain a comfortable living for the.m­sdves and their families. That is the po!Icy of the Government. Jt is not a elass policy. When we talk about the vvDrkers we do not a.dopt the narrow CO!lCOption of that term which is adDptcd by hou. members on the othnr side; but \YC sp0ak of them from the broadcst conception. Ev-ery man who has to toil, whether he is an <>mployer or an t•m ploycc, is a worker. . 1t does not matter whether he toils for lnmsdf or works f?r others; it do•·s not matter if he wo~·ks !n the citv or if he i.; toilmg and m01hng m rh~ co1i~try, he i" <>utitled to g0t protection al!d all.'"listancP, and th1s Gon•rnn1l'l1t ~~ gmng to ensure. that fDr him.

GovFHN'IIEN1' ME'I!BERR: Ilcar. hear 1

At 9 p.m.,

The CH.UR'ILIX oF C'O'IDJITTEE;; (:\h. Kirwun, Urisbcuu:) rclien·d the Sp('ak£'1' ln the chair.

:\ir. EDvVAHDS (_Truiiiii!Jo): The Premier has seen fit to 11rake his t-1 ddre8s to the I-Iouse before I had the privilege of doing so .. In the fir"t. plac<'. with all due re,;peet to hnn, things are not as ln~jght and ~cautlful ~::; h8 would lead tho people to beliGYL', and 1t is a vf~ry wrong idea for the hon. rncrllber or anv 'other mcrnbcr of the G-ovr>rnrnent party 'to say, that members of tho Ot?P?sitic:n or anvonc e1sC', for that rnattor, hvnrg Hl l~ueensland, should not make delinite statc­nwnts wh0n they think things are wrong.

I am rather plca~ed with some of the things in the (;on'rnor',q Speed!. In tlw first place, I mn plea.sed that after seven years the Government ha vo seen fit to ·at.tempt at least to do something in the interests of the primary producers; but I want to ask the Premier why the Government did not adopt the suggestion of t}lC party on 1 his side of the House years ago and try then to do what ho is attempting now lo do'! \Vith other members on the Gov-ernment benches, he must rPalise that, if they had assisted prinutry production son1o :vears ago, they would not only hav-e san'cl tlw unfor­tunate vcrsuns struggling on the land a very "reat dPa] of stress and trouble whic.h fhey have gone through during the reig-n of thu Labour (;on'nllnent, but th<'Y would aho havP saYC'd thousands upon thousands of rncn fron1 practira1ly the vcrgo of starva­tiD:J. I say that, without hesitation. I wish thP agricultural policy ]JUt forward by the Goverrnnent the greatr,st of success, particu­lady if it is going tD be a clear policy of eo-operation in the interests of th<:· producers.

The SECRET.\HY FOR AGRICULTURE: I will give you my assurance on that.

::-rr. EDWARDS: I would say to the hon. gentleman from the start, " Take the poli­tic. out of it." If the Govornn1ent nro goi11g to givo the producers a fair "go," they have !'') riO"ht only to rc•ceivc their suggestions. If tlH~' l\1jn)~t~·r is so satisfircl wlth the poUcy put forward by the Uovcrrnucnt, \Yhy diJ he not accept Hw nnlt'ndmcnt ItlOYCd by the !10n. meml:H'l' for Drayton in 1919?

I\lr. FHY: They had no ympathy with tho fa rm('t' then.

:VIr. ED\VARDS: On the Profitc'oring Pre­'cntio:J Bill the hon. member moved the following arnenchncnt :~

·• Without prejudice to the1 last Jl!'''ced­lng- provisions, th0I'f~ shall b0 constituted

a board of ad yice consisting of six rcprc­:-;entati\'C4 of the cheese, butter, and bac:on industriPs chosen in the manuCI· and for the term of office prescribed by the regulations of the respective indus· tries as fol!O\\S :-

Two representatives shall be c.hosen b:v the co-opE::"'rativo cheese factones;

Two representatives shall be chosen hy the co-operative butter factorres;

( hw rr•prcsentative shall be chosen by tlw <"O-operati ve bacon .factories; and

One rPpres,'ntalive shall be <;hosen by i'IH• pmprictary bacon factones.

I claim that t hd is practically on the same lines as tlw ({overnment's advisory board.

The SI<:CRET.\HY FOR AGRICU!,TURE : It is <'ntirely a difl'creut subject.

Ylr. ED\VAHDS: That was three years ago. and tlw primary prodneers h:'ve. gone t,hrough a great deal of hardsh1p. m the meantime. I want to go JUSt a little bit further and a6k what has happened to the La bom· Government that they are now pre­pared to assist the primary producers.

lVJr. CoLLINS: Are r:ugar~g-rowers llot prirnary producers?

:VIr. ED\VA RDS: Certainly they are.

:VIr. CoLLDiS: Did we no!. pa'es the Rcgula­ti0n of Sugar t :a tw -Prices }\et in 1915?

}lr. ED\V ARDS : OvL'r and DVCl' a gain, pra('tical meu on thi,- side .of .tho Hous~ who ban' been through tlw mdl m the da1rymg and other primary industries have to]~] the Uovm·nment t:hat they had no right to mter­fcr~: vvith the, price~iixing of prinutry pro­{ I twers' produC'ts. Over and over again, the Governnwnt were told tha.t it was \vrong, in the interests of butter production, to allow 1Ir. Ferrv to n'duc" the price of butter from 278o. a <~wt. to 234s. a cwt.., whereby thc• dairymen of this State lost no less than £300,000. Moreover, I maintain that many hundrecls of settlers were prevented from coming to this State and taking up their \vork hero and beco1ning taxpayers because of the attitude of the Lo,hour Government on that occasion. That is not the only occa­sion in rcsp('ct of which the primary pro~ duccrs will remember the interfe~;ence ot the Government with their butter. In 1915. lhcv sl'izcd the but.ter regardless of the posi­tioil of big families in t!w back blocks, and the dairvmcn lost, wtthout any doubt, £500,000 ··in the butter grab. As one who believes from the bottom of his heart in co-Dpcration, not only for the primary pro­ducer. but also for the industrial Worker, I want to sav that, if the Government after 'oven vears"of doing everything they possihly CDulcl a~ainst the producer whilst they had. a big majority, have now, with a splendid majority of onP in the House. seen the error of th(~ir ways, it rloes not matter two str~ws to mc~J a,rn troincr to give them all the a.:.;;srst­!ly't'C' I eau t~ ptJ· their scheme into acti.on. The rPa on I s'lv that i•,, that nobody reahse' !JpitPr than I do' wlrat the people in the back-

ll, Y0 ~tonl' throu~;h during the reign tlH' Uoyr·r;~lrlC'nt.

Th·)r0 is oJw mutter L) y,-)JiC'h thD Govf'rn­Plf~llt •d10uld giye yery l1l'gent consideration, lh:;t is. the un0mplnymcnt throughout the Jt.pg-tl> and lm·adth of .;he State. \Vo hav-e

Jf r. Edwarrls .]

48 Address 'in Reply.

lu~arJ statcnwntR fron1 practica.Ily t'Ycry rn •ut­bel of the G-oq~nnnent that, undc.l· Laboru rule, there V\OU~d be no un0n1ploy;nont in Quocu~laud. In fact, vdwn tho t)c~... t·ctury for l\Iines was electioneering, hP rnadc the siatc­Inent that in bro n10nth, no man who cared to take a j.ob would be unemployrod. The hon. gentle_nan ~Lppod badl.Y on that occa­sion, boca use to-day there n re nH'll vvalking th<' length a< cl breadth oi tt1is St .to and <'ollcctiLg doles from the Stetto-aLle-bodicd 't'' n n..t. that-who would b~~ onty too pl0:nwd t{l hayc the crGployrnout the hon. gpntloman HtPntionod.

