legislative assembly tuesday october ·

Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

TUESDAY, 30 OCTOBER 1934

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Questions. [30 OcTOBER.] Supply. 1031

TUESDAY, 30 OCTOBER, 1934.

Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. G. Pollock, Greoory) took the chair at 10.30 a.m.

MACKA Y I-L,(UBOUR BOARD ACTS AMEND~IENT DILL- COl\1::\IONvVE.\LTH Al'\D STATES SOLDIER SETTLEMENT AGREE.'viENT AND FI:\TANCL4L AGREEMENT AMENDMENT APPROVAL BILL.

:\Ir. SPEAKER announced the receipt of mc:"sagf!s frorn Ills Excellency the Governor. inti

1maiing His Excellency's assent to these

BTI,s.

QL'ESTIONS.

APPREXTJCESHIP STATISTICS.

Mr. NIMl\10 (O:rlcy) asked the Secrcb11y for Public Instruction-

.. 1. Ilo\v rnany apprentice-, \vere regi~tcrcd in 1933-1934 1

. •· 2. Ho" man:: apprentices were placed In en1ployn1cnt-(u) GoYcnJrrlent enlplovlllPnt; (fJ) priYate crnploy1nent?

" 3. vYhat is the age limit for apprcnticc;;:hip?

'' 4. Is it possible under any circuln:-tanccs fer a person above the prcsrribed age litnit to become ap}lrcnticcd to trade ?Jl

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC 1,0;STRl~CTIOX (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Brcmer) replied-

"1. 1.033 applications for apprenticeship were registered during 1933-34.

"2. (rt) Fourteen apprentices were indentured to the Government; (b) 561 apprentices were indentured to private en1plo) ers.

"};ale.-The number of apprentices indentured during the c·ear 1933-34 shows an increase of 140 over those indentured duriug 1932-33, and an increase of 253 over those indentured during 1931-32.

" 3. ' The Apprentices and Minors Act of 1929 ' doe'\ not prescribe an age limit for apprentices, but invests the apprenticeship executive with power to detcr:nine, Dn allplication by any party mtore,ted, the earliest and latest a'"e at which apprenticeship to any part~ular industry 1nay begin.

" 4. See ans\ver to No. 3."

S1sn:n KEX1>il's 0RTHOP,~;mo CLINIC, To'xxsviLLE.

Mr. ::VlOORE (A ubiom;) asked the Home Secretary- ·

" 1. Did Dr. Cilento inquire into and make a report upon the clinic in To\Ynsvillo conductPd by Sister Kenny la <t June'!

" 2. If so. .,-ill he make such report available to members?"

The HO::VrE SECm~L\RY (Hon. E. M. Hanlon, Ithaca) replied-

" 1. Yes.

"2. Yes"

P~'l.PERS.

The following paper \\as laid on the table aGd onl,'rcd to be printed:-

Report of the Chief Inspector of Machinery, Scaffolding, and vVcights and Measures for the year 1933-34.

The following paper was laid on the tab!,,:-

Orders in Council under "The Supreme Court Act of 1921."

CITY OF l\L\CKA Y AND OTHER TO\VX PLA:\'Nil'\G SCHE:\lES APPROYAL BILL.

THIRD READI~G.

TJ10 I-IO=\lE SECRETARY (I--IotL E. :\1. IIanlon. lflllU'll): I moyc-

" That the Dill be now read a third time."

Question put and passed.

SL'PPLY.

HF.~nrPno;.; OF C'mniiTTEE--Esn~IATES-TE~TII ALLOT'!'ED DAY.

ILLXEf~S OF CHATR:\I \X OF CO-:.\I:HlTTEES.

:\k SPEAKER: I hnYe to ad,·ise the fioa~e tba !: I ha YC' reccl n~d inforrnation from the Chairman d Committees that he will bn unahlP to Le prc~cnt to-day because of illtoess. In his absence I call upon the 11on. me1nLPr for :\Iarcc. 1\lr. \V. 1_,, T(ing. to takr' the chair.