Tl1c SEci\ETH!Y FOR llAlL\V.WS: \V<' have .2,50D ulcn engaged on railway eor.~truction. \Ye hclp.·d to reopen Mou ,t -:\iorgan; we helped to reopen the nwat "~ark~; and thus Jiaye been J'·e .• ponsiblo for th·· Pmploymcnt of t huusands of 1ncn.

Mr. EDWARDS: I am very plc a~ecl to lwar the Secr0tar\· for Rnilwaye< m:>k" that strrtca:ent. I v. ouid tell hiLl, though, tlw,t tlw men they 0mploy have. to be paid with horro1-'\'Cd 111oncy, thu;) p1hng up the publw debt oi this St:>to. 'l'ho Governmz:ut have driYen onl; industl·i<~s which woul(l ha.vu glYC'll '"nploymont to a large uurnuL' · of tho -' n1 n.

Tht~ SELRE'rARY FOH RAILWAYS: Did you not. \Yait on rno t.hi3 aft(!rncon and want nH' to ~1 ~e-nd more 1noncy ?

c\Ir. EDW.\"RDS: By all means I am ask­ing -.-{)u to do t:nat.. I ~ay now iJha\, bf~('<:tUS' of "'our nr:glect of other indus*rie~,. lH'G~tll'·l' of vour inh_:rfercnce \vith the grnzn1g and othCr prin1ary iadustriP::l, you have for(·ed them to sack their men und lnrn th~n1 on thl' IO~ds

The SRC'RETARY FOR AGRicn:rum: · Do }'DU

mean that wages are too high'!

Mr. EDW ARDS: I do not say that wage:> ar<' too high in country district,. The pro­ducer hac been harasS£d to such an t'xtent that it is ,1uitP impoc' .. ibk for him at th<-1")rcsent time to C:Hlpl{)y lll~'n. J do not car·t' ~vherc you go, .'"ou will find that the pro­ducer" say i~, is quite ilnpos,,lblP t.o put men on their land.

'l'hc SECRE'rARY FOR RAlLWAYS: The lWodue­tion in Queensland is a record this year.

:Mr. ED\V ARDS: If the production is a record, it is. not the fault of this Govern­lnent.

'The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: ::\io; it is to the credit of this Government.

Mr. EDW ARDS: It practically comes from sugar, in which industry thev have been doing well:-not from other indw.trics.

Tho SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE : You are simply a " barracker" for low vvage:-o~

Mr. EDW ARDS: If the Secretary for Agriculture will look at this morning's paper he will see that resolutions hav" been passed hY men er·•ploycd at the Ipswich workshops, which rcoo\utions prove who an· the " barraeker.:;" for low \\'ages.

'The SEC'HE1'ARY FOB AGinCeLTUHE: Are you in favour of the Government gain~ to tlw Arbitntion Court in C{mnection with the public service.?

Mr. EDW A RDS: 'fhat has nothing to do with me; it is a Government matter entirely. If the Government had not interfNed wltl1

[Jfr. Edwtrds.

Addr< '& in Reply.

lJl'il!Iary pnJduct'on, but had given private cap1ta~ all the cneouragc1neut they pos.:5ibly ~ould 111 year gone by, they would not to-<lav be placed in the po.,ition they m·e in with regard to uncn!ployme~It.

'The S!XHETARY FOR RAILWAYS: It is ven,;­small in Queensland compared with the other States.

Mr. ED\VARDS: I would like to bring bcfm··e the notir:e of the Government the fact that the adoption d the policy d day labour is holding back the building of nP\\; schools and the vainting, rl'pai ring, and txte~1sion of existing schools.

Mr. D.\Sll : Do vou nw~n by that that the rnen w111 not vvork" ~

Mr. ED\VARDS: say without any hesita­tion that in llHl.ll.)- country di.-3tricts schools could Lo built for " good de;.tl le's tlmn they are costing to-clay if the local men "ere givc;1 the contracts. \Vt' ,. ould not have tlw children sitting on the floor, as is tbo case to-day in many districts. Iu rn0· di.,trict ther-e are 1nany schools which are asking, not only for repairs, but for t'xtra accommoda­tion. That is onlv an instance of the condi­tions exi~ting in rl1any districts.

Mr. COl.LIKS: It is not true so far "" my district i8 concerned.

Mr. ED\VARDS: I arn pkascd to se" th<.t; the Gon•rn""ent are likely to bring fon\ ard a Bill in connection ith State advances to ntlc•r,, I how' tlll'v \Yill "'' that. the Ad

is so extended. that tlw settlers. partict:larly those who are pioneering, \\'ill be able to get the acconunodation th.p,r l'C'quire. That i~ one of the best. 1neans of a2si~ting .:1ettler) in t·ho early :-:>tagv'i.

I was pleased to hear the mover and , .... comler of thl' Addre,, ... in Reply rcfn· to the question of soldier settlenwnt. Both those Jncmbers Incntioncd certain ostatcg which they considered had not been cut up into livinO' areas. Pl·acticallv throughout the length a~d br~adth of tl;o State soldier settlement has been < ~rricd out in a most disgraceful manner. There is no doubt that hundreds of settlf'1·s must lc;we their hold­ings. The local committee of practical men in the different districts have asked time and ag·ain that th(-;e areas should be made larger. n.nd no notice has been taken of their repre­sentations. Some time ago I went over the Coominya Settlement. As one who has been on the land all his life, I say it was in the most disgusting state of any on "hich I have set eyes. In manv instancc-q the settlers have been placed on 25 acres of poor forest soiL I hope the Government ·"·ill take steps at once to have come alteration made. If a man h11ves his block, let the Government see that another soldier is not p11c on to that block, but that it is given to the man who holds the block alongside it. Those small blocks of land ar(' capitalised to the extent of £25 to £30 per acre b;: the improvements of housing. fencing, and clearin~. In that particular district a home was pointed out to me which could he purchased for £8 an acre. \'\Till any person with common sense say that this is a business proposition in the interests of this State? I think the Land Settlement Committee who dealt wi.th that nucstion did not carry out their duty to these nnfortunate ln.ds who have been placed on that countrv. We find manv settlements throu~hont 'the State in distant areas, in son"' cases 20 and 30 miles away from the

Add1·ess in Reply. [5 JULY.] 49

raih\ 1y) that arc in a sin1ilar po~ition. In somco cases there are gra"ing blocks of 600 acr<"> <llld 700 acres. I commend the Gm·ern­Jnent at OilCe to consider th::1 t !nost vital 1 1twstion.

In reply to the Prcn1icr's rernark~ \Yith regard to rn v attitude on the agricultural policy, I want to state that I will giYc that policy all my assistance, so long as it is going to be on co-operative lines.

The SECRETARY FOR AGRICTL1THE: Have von ..:upport.~d it so far'! u

:\lr. ED\Y ARDS: \Yhac do :·ou mc<1n by -,uppJrting it?

The SECRETARY FOR AGRICcLTcRE: Ha Ye 'ou 'Pokcn ',n favour of it? ·

iVlr. EDWARDS: I haYo told the farmers to accept it, because it is nearl,y tin1c the Labour p<1rt:• gave them something. It is mY opinion that, if thj~ schc1n0 of organising the primary producers is going to be a success, it· will have to be removed from politic<1l control.

The SECRET.IRY I JR MDiES : I !mow your <'h•doratc pretty intimately. You dare not ·oppose it.

:\lr. EDW ARDS : I dare oppose it. The PrL·mier has made a lot of statements to-night .about men " ralting" on partie:-<, and that sort of thing.

The SLCRE'l'ARY FOR AGRJC1.:W'GRF:: The PrPrnier used the vvord " deserting."