:,Jlr. JL T. Einu, Jlar· e, in the clwir.l

Esn:mTEs IX CmP.F, 1934-35.

DEPIRT. EXT or PcBLIC \YoRK'o.

Cll fEF OFFICE.

QLte,tion stated-

" That £20.423 be granted for ' Department of Public \Yorks-Chief Office.' "

Mr. HA 't ES (Turulah) [10.38 a. m.]: f'hould not like to sec this Yotc go throug-h \vithout fiaying- a few \\·ords concerning the v·onderful work that the Secretarv for Public \Yorks and his officers have Leen rarr,ving out .during the pa~t tv:o and a-half years. Li.c<tening to the debate on this vote last ~,.f·"k arld the criticisrn frotn nu:-mbers of lhc Opposition. I \Ya• greatlv surprised that t!tcre should bP ~o n1uch cornJnt'nt because loan moncv wa:_; being used for the purposes of the pi·ogramn:P of the Public \Vorlcs Dt pal'tnwut, as rarrif'tl out by the present Labour Aclministnction. I am firmlv of the opinion that in a time of rleprosslon and \\·hen priYate entnprise has failed to place in crnplo;'nlcnt so n1any thou'!ands of per~on.... -whn are unernploycd-a legacy bequeathed to us L~~ the previous ~t\dn1inis · tration--it is the clutv of the Goverurncnt to do everything- in thCir power to find 'vork for tl1enL Tlu" argu1nent~ arlducccl by memlJCn of the Opposition certainly do not hold v atcr. Dnring the \"Yar period. when \' .ge.;;; \n:>re pEtid to our 1nc•n to proceed OY('l''·~Prrs and certain a1Jo\vance"• wen• n1ade to t·heir dcpcndents and others, it rlid not

whether the ncce'·~arv n1onov \Yas or rot. I ..;a_y YCl'Y ~definitcl~· that

tltY of evC'l''{ ~UoYCrnrnent. durlug ·deprc·,:;:;io;l. to see that tho.~P

who haYe been thrown out of

J1r, Hayes.]

1032 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.

<'l1lploynwnt through no fault of thcic o~. n >houlcl he assistr cl to find employlllcnt.

Another cmnplaint frorn the Opposition \'.-a~ that the Yolunle of C'xpenditure 011 the Public \Yorks progTanrmc was unnee:essari]v larg-e. I fail to sec how such an argtl'rnent call be used against the GoYen11neut. considering the hcavv rcnta1s that vvonld otiwnYise l1e payable. for priYatelv owHed huildlngs. The prograrnmc carriecf out bY the Secretary for Public \'\"orb ha beeJl e.;..~cntial work. lt has been nPCCPElarY for the housing of GoYernrncntal staffs an~l the lH'OYiPion of t-:chool buildings and ~iruil~n· facilities.

I shou'd like to 1·emind hon. members opposite l\'ho arc. continually con1plaining <1 bout the low pncc:J for primary products th.at tl:(~ 1_1rimary industries JH'O\·icle ernploy~ JJJeJit mdni'rtl:v for the greater portion of our people. 1t has bc•eu authoritatiYelv ~iated that .over:Y pcr;ou engaged in prjnl~ an~ proc!uctJon Js mdnTctly responsible for the empwvmcnt of e1ght other people, and I mbm1t that t!Jat statement can be accepted a' concct. T!Jo building and allied trades nr.e se~ond in jmportance to prirn.ar~- inJus~ tnes nr provid1ng crnployrncnt for the !J('opl~)· If the eng:agcn1cnt of each person 111 lJl'IUlar,, ]lrodnC'L1on lH'ovides ernplc,yurent inclirPctly for eight other persons~ tht~n bv the ~a111c ru:{~ the building and allied trades ;~nnst provide <t con'"idl:rnblc arnonnt of en1ploy~ rncnt for our people, ~l nJ thcreb\· cr·eate :-olYent d.cnJatHl for good~. Soh·ent V dt•Inand can he· cren.tPd only ':he-n the p('o1e han: bet'll roabsorbcd into industn at full rares of pay. IIon. Iucnlhcr.:-; n}Jposite :::-hnuld n'lllPllJlJC'r that prj1nal'V prodnct.~ ca:!lnOt be pnrcha~PJ unlr',s a '-.ufticicut purdw'3inrr P?':·er is aYnilRblc to tlH~ people. ~,.\._ o