Mr. EDW ARDS: The Premier, in placing t hJR agnculhtral policy before the primary produc._r;3 as a co-operative method, assures them that it is going to be handled entirely Ly the primary producers themselves. At the ><tme time the hon. gentleman and his llovernment are pledged to the policy of w~tionalisation of the means of production, <hstnbutw.l, and exchange. How are the Uovernment, and the Premier as the head uf tho G OYernntollt~ going to clear thern­,c!vus on thi.; qucdion '! In 1921. at a con­ference . in . Brisbt~ne, the . Premier opr~o.:ed the obJective of the Labour partv of :-;ocial> ,tion of production, but it 'vas c.lrricd and was cudorscd in Melbonrno 1·eccntly and the Premier and his Govern1nent arc pl~dged to carry_ it into effect. \Yill the Secretary for Agr:culture assLu-e me that tbe agricul­tural pclic.-· is not a step in the interests of natioralisation of production? -

The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: That is only iL red herring.

'rho S~CRCTARY FOR AGRICULTUHE : YOU will admit that it is a good step.

Mr. EDWARDS: I will not admit it is a good step if it is gain~~ to nationrtlise every­thing we are go'ng to produce. The Govern­ment's policy of nationalisation has done a trc•mendo·"s lot of harm to this State, fLnd, if they arc g-oing to introduce it and apply it to the pr;ma.ry producers, and ask them to accept what is the first step in the direction of the natio·1aJisation of nroductiou I a1n going to nght it at every t~1rn. '

The SECRP.TA!tY FOR AGnrcn.TURE: You are bitterly oppcscd to it, and that conHrms what c·ou say.

Mr. EDW ARDS: I am not opposed to it. If it means nationalisation, I am certainly opposed t·o 1t.

The SF'RETARY FOR HAlLWAYS: You arc opposing the scheme.

1922-E

l\11-. FLETrHER: It i' not ioadod for us to p.;o to the elections ,vith ·r The SECRETARY FOH AGmCFLTURE: l\;o.

Mr. EDW ARDS : The Premier and his Goverument havl' ratted on their own policy, a1:d, if th0y aro g'--ing to throw their national­isation and socialistic idc<1s to the wind. I s:>y without hesitation that there i,. nothing b_>~wcen us, and that they can either join us Ol' 1\'e can join thcn1 in doil~g the b:~.-t we can fer this Stato, bc(':luse, in rny cpinion, that is practically all that stands in the way.

Tlw SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: The Labour platforrr1 g-tand:; for the encouragcrneut of co-operation.

::\lr. EDvVARDS: If the Government go on with this schcnw, aJJ.d are going to bring co-operation i'"to Qucelbland '" I understand L'fJ-opr~ration. then they haYc thruw~1 their 0\Yn platform overboard and accepted ouro, und l am with thom all the wa:;.

The SECRETARY FOR AGRIC1:L1'CRE: Yuu arc in league '"ith the rniddlon1an; we aro not.

Mr. EDWARDS: l am not in favour of the n1i::ldlcrnun. I an1 in favour of the pro­duccr':i handling their OlVn businc .s, and I ha vc ad vocatcd that for twelve ,-e:> n. I want the So-erctary for Agricu:turc 'to u .. dr-r· stal:d that, if the Gon~rnrnent ar2 going to flocd the ugrif'ultural "cheJ.llC witi1 Go,~ern­ment officials with the Secrctar1 for Agri­culture in cOJ{trol as chairman, it i.s not going to be in the interests of the produr·:n of this State. After all, it seems to me th1t there is a weakness in the scheme. Previously, the dairy industry was organised right from the producer up to the dairy associations. If the GoYernmc.:;ut aro earnest in doing something for these people, why have they not takc:n the advice of the men who have been m dlice for years? At many conferences with rhr• Secretary for Agriculture the.~ gentlemen

Jyocatul ecrt1ln 1nnttcr~ iu th_: int_rt.'~t.3 of the duirvin~· i1 du.tr of thi- State, bctt they vYt're Cl :·tai'i1ly neYe~· carried into offoct. I ref,'l' to the Cold f-itoragc qu.>tion.

Th., SECRETAH>: FOR AGRI uLTrRE: \Ve are getting along ycry fine with that.

l\Ir. FLETCHER: At vvhat coot '!

~\lr. ED\VARDS: The representatives of ~lw dairying industry came before the Govemment on this matter, but thoy were defied, and the Government went on with the

building of the cold stores at the [9.30 p.m.] Hamilton. Thoro is a;;other

matter in regard to which we differ very largely from the Govcrn.n?nt at the prcilcnt time, and that 1s the qucstwn of the leasehold u- freehold te . urc of land. If the Government are nrcparcd to d.J some­thing in real earnest for the settler of this State, let them givo preference to freehold tenure.

Mr. CoLLIKS: \\'hat nonsense!

Mr. ED\V ~\RDS: You know ne thing ab cut it. lf the Government gave profnence to freehol.cJ, they could go to the SJuthern States and get thousands of settlers to come to Cueen"la .• d at tho present time.

:\Ir. COLLIXS: From Victoria, where they are paying £3 an acro rent for land?

-:\lr. EDW ARDS: Yes; and hy not give them encouragement to come here? They nro n1en with capital.

Mr. Eduards.]

50 ~~drlre'~ '" Reply [.\SS EJ\IBL Y.J ~-l ddre's in Reply.

There i:::; another qllL':-;tion which h:t~' \wen practically sidutcpped eo far :te the Gon_'rnor':;; Speech is concerned. a.nd that is tho question of the Nlormou' 'prcad of pt·ickly-pear throu~hout the State. Do hon. members, either on thi> side of the Home or on the other side of the House. realise the ll"l'Cs,ity of urgently dealing wit\{ the prickl~·­P' ar menace in this State' Is it. Hot spread~ ing over millions of acres of our best agri­cultural lands, and are the Government ><)rion;: in taking steps to check the spread of the !Hear? If they were, thc:v would conw forward with a land polic:c which would give a freehold tenure to people who were pre· pared to take up land and keep back the· petn. The Government could do a lot fo1· this Sta'e if the:v were to take these things ~criously instead of being evor1 asting ly Pngaged in wh1dow-drcsslug· in order to catch voh,•;. That is the position they have taken up practically ever since they fonncl the:; wen~ losing their majority.

I hope tb matter I mentioned in connec­tion with the c•ducation of our chilclnm in count-ry di:--tdrts 'vil1 rceeiYP the early attf'n­t.;JJll of thif' GcvPrnincnt, and that they \Vill :->C'(· fit. in thP yc•ry netT futurr, to go out and a_,-.,~i.t; ia buildin~ ::-::chools in tht~ cnuntr)· district,, and to &. e that the childrc•n haY<' reasonable and fait· a.ccunnnodation. Ir is vno of the big things in the intere<St.s of dt~ccntra11sation in the State:.

lVIr. IVINSHNLEY: Thl'v have dolH' more for t.hc children than any (~overnmcnt that has 'vcr C'cisted in QneC'n,·lancl.

1\ir. l£D'\VARDS: So vou should, because, after all, the State is practically in its infc:uu_·y, a.nJ, if you sat on those bcnchC's for scYen v(:a rs auU did not do rno1·e tha.n GoYc·rnrncn"t·3 before you hacl done, it wculd he a disgrar·c. The pr s._nt. Govcrnrncnt haYc­done vc1·y little up to the [ll'Psent time, and 1 am putting this quc""tion before th0rr1 so that thn will J't'Jli>o that. their dntv liP' i:r still going on with the work. I know of a nurnh~'r of parent~ who haYe rcn10Yed to the large ('Dnb·es of popu1atiou Clll ac('ount of the poor school aceommodation i11 thP c·ountr::.

HoN. J. G. ,\PPEL Ulbrrt): I etmf''" that I han' l1f'Yl1 r for oue rrwrnPnt thought l would ::;E'(~ the day when, throu::rh th0 wrr'ekagn of our Com;tit.ution. Qrpcns\anJ \\·onl-Ll be g-oycrned under a unicanreral i"l'>':,t,·m. 1 reall:-:P thnt t·he a<'i:ion which llas be('n takPn L>.v tlH) Lahour part,y in so revo:u~lonisirtg c•tr Con::;titnbon ''rt_1:" sirnply the ~·arryir~g out. of that polic~T which they :-,rt· forth to catT~V out df'';pit _. the wi::;hcs of the ekdor:; uf QuL~cnsland, a:-:; w·ts ,o.,o anlp1y dcn1nnstrat0d bv the vch~ \Yhich was takell :15 to whether ·the ,c,.und Chamber shonld be alJolislwd o1· not. 'l'he;r obj· d. we know, was the follo\ving out of that. confiPcatory policy which the Labour party now arc endPavourirqr to hjde. \Vc realise that, under <' cloak. t.h· y []re enclcL~Yourillg tu dc-ceivP ;1 ;_:tion of the cornrnunity fur t.hP purposr.• of g;~iniiJg· thPir :c:nnpat·hy, wbi}\" f'till hound lo adh.'rP to th::t. police· which has rc,ulted in thP nholition <J! the 0·c·ond ChnmlH·r. which nnqnci:-hono bl:v w 1.s a snfPt.!."UUl'd. lt did not tllattcl' wbat part·.v rnight Le jn pnwe1·, thP "r'cond Ch "!Pbpr 1.vas a safeguard to tlH• ,·krtnrs of C:.}uPPn·:und ngtinst ha-.ty or ill­' nn>iclerc-d ll';6ohtio'J. Jt juet happem that <1 lJtlhlic·Ition nnb1;.-1h0'l:] on 19th Fcbruarv. 1918. cnlll'd •· rrhe RiAing Sun, 1

' came undCi·

fJfr. Erlurrrc!R.

my notiC(\ and it give::;. ample evidence of what I have contended-that it is simply th·• policv of eonfi,eation that the Lahom· pal'tv hn~:P foll<)\vr:d ont. _.\q a nlatt.pr of fllci·: I ~,i, ... thc'm <'l'- dit that the': advo' atcd thet pt;lic,· of eonfiseatiol! that· t.hc;v has<' c:uTiPd out. Tlv•v hn.v·· shown fit least that they have ha-d the courage of their convic­tions. An articl in the publication I have m,•ntio!!Nl stab\.;;~

·· TIH~n' i~ onP thin~· the Lcgl:;;lativC" ( juun('iJ of QaL'Pnslnrul haR sPt ih; facP against. Th.:;tt is cunfir.;c:ti-ion. It ha.;-; not been ab1P hJ stnn the Ga bin PI. from ,pending hundr d~ of'thousands of pounds without tt ~hrecl of anthorisation from P-.rliamcnt: hllt against the Ass··mbly'>• lah'si dosP~ of onpressivc taxation. against its Cont~titution*wrccking project of last ;vPar, ~1nd agai-nst it._; conseeiption of shippiuv (o,llu incidento,\ conscription of sa ilo1·s) it has stood like a rock. One of the Bills that the llvan Ministrv wanted to pas-• into hw ·last Octob01:. and actually did get through the Assem~ hly, had :t provision to this effcct-

Clamc 10 g·oye the Minister pow·e1· to seize all offices, premises, wharves. stores, r,nd any other property, and incid<'ntally ;J) officers, employe·cs, and agent~. Shou 1d one o£ t.hese person:-~ n•fus" to work for the Government \\'hich had commandeered his shipping office•. he was linble to a penalty of £500. .. That was one of the clauses of th<'

UoYPrnntPnt.'s Shipping _Ac-quisitjon Bill: anJ if ilw Col~ncil had not stoorl in tlu~ YI<P,r il· \\-onl<-1 have been la'v now. Qu~0nsland would haYo ha'l th· uniqul' <li~tinction of being· the ono country in the British Empire·, and probably in the W{lrld. \vhere not only pr] Yatoly-o'xncd ,hips could lw cnnfi.sr:ttcd by thP Govnn-

bnt :;PHnH'n and ~hips' ofric r::: could \w ;1~ well.

.. \Yit]l a rer ;'ut· ( s::<unplf' like thiB con­f: <'llting ntH'. w·ill it be ~,aid that it is IH't'f';'3ary, a(h-i~ablc. or eycn safe to ,•nll'ust 'tlL' affairs of Q<wcns!and, with the property of everyone in it, to a body of men representing ono Chamber. and one class of vot.cr-the class of voter who has most to ga ju by g·cttlng hold of the ]H'Ol1ert.v of othPJ'S? TlL·re eau b0 t::) 1ui unrl\'l ht!Hlin:.~· al)('ut the n1nttcr: t hP f<:leh i~1 1w \Yay rni~rcpn 'lli·,'d. Tlw Lr' r al 0"1' C'onfc-l'<"lH'P h:h approved the speech of its prr-itl<:nt (dclivcrod 28th ,Tanun.ry last). m wh1ch hf' exprC's~ly announr d the goal Gf ' <··:rn~ mon o'vncrship.' · ('o~nmon O\V11 ·rsltlp

tucnn:-> onlv O!H' thing. lt mC'an h_,.·liJ~~· hand~ on i:-hc eapit:d nf cthcJ·s----nc•t. l) 0 1'-

h: on tht'1r hnu:3Pho1d reln]:-~it~'s. ~·11 C\"t'l', t.:H•v pc .. _..:t'::;, that hr"s

<\ prodw.'t i~,-L: lt. rnc -·nf' 1' rcnching-frorn Paul \\"hat Paul has hardly cn.rn2d, and handing- :'t oYer to others. A¥ainst that kiwl of thinf?; the Levi~lativo Council is standing now: rrhf' Co'lPcil 1:-wlif'VC'S it has t,hc goodwill of the bulk of the p]cctoro in fighting the revolutionary, confi::catjng proposal of the H,yan Govern­ment. It looks for th_,ir GUpport on 16th '0.Inrch; and that support clln cnly be ~i,.:en by H vvte t~sainst< the pal·t.y whose hand is raiseL1 to strike the Council down.·'

Address in Reply. [5 JULY.) Addreos in Reply. .)]!

'I'he country gave its vote against the pro· posal, and the po.rty opposite, \'Vho pose as the men who alone stand for democracy, turned down the will of the people, and abolished the second Chamber, which will enable them to carry out that policy of con· fiscation which they have hitherto pursued. Can the leopard change it; spots, or the Ethi­opian his skin? Just as the eostermongcr, with a bundle of carrots, endeavours to in· duce the donkey to go forward, so are the Government shakmg a bundle of carrots before the farmers and primary producers to-day. If the farmers are fools enough to take the bait of that bunch of carrots, all I can say is that they deserve to get all that they will, and they will get that which the chicken gets--the axe on his neck. (Op· position laughter.) Personally, I am one of those who are not very much concerned as to what party should control the administra. tion of my native State-whether it be a Labour Government, a National Government, of a Country Party Government-so iong as they carry out the administration for the advancement and prosperity of the people of the State, and for the development and settlement of the country. Unless all that we hear, see, and actually kno\v is ahs.o­lutely false, it cannot be said that the Labour party ha,·e carried out such a policy. I charge the Government with the betrayal of the trust placed in their hands by the people of Queensland. I charge the Go· vernmont with reckless extravagance and expenditure of public funds, and. through faulty administration, with the dislocatiDn of our great uti!it::-the railways. I charge thc Government with imposing taxation grievous to l:e bDrne, which has had the inevitnblo rc'"~nlt of harr1pering cxpanBion, and the progressive development of the State, and has caused the continued growth o£ unemployment. I charge the GDvernment with entering into schemes outside the pro· vincc of good gvvernmPnt, resulting in tho diversion of millions of public funds from their leg-itimate u~P. I charge the Govern­ment 1vith fostering and encouraaing the gambling jnstinct3 in our people. ~nd thu;;; sapping the vc•ry foundation of our moral and social udvancernent. They evidently feel that, with such a rocDrd, they are losinv their grip on their eupporters, as is show~ by the daily meetings of men who were formerly prepared to stand by them under all and cver:r condition. \Ye find that meet· ings are being held daily bv the workers of the State, who are absolutely dis[\usted with the men whom they have placed in a posi­tio:> to c:untrol the de,tinics of the State. Can it be wondcr·ed a.t that we. who likewise represent that interest which, above all others. goes to make for the dovclopmont and settlement of this St>ttr•, feel that wo should be false to our trust if wo did not take the >tction we arc doing, and point ant to thoso ~vho pla·ccd 11s here that the promises whic"h nr<J being madp to them arc intended to deceive th"m, and to enable the Administra· tion to rotai n their grip upon the affairs of the Sta.te and pnsh us further into the Scrbonlan bog in which we are wallowing to-day?