!lltl.on f!f. ~hat fnct offrctiYcly cli~poc.:e<:: tht'Jr C'ntJCI:c:nt of tlh: adion of thP Goven1~

in a11 etnl: nvour i.o ])l'O'-~iclo tlH~ rcqui~itc power \dJil~L at tlw ~alllt' t.iJ~lc'

ihc St.ntc and ('nWllcjpnrinp: the [1~rour a1I the political plat-

rnunicipaL and Feder<:d \\ c rl('arly eYrJlnitH d to

\n~ concelYed to Le our duty: and ,..;nid t!.at if rctunH \1 to pOT er \YI' 1nt·:·ndccl to do c-.'rtain thing:-:. ~\boYe all. \\ ,~ nndl'rtcok to lLc;.c our be:-t (·,lfl('~n-ol~rs ro c;,pc t1tat n:.f!n:'\· 1hol!"'llHls of pP<qJl~. '.Yho Wt'J''·: UJH'nJ]lloycd throngh no fault. of rl1t>ir O\\·n \Yl'lT' o11cc 1norc flb:.::od18d i.uto indn:-::try.

It ,,.i]l be note that fm· a pcJ·iod of c1ul'i1Jg' "hiclt the prt'::.;(·nl GoYcrnuu:nt "\Yero in 1 tOwer, they l':'\.llf'ttclec.l 110 a :--Unl than £320.000 nnou LuilJing "\Yhilst iu ;1 P~'rioc( of twL'lY\.• uJont.bs which tlH· ::\loon• Gon'n\r,lll'J~t; 1\:L·n' in. P.CJ\':cr .they. (•xpendccl onl~· £..LO .. 'Jv0 111 n snrnlar cllrccLIO!l. It i.-; 1\'l'il kn~~~ n _ ~!nH_ duri11g t1lc. rc-gi.lllC' _of the }Ioon' c>:OYC•-:.llllll'l!t CYC·l'Ytl1111Q.' lll lhwen~iat.Jcl \Yns. tdlo\\cd to r.o ·tu. r·lck Cl!ld\. rui1~. '\YL. , in tht: ParJia1nc ntnry bnildi11gs the plasb'l' begau to fall frmn the ceilings, and woodwod~ \Yas in a trn~_ ie :st.ntc of disrf'pair. All those matte1:;; were nttCJJcled to b: tlie GoYCl'llllll'llt aftc'r t.he.'-· "\YC'rn. rC'tnrllcd p_O\YC'r. The Standing Onlc'rs >nll not permn me to dc·al >Yith any n1attCJ'S other than those COYCrccl bY the Yotc• unde-r di: ~ussion, c,thcrwisc I should l;c able to point to rnallY other directions in "\Ybich the prc~enl tfini~ters hnYu car~ rit·d ont l'xcc..Jlent "'\York in the intcrcs18 oi the people and the State. The Moore

I)Jr. IIayes.

GoYenmwnt believed that by compelling the people to go hungry the State would eventually prosper, bnt the Labour Government bc:i<'ve in deeds, not words. \Ve have well ancl faithfully carried out our promises made to the" people during the last election campaign, and I should be failing in m: du(1 if I did not congratulate the :\linister upon his successful handling of the department under his control. \Vonderful HH'ce.<S is bei11g achieved by him and his officers. I know that it will be freely admitted on all sides of the Chamber that the officers in this department haYe been working at high pressure for the past bvo and a~half years, carrying out a very large volume of work for thn people. It may yet be necessary to construct a new public building' to hou~c the staff rl'quired to carry out the "'\\ ork~ progra-rnrnc of t.he Govenuncnt.

I also desire to e"press to the ::-linisterthe appreciation uf the people of the Nun· dah electorate of his action in providing for thP children an up-to-date schooL The building is a two~ toried one, and is replete ,,·ith cYcry neces~a1·y facility, nncl is dc-s~gncd to n1ect thP rcquirc1nents of n1odern education. This j~ a rn::-tth~r Yitally affecting the ronstituc:ncv I baYe ihe honour to repro.c:;ont. Thi' is th;, first P.n!iament in >Yhich this con-.:titurnc\ haA hePE rcprescntf'd b:,· a snp~ portc'r uf tltc Labour Party. The inacti,·it:v of prcvi{,u::;, repre:-rnt:tt.i...-c;-:; wa:'- YPry con~ ~picuou:-;. and the: p('opl0 ultimately r.cc?g~ J•i"'c•cl t11at the\· hnd adopted a do-not1ung policy. Durj1ig their represPntation the twoplc ceu]<l not Ja:.· clairu to ihf' <lCCOlllpli,;hn1ent of .nnylhi:!:g for thC' electorate~ \YIH'll tht' thn.e ~Cfll~ of rny reprn (·Xp]n' tl:t' lJL'O)J]P "··ill h lYP 1'C'<l"0!l iO

th~li itnpor1· tnt pnblic ' .. arks haYP been car-!·icd out in the on lllY l'cpresc'n~ t0tion,..:; to the I h,t~-c no fear .. 11') matt·'r J10w oppo;-::.ito n1ny l'!it1c. tl1at tlw i·f·upl{' \\ '-ho-..y thc~r grati-t ·:dp at the fnrtbcorning rlc('tion b . ...- a.gnin n'turnin;s ·t suppcdtc." of thi~ Co\·ernrncllt t\' continq.~ tlu.: pn ent I ugnin

the :\linis,LC'r, fon· ard ~ to hi-; '-ritlJ puhLc

Ill . ..,- rt'Illfirks.

od,· in publi,, \Yc~·k for our if hoe1. mem· cl·r .. clir whPrr:

The SECRETARY FOR 1'UBLTC Y\.ORK:C !lion. I-l. ~\. Brwe, 1'1" 1'llbl• ".m.]: 'J.'!tr' hon. member for woomba rcft'rred cri!ically to the expenditure on the erection of the haYshctl at tLC' \Yj llowbnrn n10nt.al ll0:-3Jlita1, a~;d :-.uggestec1 c!,at this building had cost £600. It is dif!i~ cnlt to ao.:cc-rtain how tho hon. nwrnber obtaiiJ('cl thi::; infonnation, as the costing of i he job is not Y''t completed. Howcn:r. the lca,,·shod is one of four buildings included in r_,.ne day~lahonr job JJO"\Y in the course of r·on1pl0tioll, ihc other building..;, bcjn.L" n. clrc:.y ~ hed, ~tables. and vcgeta blc store. 'The pro~Tc· s co~ts of nll thc.sc jobs to date is le~s 1han £600. For the infornwtio11 of the hoE. Jl'entbor. it is de ·irable that I should stre" thP fact that buildings erected at mental asylnn1c;, must be according to designs

b:; the 1nsptector of IIo~,pituls for Dr. Rllerton, and the hayshed

to v. as closignccl accordingly.

Item (Dc·partmont of Pnblic "\cYorksr_·:,id Officr) agreed to.

[30 OcTOBER. J Supply. 1033

SERYICES-PUBLIC BrlLDIXGS.

The P.ECHETARY FOR PUBLIC \VORKS {Hon. Il. A. Brucc. The Tab/rlund) [10.52 a.1n.]: I ll10YC-

" That £42.800 be granted for ' Scr· yjc . .;:.-Public Buildings.' ,

This appropriation is an increase of £2.000. '" compllrcd with the vote for 1933-34. This · on account of inrreascd waif~r

for further pre1niscs now erected or :-,('\\·cn'd. acld1tioJJal cxpcndilure on cleaning and \Yate.;hing seryiccs, and increased

on electricity supplied to nev: in con:;:cqueuce of additlonu l

Ji<'m n~Tc"cl to.