0PPOSIT10N l'vinlBEH'i : Hear, hear !

Ho;;. ,J. G. "\I'PEL: As I said before'. can the lrop,ud change its S!lots? Do I undcr.,tand that this Government, wh'eh took part in lhe convention lYhich wa,s held not :o:o long ago in Brisbane, and which prnctically adopted what may bo termed the

Soviet system of Russia, have turned down that policy which placed them in the posi· tiDn in which they arc to-day, m have they not? Arc they bold enough to say, "We· have oast aside all those principles which we adYocrtted, and by means of which we wore placed in· the position which we occupy to· day." If they arc not prepared to do that, how can they go to the primary pwducers and attempt to gull them in the way they are doing? The hon. member who moved the adoption of the Addrees in Replv said t.ha,t he considered the Government's pro· gramme a courageous one. I admit that it is a courageous programn1e for an.v party, with a knowledge of the policy which they cannot disregard or sot aside, to go to the electors and endeavour to deceive them to the extent of trying to make them believe that they have recanted from their former principles. What arc the principles by which th•' Government are bound? I have here the· Labour objective, as expounded by Mr. Domaine, who "as the president of the­Labour Conference which was held carlv in 1918. " 'I'he Rising Sun" contains "this reference to 1\fr. Demaine's address-

'.' There must be no private owner· sh1p of capital loft. for 'Capitalism must be ovnthrown' ! N ate that De· maine does not say ' the a~d:ners of large· capital must be overthrown.' No dis· tinction is made or. even suggested. 'I'he owner of £200 or £300, sera ped together b:., a life of toil, is to that extent a capitalist, and according to the pro­nouncenlcnts nolv 1nado, and endorsed and approved by t.:w Labour leaders, the capital of such a one ought not, to bP left in his possession. It should be ' c•ocial· ised '-that is to say, thrown into a common ftmd, and become the prDperty of no onO-(\XC:e pt the ea ne us."

Would not the members on this side of the House be aboolutcly false to the trust which h"s bccu reposed in them by the electors who sent them here if they did not expose elcc· tionecring tactics of the preseut Administra· tion '1 The party G[)Jl< si to is absolutely bank· rupt so far as any progres··ive polics is con· cemed. Wore it not for the fa,ct that Pro­videnc8 has been good to Queensland in the way ?f providjllg gooll sea,ons, the party oppoSite would have absolutch; ruined this fair Sta.U· of ouro. 'I'hc people are a! read v gTO'llliug under the severe and grievous bur dens of taxation imno,cd bv this Government The prc<ent Admin.istratiorr is ono which ha,. iutroJuced lllf'fbureJ and f'Jrccd thcm1 through the llcuso by moans of the "gag." They did not pern1it hon. rn ~n1Lers, the rcprescli­tntivc.-; of the Jll'Ol1le, to express an opinion upon that kgisbtiou 1S they should have done. The party oppo~itc intrc clue eel legis· lation which wns iO worded that it gavel them an opportuni+." to impo, 2: upnn the {?'"·tatrs of dccca• 'rl. p0rson-:, i.h a ·way that ·,yas never intended. Tlw l<•gisbtion wa' so dr.twu that it pcrn1itted charges to 1H' levied a~0 .1inst an c ~t 1tc nruountiHg to a third n1oro tha 11 the c 'tute actuallv < .msistcd of. In the e>1\a\P of the late Dr. "Lightollc'r it was thought that tho.v would collc'ct pro ha to and m cc€ 'siou dntir~ on t-he actual yaluc of th( ... e~ti:Jte. '"hich "as fixe cl at £60.0CO, but tho Gonrn· tncnt. o1ving to the catchy 1vordit:g of tlH' section of the ...._t\.ct, clain1cd to inereaso the n·~tual Yalnn by anoth0r £20.0CO. Is that ndrn~nistration IYhif'h sbonld connncnd it::..<-.1£ to lho rlr'ctors of this State? Is thnt lhc-

Tfon . .!. G. AJIJ)Il.!

52 Address in Reply. \),SSEi\IBLY.]

:;ort of ad1nini~,tration \Yhich any honest and patriotic rnmnbcr c.tll romtnnid to the elcctor3 of the State'! I know. despite thP policy which tlwy profess, and the policy which t~cy arc boLmd to, thttt there are men on the Government side of the House. unfor­tunately, who know in tlwir hearts that what I am ·tating to-night is the absolute truth. and that is that the policy they are pursuing ;, not one which is for tlw bendit c•f tlw pc•oplo oi Queensland. I aflirm that tlw ;u.:anting and garnbli11g which ic: encouraged by tho conduct cf a State lottcrv is one wbich (annot commend it·elf tu anv 'nl~'lnl ,-:>r of thl' con1munity with a:1y patriotic fec:ing when he sce9 that th0 r ~t:ming jnstinet is being fo.,tcrcd, and when he abo sec·' that that gaining instinct is HOt for the wclfar,,_, of this fail~ Si ate •Jf nnr:-:.

The SECRETARY FOR Pc:BLIC lKSTRUCTION: I::-: it tln~,' wor,~c than playing LridgP at llight? ~

Ho:-;. J. G. APPEL: That is not the ques­ti{JJL I h<.,;_ve lJ.CvPr gan1blcd or \Von a bet in my life. (Hear, hear!) lt seems to me that we havo arr~ved r~t a ~traugc position indeed when an hon. member spc<eks about the deficit of £188,000 as beillg rather a creditable• mutter. Despite all the exactions and the lncrPased revenues which ha Ye boen drawn by t:,P Gover_n.nent horn the unfortunate tax­pa./'ers of the State-in n1any instances put­ting severe and grieyous burdens on their bacb-dc· ·pite all that. they look with pndc upon the fact that th{'y have a deficit of £188,000. I was in tho Chamber during the \\'hole of th" hon. llJernbn's speech, and 1 did not hear him refer to the approximate loss upon our railways. ),_,qm1edly that is regarded with vrido by the pre,ent Adrninis. tl at ion, but the fact remains that the rail­v~ays last year shovvcd an approxirr1att:' los~ of £1.700.000. I \\'Onder .\Yhcn hon. gentle­men oppo;ite go before the primar:: pro­ducers u' the :,)tale, after having practically extracted all the available funds from them, if they will toll them to >vhat condition thcv have ~erlnccd t'le fin~nces of the State \YhE'~ we realise the direct taxation extracted during the ~-cnr from the small handful of people in the State-when we rPalise that the handful of population here, >vhich does 11ot exceed tho porulation of a secmHl-class to\Yil in Grc'at Brit 1111, p')id in ta~{ation last year the sum of £3,420,0JO-surply we can reali:-cr:l 1vhy nr~0n1rlr:Yn1ent is ranip<ll1t in the Steh of Queemland to-day. \Y c mu,t r{'allso thnt, owing to the nn1ount of taxation which has ber'n ~'X'tl'~t"tod, manv n1cn have had to go out of "b;.v~i 1oss, Und th~se employed by them have bc•en cast upon the streob. Owing to the po'itioP which has !Jeen created bv the Go\ t" 1 ~!iC'llt, thee:.'-' n1cn have been ai1so:ntPly unn b1e Ln gain re-C 111ployment. \Vhen I h't s11oke on the Financial State­ment I qqct·d· from J. S. Mill, who stated th::Jt taxat;on, and 1110Pe particularlv exrc3-sivc ta'cat'on. ahv•Jys falls on tlw shoulders of the workers. It mif'ht be levied on the -.J,on!der~ nf whnt js callPd the wealthy cla~s. uut in.•vitably it falls upon the workc;'S, who are tlw on0~ to suffpr, and who arc the !:'f'YCrcst s11ff~"'rcrs frotn exres~lvc ta x:a tion. That is rcalioed thro'l!Shout the world. and it is realised by all the greatest financiers in the world. The> foecmost of our statesmen and the r-reatnst of our financial C'<pcrts in Great Brit . .,in to-day realise this. because they are formulating plans to combat unemploy-

~'Hnu J. 0. AJi]Jd.

rncnt. a11d, in order to assi:';t in the rl'lwbili­tation of tntdc, cotnmcrce, and industry, thl',\' are r~ducing rhe ta.xat1on in the motherland. In Queensland apparently tlle so.e object and purpo . ..;P of the Governnwnt is to increase those In!: ,_l, n..-. It ha:3 brPn :3nggc·.tod here, and vu·· properlv :-30, that, if deflat.iou is ahso1ntPfy Jll~<'t>:--al·y in the public service­-if it j.;, nP(·;~s~arv to reduC'e the \VtJgC3 and ,.dari<'. cf tho,<' ',·mployed by the State-then ,\.l' -:.hotdd ~tart fron1 the head anU nut fron1 rh(' bottonJ. I an1 quitr in ureord \vith the ~tatt•m•~·nt thut we shculd start with n1C'n1bors of J)::uliarnPnt. ThP Gon~rnrnent have not olllv infii·cted grievous burdens upon the cho"ulders of the primary producers, but th<;Y p1·op 0 ,1e to add another additional. pmd C\1inistcr to their Cabinet. Another lYilmster i.c to be adcled to the number, although the ( ~ablnf•t is in greater number now than ever <·xi teLl in the State before.

LlO p.m.] The ATTORNEY-GE"'ERAL: 'l'hat Js quite

incorrect.

Hox. J. (;_ APPEL: A Cabinl'l:. the 1argt"•t v>hich has eyc•r existeJ in thJ history nf Qnccnslanll.

The ATTORXEY GE"iERAL: That is incorrect ngain.

At 10 p.m., rrlw SFE.\KER re~Ull1C'd the chair.

Ho:-;. J. U. Al'PEL: What did the f'rime Jllinister of c\'ew :6ealand do., He fo:lowed that c'<llll'SP which should be followed here If -~,\'t' ,r hone t a11d patriotic in our cndea­Yonr~ to a··,·~ist the rwoplc of the State by reducing exp"uditure. He started at the bQad. aucl I >Yould suggest that the prC'ent Administration h-ere, before they ask the farmers to give them another term of office, should show their bona fides by reduclilg their own salaries, and those of the m ern bcrs of the House. I can assure you that there -wlll not bo one dissentient voiec amon_g n1cmbors on t hi.J side if such a proposal rs made bv the Labour Government. I often find in speaking to people outside that they arc nnablc to rPalise the amount of taxatron which is extracted from them by this Administration. They see that there has been an cnorrnous increase in revcnue4 so thot it is to-day almost double t~at received before thu present party came mto power; but t hev cannot realise the tragedy-and ho11. rm:mbers opposite when in Opposition rd~rred to these things as tragediAs-that hJ-day rnore than £4 lQ;;. is extracted every vear 'fro1n 8Ycrv 1nan, \YOman, and rhild in i.b· State of Qucenslan<el, ,.-hcreas before they camP i11to power the arnounr was not. more thau £2 103. It e.Pems hardly conccJVable. Yet. despite that fact-;-and I cl'? not bla~e the Secrd:ar,- for Public InstructiOn for this, becau'e he" has approved of additions ~o schools and the er0ction of new schools I_Il place of schools ,,-hich arc al_r.,o\utcly unilt for use-the GoYernment refuse to find the necessary money, notwithstanding- t~e fac;t that money is being wasted for everv Illegrtr­mato purpose, so that the eyesight of the children is even C'ndangcred.

The SECRETARY FOR Pc;BLIC LANDS : Who C'rocted those old schools?

Hm;. J. G. APPEL: 'l'hl'v were crPcted in davs gone bv »hC'n the pt:esent population did not exist. I am not blaming any Administration for that, but I am blaming

Add1·ess in Reply.

thi:; Arlministration for this-that, having­th0 approval of the l\Iinister concerned, they do not finrl the neeessn ry funds.

The SECRETARY FOR PuBLIC IKsTRUCTIO::-l : Tlmt has always been the case.

Hox . . T. G. APPEL: I admit that. but with enormouslv incrpascd taxation, had not millions been 'wasted on wild-cat echemcs ,,-hich arc absolutely illeg-itimate administra­tion, there would have been quite sufficient money to cany out the necessary works and prevent th,, ePdang-Ning· of the heolth and the evesig-ht of that generation to which wo must ·loo!( for the development of i·llis great State. I say it practically amounts to a crime. ThG money is there. It bas been extracted from the ta.xpayers of this State. and ~-d. because the Government have entered iuto schemes quitn outf;ich• t"l1e sl.Jhcre of Government, the health of the children is endangered, and in n1any instances settlers who have gone into onr rough scrub lands, as in the mountains of the South Coa,,t have been compelled to abandon their holdings because they could not get education for their growing children.

The PRE:IIIER : I am afraid you must be ('"Xaggcra ti ng.

HoN. J. G. APPEL: I am quite sure that the hon. gentleman takes no intcre,t m the children of the State. If he did, ho would, a" Treasurer. provide~ tho absolutely necos~ sary funds for carrying out works of this character. ·what is the good of hon. gentle­men opposite going into the farming dis­h·icts and telling the farmers, " I have knocked you down, I have prostrated you in the dust; but emne along, boys, give mo your votes, put mo iuto power again, and I will do something for you." Again, I say 7 "Can the Kubian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? " Hon. members should hear the honeyed words of the Pre­mier when he goes into the country, They would never think he was the same man who comes here and talks of scientific taxa­tion to enable him lo extract the last farthing from the• unfortnnatc farmers, raking- them fore and aft with continual notices from the Land Tax Department-harrying them, ~ow he eome, with honeyed words. " I am going to introdwcc legislation which is going to make you all prosperous. I h_a ve signed the Labour platform. as ennnc1ated by Mr. Dernaine, the president of the Labour Con­ference, but I ha YC recanted on that. i.Ve arc gojng to turn over a new leaf. V\.,. e are going to give the farmer relief. iYhat for? rro give us a further acccs:-:ion to po,ver. \Ve lind we are too well known among the workers in tlw "ity. They have found us out, and now vve are going to the farmers." Oh, you have only to tickle them a bit, and they will take it all in. (Laughter.) They arc not going to take it in. I can assure tho Premier that there aro numbers nf men sitting on this side of tho House who aro, and have been, pointing out the value of the assertions and the promises of the Premier and the party of which he is the leader. If he could only hear the expressions of opinion, and the lallguage in '"hich thoso 0xprcssio11s are madP, concerning the attc•mpt.; he has made to gull the'e farnwrs, I venture to say he would ··give thcn1 best."

Th SECRET.\HY FOR Pc'BLIC Ixs1m cTJOX. The resct!t would be· a ,,!Jock to ym1.