BUILDlKGS.

The SECHETAHY FOH PlJBLlC WOHKS (l!rn. lf. A. Brnce, The Tal!lelmul) [10.53 a.m.]: I moyc-

.. ~l: 1 t £65,900 be grantnd fol' 'Build-Inr·:s

!c \Yill !Jc• llOleL\ \hat this U[l[ll'Oprial;Oll ex:eccb tlnt for 1933-34 by £4,400. The ii;C:J'(- 1:-.:t:cl Yotc is n:quired to proYicle nwin(t_•na.:::lce \\ol'k of an urgent or d-.:finitcly ~,,~Cl'~--,ar.:· tuhuc.

Item ;~1·ced to.

I:\:SFECTlOX OF )1.\CIIIXEUY. SC\FFOLDIXG, .\X~J

WEIGHTS A::.l"D ::\fEASUHES.

Tllt' :sECHJ<:T~\_RY FOR PUBLIC \YORhS Hou. 1J. .. ::\. Dru{:e, l'h· Tabltlund) LlO.J~ .111.]: I lllOY(_'-

.. Tlwt £32,722 be gnmted for 'llhpPL'·

tion of ~\lachincry. Scaffolding, aJJd \Ycigl1b aud .:\lf'a::iUl<'::i.' ~'

(al Tlil' additioua]

appropriation is iLcrc>a~<·d that for IC33-34. Thi< \Yill proY icle for-

of ·~ ularics and ono

( lcrk. "\\ho·c nvpolntlll('ilt "rtl"; throucrh the

tJ'ub-dcp~"'JrtnH:nt; and

of salan· incr... ... . trnYelli11g -experi~t :;:., and pul·

ac1c1ition:•l Inotor car:-;, etc.

:\:r. :dOOHE i.Ju!,ir;n.'l) [10.55 a.m .. · ~-· QH' i1Jduc1t·d in this YOL'

l sl~onld l·ike sou1c inforEtatiOI:. 11 or t \.<llllplt•, the a111o:n1t of £3.10J i-· prc;Yic1cd under the hcudi11g "](xpt•n:-:C'~ in ('Qllih_C'lion r, ith i.h'- ncbnilli"tr·ttiou of t1J' \Ycig-ht and l\Iea~un_:.:. Art." and £7.1(1

,)

':Til] be ~·eqnir0d f~r "Tl-aYP~lillg ExpelFC'· l'nre:-:. Fr(•ig-ht~. Po·:· 1ge, l>rintillg. Sta-

Incidclltals, f't~.n I clo uot kno\v c~u·~ jn thP c·it_v with regard to

of 1Yeigl1t:-; and n.:.ca.,urP:-:, but J do know thnt the country there <-qlpcar ( o ~ c di:"'c 1n the a~uounts for the ut1'tu '{C of equllnncni- a11d C'"<JlCUscc. \Yhat is the basio on aHJJUlll:'-i a;·p clwrg-l'cl'? Aro cxpcn.::;r-.

f l'Olll the lH~arc~t pPtt_\' sc.~sion:-~ office or tlH' lllac(• at VYliich the' insyw{'tor of '' ·ig}Jt~ and nH'a:-~ufl•::: 1iYC'S '? On the Down-., for cxan1ple) 1h0 \YC'i/:[hing and uw1:snrit1g !t.nchillP" in Jnan-.: clu..,pse and butter fa~~

nnd. dwps ar(' in..:;pf'ci:ed, and inspoctor leaves Too-wootuha

of 1nspf'r·t ion, calli nO' en route at Uowrie Junction. KingsthorPe, Onke\·. f'tc. Ill rt\;;;;pcct of each juspection a fr>~ 1--; chargPcl for travelling pxpcnsc;:.; and for the}. cartage of equipment. Apparently the fPc1