Ho::-;r, ,T. G. APPEL: I am quit<' prepared t<> endure !hat. _\ big-ger shock will be

Acfclress in Reply. ;}3

experienced by hon. members sitting o_n that side of the House. iVhat was tlus BurnlcClde fea~t which \vas prod1i.:>ed '! _1 nr.n quite sure the 11 renner had l1,s to .. gue Hl ln.s cheek when he mado this great puLcy spct~C~l to the fannero, telling thcUJ what he \\'a' going to do. I ccuid quttC' i!llUgJne. gotng hollw with son1c hon. rncrnUers of that purt.f. I can in1agi11e hearing thorn t.-'~3.-, "\Ve didn't do too badly. l),uu't we put lt orcr the fool 'co<'ky' ·t 1'ile {arJJtcrs took 1t all iu." The ·· coclnes " ha YO not t~k~,n it in. ThP l'rcn1icr \nll be ·· takeu 11~ if he thiuk:'i he has ~ucccedcd in deceiving tlF·ln. \\' (• find that this speech prom is<" a J'ro­dncc•l''l' Organi:3ation BiJl. I S~lppose then: an' to be nominated to the dll'l'Ctoratc or thi-; organisation sornc of the gentlen1cn v._ho hav" a pull at tbo Trarles Hall, and for \\·hon1 billets 1HlYO to be found. \Ve are _to luwe a Frnit Cases Act Ameudrncnt BilL That wrts refcrrecL l'o by the hon. memucr fu:·. :\ianango. This has been. fou~1d nec~s~<\r~~ owing to the hasty rnanner In \\ h1ch lcg1s ... a t:on has been gagged and_ rushed _through this House. Perhaps the Prcrn,er IS gomg tu o·ive then1 the fruit cases free ! I ve~j tun· t' ~redict it will not be free fruit cases, but tnxed fruit cases.

'rhcn \YU are to have a Co-operative .Agri­cultural Production Act Amcndme:'t BilL l suppose that the Premier prom1s~d them there would be a double crop of ad thnl 1'

grown in QYcry locality~ without hav1ug rarn m· fcrtilisPrs. \\' c ha Ye done so much by l!lcans of ]pg·islation that probably th: }FJIL

gentleman thought that, with the t;sstst<uiCl' of ]1is party, he would be_}'ble to Introduce a measure prondmg tlw.t, 11 ram did not fall and the cmps did not grow, or 1f they " · no't". gro\v in double quantJtv, thcv would be cact into prison. The name of the measure i' su!Iiciontly ]or,g to choke s~me .hon. m:m­bers. I can inwg·inc the l rem1cr saying. ·· ~ ... ook wl?at a \\·onderful n:eas1:1re l . aff; o·mno· to o·IvP you! Look at the size of It-]' bclicve"' some people will be taken in by that wonderful name.

Then 'YC arc to ha\'C a State Advances Act .\mendment Bill. If the advances are regu­lated and administered in the same way as is done. at tho present time, I do not know how the}' are goiug to b<l traced. T~e settlers arc not getting thcnl no\v. I-Iow 1s !t that w~ country rnmnbcrs are being conbnuaily met by electors who produce from the depar:t-1nent ~an intimation that no funds are avail­able?

The l'RE)IIEH: No.

HoK. J. G. APPEL: They produce. the official notification. Son1e reason is gnren why the lllllll<',V cannot be advacced. I dare 0av it is considc•rcd by the leader of the Gowmmc·nt that it will be quite sufficient to sav, ~'"\Ye are going to give an increase".~ an'd thnt the " cookies" will fall. on tl;eJr knees and present thell' Yotes to h1m. I m­haps he will find that that will not eventuate.

I think it is a<hlittec! b,v business men that i~ is owing to tlH~ politieal interference ?f -the present Administmtion with th," Commis­sioner for Railv a vs that the railways aTP

in their nrcsm:t condition. It scen1s .a. 1Tn1arkabh~ thing t11at this '':o~dorful Adn1inistration, vvhn rufcr to n1en s1tbng on thi8 side of the~ House as nwn -vvho are beneath eontcrnpt ~o far ,,-:, uuy knowlcdgf5 of men a!lcl nHlttt1 l'S is concerned, should '"'o·

Hon. J. U. Appel.]

[ ASSEJ\IBL Y.i

}Jdn!inister the ra1lwa~·s that the vvholc ser­Yi('e is :;:pcthing with di~coutcnt. Thew have .apparently inci·eascd tht' w JgC's o{ their 0mployees, but in reality the•.· lwYe 11ot don" so. 'I'hcir uction in attempting to " do" the employees out of these inc·rcas.es. which sup­posedly have been grantc•d to them and which theY should recciYe. hP-s reduced the "·hole ser~~ice lo the condition in which it j, to-da··. It is futile for hon. c·cntlC'mcn to :-lrtY that is not so, becanso WP hnd the rail­'· r~y unjon n1cn are joinjn_Q' v1ith other u11ions in holding a meeting, I boliuvc. to-morrow night, not in the Trad<)s Hall, but in the Albert Hall, for the purpose of discmsing the attitude of the l'remif'r and his Adminis­tration to\0 ards them and the other sPrnt~ts of the State. It is \\·ell that the public of Queensland slwuld know the"' facts. If yon go through the figun's, you will find that on the whole· of the raih..-avs of Anstralift there' is a loP.' of £12,000 per· day, and of that sum Queensland is responsible for £5.000 p<'r rhy. That, is occurring under the \dministration of thooc he a nm-born administrators. who refer to hon. me m bc1·s on this side of the House as men absolutely without any businc" kno,vl0clg-0 or aen1nen. without gnv ab-ility to coPd~1et cvon their o\vn affctir;L It ~s ir.terc~tintr to follow out a ft>w of thPse figures. ·.Victoria has been rC'ferrccl to very frcquontlv. and I might as well refer to it again. 'lirtoria, w:ith a nopulntion which i; slightly double that of Quermlard. has a los.cr total direct taxation thun that of Qm•ensland.

The SEQRETARY FOH l'unLIC L'xDS: Does not that naturally follow?

HoN. J. G. APPEL: One speaker on that side of the House spoke n bout tho condition of the rolling stock in Vi toria. If it is worso than it is in Queensland, it must he very bad. Thf' state of the Queonslanrl roll­inv stock rdlech no credit upon the prc"ent Adn1inistration.

On tho last occasion when I spoke in this Cham bc>r I rcforrNl to the fact that during the whole of the administration of th" L"bour Government no attempt ha-d been made to paint the premises of the Railwa,y Depart· mcnt. and that the premioc' were seriously deteriorating owing to that fact. I do not know whether it is boin~· ·dmw in the other electorates, but an attempt is bcinv marln to put paint uprm the buildings in tho Albert and Logan elortoratos.

The income tax in Victori" actuallv yields £750.000 ]e,s than in Queensland. Y0t vast public \Yc•rk. lla'.~e b00n carl'i(:d out bv the Government nf Victoria, and the people arc in a prosperous condition.

Tho SE''RETARY FOR P1;BJ.IC LA::-ms: No.

liO'L J. 0. A PPEL: I kno,v it, and anvone 1.vho hts af!. ktHnv1cdge of Victoria know thnt tl1e p0opl0 thr>ro are •;prv pro:-pcrous. and, \Yen• it not for the Ctpital o\vnc•d b~' the Vict:nriflns that has come to Qnoens1an<l to ,,.,;,t in the doYelopmcnt of our State;. th f'"lt.atc~ wonld not b0 in the pc dtion it is to-da~v. \Ye cnYo a c1ccp debt of g atitndc to Yictorifl and ether States for the use of their capital in th<' t1evelcprnont of this Sta tc.

The no·mlatinn of Queensland i< annrnxi· :nately .750.COJ, and that of Victmia 1,530.000. f do not th:nk that any hon. n1e:mher oppo:-~it'• ~··ill h:::t\-c tbe hardihood to ;.;ay that therL·

[Hon J. G. Appel.

arc' not "·"rclthier pPnplc in Victoria thau i11 Qupf'n~lal!d. \Yl' hare yery fC':Y o~ whnt \YI'

n1jght ea ll wr,1lthy peop1P l'('''·ll'hng· 1 n tJueens­]and. D( '3pjte that. tlH' nnH:.uut of t,txP:-­]cy]ed i:1 Qucen~land upun thnt srnall popula~ hou anlouHU•d last. vcar to thL' surn of £2,14'1.360, ,,-herca' in. wealth~- Victoria thP amount levied only amounted to £1,446,209.

The hoH. nH'rnber for Bowen has stated tl"wt laud is so yaluable in Victoria that it ,riY(''' a return of £3 an aerc lor runt. Thcr,, ;~1ay be one or two ~uch b11Jck::;, b~1 t I doubt \Yhl't1wr there is Yery n1ut'h lancl Hl Que -n~­land that \Voul-d ckmancl curb " rent "' that. The land tax ]cyicd in C;;m'ensland amounted to £485.517, and in Victoria it onl.•c amounted to £372,064. Doe-, that not ;;paak fo~ itscclf ·: I doubt very much whether the I rem1cr. \Yhcn ho goes before the •• eockics," will gi\:P them tho"-' figm·c s. vVhcn he shows them h1s sclwme, will he sny to them, " Look. gentle· nwn, 1 do not know wheth"r we w1ll be able to carrv this ont because ,,vc ha""~.~e brought the fi.nn:neial affairs of the State into a state of chao"-practically into a bankrupt stat~~­but I will ginJ ::ou the figures and you C'lll

~ .... n how we :::tand, and you can JUdge for '.-ourselns "? I doubt it, and it therefore b~-'con 1cs our dntv to point out to tho electors anc1 to all th·-~ ,,~ C'oc:k1os" the true position.

The amount lcYiecl in Queensland for :;tan1p and probate duty last year vvai'> £604.739. I hayc no doubt that wmc estatc;s haYc paid the excc" ta-x that wa~--; :::ought to be extracted ill the· Lighto11er C'H3C'. rrhe succc.,.;;ion dutif'':l, ·whieh haYe bPen increased and increasu:-l bv this Govornn1ent, are a burden grie;-ous .. and hc,ny. ~o be borne. l:nfortunatolv, thoro arc fanuhes whcrP thee father lms managed, by dint of hard labour

ith the a~ ,jstancp of his family, to savo up a little capital, and when death overtook him the amount le,·icd upon the estate by ':'cam. o€ probate and snecession duties practically ;m•otwtccl tu a burden on the whole of th<' estate. \Ye rcalisc that that estate pays la_nd tax and income tax upon the mono:;· whwh ,,-as earned upon it, aed these would-bP far:ner~' friends co1nc along and haYc a flnal cut ftnd , xtract one-third of the va!ue by utcans of probate and succession Jutie;:;;.

The PRDJIER: Fifteen per cent. is the hig"hcst rate that can Le charged in Queens­l;u].cJ.

1lr. KIXG: That is only succ0ssion duty.

lioN. J. G. APPEL: Stamp duty has been increased in Queensland and in Victoria. I triye tho Prcn1ior credit for havinv a know­fed~r of finance, and he rPaliscs tlu~ causes for rai~.ing iho stamp duty charJ·cs. l-IP kno\vs that it is owing to the fact that tran~­ac·tions are decreasing, \vhich i·~~iratcs that a rertain arrtount of lp;_;jti1nate bus1noss soocu­lation which is talcin~ place in othPr States is :~et taking plaro in Queensland. I do not refc,r to speculation surh as GoYcrnmcnt Cl~·tlP station~. TlH'" transactions are dccrC'a::~ng mYing to the fact. that people ~re not·co~mg here f1·onl thr> othC'r States Ullfl C'ntC'r:.ng- 11•to that spectJlatic:n, wh'ch would he fur the settlement ancl the aclYan•·cment of the State. \Y 8 find that th<e taxntio·1 in Quc~ns-

land is £4 per head. anc. "' [10.30 p.m.J Yidorill £2 2s. Jlf'l' head. The' - ratio of pri'1Htrs producer . .; to our populaHon i~ approxirnfltely 17 P?r . c~n; Take the P•'re·ntagc of land t_ax paJ<l ,n .,_,[ the State'~ lH'l' farnwr p"r hrnli, and thr\ per

[D ,) n. Y. j

('{'lrtc<gl' of the vvhuh• lititd tax co11edt•d fr_onl clil t.hr~ fanner,::, in Australia, con1pnred \'nth Qur<'mland farnwrs-':\ <'W So nth \Vales, land tax per farmf'r, 0.08 per cent., per· eent>:g<' of land tax. 2.1; Victoria, land tax per frd·mcr, 11.71 per cent., percentage of land tax. 27.2; Queensland, land tax per farwer. 46.91 per cent., percentage of land tax, 48.4; South Australia, land tax per farmer, 10.94 ller cem., pet·centage of land tax, 13.0; vVostcrn A ustndia. land tax per farmer, 6.05 per cent.. perc<'nbtgc of land tax. 2.2; Ta_..;n1ania, laud tax per farnwr. 23.50 per cent., percentage of land tax, 7.1. And then the hon. gentleman says he is the friend of the farmer, the friend of the -dairyman, and the friend of the primary producer!

The PimtaEn: Thr: farnwr doe·~ not pn y that tax. It' is the city man who pay, it.

Hox. J. G. APPEL: I have hoard that statement come from the hon. g·entleman on difrercnt occasions, but it is an extraor~ .dinary thing that, if you go round the farming districts, you will find that .the farmers do pay land tax. a':d, proportwn· ately to the amount of husmoss they are {loing, jt is a very grieYous burden to them. I do not say the proposition made to the farrr1ers :is a courageous one, \vhen we know what the present Administration did to the farmers so far as butter is concerned. 274s. a cwt. was paid for all butter placed in -cold stores until 31st March, 1921. All States in t.he Commonwealth got parity with Im· perial contract with the exception of Queens~ land, which received 238s. a cwt.-a difference as against Qucem land o£ 36s. a cwt. Queens~ land Jairymcn thus lost 3~J. per lb. on butter r·onsun1ed in tl1eir O\Vn State, or a total of £8,000 per week was lost to the State producers. TJndor the pricc.fixing regulations second~cla'oS butter was worth £22 10s. per ton more than choicest butter placed on the local market, which resulted in the manufacture of sccond~class butter. which was sent overseas, and thus ruined the reputation of our butter. With all that, hon. members or. that side of the House claim to be the friends of the brmer, and arc cndeavotu~ing to capture their votes and gain their support in tlu~ forthcoming elec­'tion;1, ·which, 1 "/Cnturo to say, are not very far off, and ':chich I hope are not far off, because they arc urgently longerl for. :\'inoty per cent. of t.he electors of the State have m·gontly lc,nged for an opportunity of revising and recasting their yotes onoo more, although the period of the pre·1Cnt Parliament has not expired, and I only hope the leader of the present Administration will give the electors of the State that opportunity, <11Jd, if he is onee rnore re­turned "·ith a lnajority-'xc realise he rcpro­~ont:- rr rninority to-day-if he is once more t·cturnecl with 'a majority, t.hon all I can o.:ly is that i;he electors and taxpayers of this State deserve all that thev will get, and, if I am a prophet, they will get more than ever they ,·:ant, or than they ever got before.

:\Ir. POLLOCK (Grruory): I bog to IUO\-C-

" That the debate bo now adjourned."

Qurst}on put nnd passed.

Tl1o rc~umption of the debat<: \Vas rnade an Ord0r of thn Day for to-morrow.

The IImJ·,e ·)fljourn~cl at 10.35 p.n1.