;j r:· !; \t t l n!l Lo p11 rticular L(l:-1:-t: ::L, a factor;· i nu f!'· i 10 or 15 1nilP~ awaY has to

ll!i' ... r:H·· :--lUll for tl'UYC'1ljng" expense·, z ::ut n "-!.·,, of Pcplipnlt'nt <t:.; a factory situn ted enlv 2 Iuitf's av,av. Recently the Quinalo\v Cc-~opPr:'tiYC' Che~se Association wrote ask-

!11\' to inquire into the 1uat.ter. I an1 a \Y<ll'C whether fee~ a1·c charged for

ir::-pc·ction' Jnac1e ju the suburbs. but I shoul.\1 l~ki·, :hr· -:\Iini~t~..,l' to ~tatc exact1v the w}Jole llo~itim: in rclati,:;H to thc~o , con-nr'ctio~:. with iuf'pections of and !1lt:C·"l1l'{.':'.

.'.h. :\1.-\EEE (Jrr.,t Jiortlon) Lll a.m.J: It ha:':) the practice of wcighL and

IYheu yisiting country not onh· the

bv Leader Of tho ~ charge for car hire.

of inspcc:iol"' 1 not of their own, to hire

' hne lea ,-c the i1c1it1 to coaYC'\' them to the IYhere tltc·y ha \'C to l1Htkc n n inspectiou. _\_t 301118

the iuspcct~on 1nay take l\1'0

1' is kept WJ.iting during

;JL' l'C'l('(\.O,L'Cl

1l1n,.;: ob\·iatL't1.

thc~c ut~J re

busilll'~:-i man has to pay c1Htrgcd Vv the car driYer. be a Jl('f~dlcss i111p0sjtion.

to ha n~ to pay the of the are l'C'l1Uc>steJ to

it is.. b;r1 an itHil1cctioll a the.• car dri-..;er s1!ould

P<LYHlClli of "\rairing tiuw

to

:=-Jr. 1lootr::: That a.hYa:·s ·,{qJjJCn-~.

'I fr.

t·orrect. It ;:;;ePnl~ to n~c

bu~ine:;;~ pl_'oplo rnnuin~· jnto £1 ne-et ion with an and ntc:l:"ltHC'')

tht~ Opposition proportion b(•twecn

con1pany·. \re bnt \Ye seut

a1Hl hnd tller11 ith the ~talEp

that they "\Yt re

snutll f e~:s

c-it' of Brisbru~u h ·~ iuspec·tors in lt~attcr is \YorfhY of careful jnyesti::uttion 111 order to asr·rrt;;in if f"nn1e rc~licf <:annat be affm:dc-fl. a r;d :::olllP. unifonnity adopted 111

rc'Q.'anl to ch:1 rge Ti10 Sf;CHETARY FOR FCBT .. TC \YOHK:'\

(J-Ion. H. A. Brnce. 1'he TaiJirlanrl) [11.5 a.nLl: The practice fo!lmYcd by the impcc-

~ i ') · a n1an to carry the

:VIr. }loonE: They bring it in their own {"l !':'.

T!H' SECHETAR.Y FOR PUBLIC WORKS: The head of rny department assures rnc that

Hon. H. A. Bruce.]

1034, Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.

the D·nh· charge n1~1elo against the factory 1~ the c~perHhttne rncurred for car hire froru th!-; neareBt raih,·ay !3tation.

}lr. I\:.EXXY: The Lusiness n1an can carrv it on his own lorry and then he has to pay."

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS: That may be an anomaly; but I do not think it yyould be wise to get the business n1au to carry the nece~sary rnachincr.v ...-dH?ll the inspector does IH't ''"aut the tirue of hif' visit rnadc kno\vn. \Ve are unab!o to deal with the question of charges in the city bPl:ause it i~ lll'tc>s-3ary that our inspectors shonld get around as quickly and as secn·tly as possible. After each inspection certain business people iu1rncdiatcly comn1cnce again giving ~hart V\'l'igbt. ~\Jaturally we cL~> not allow such people to know the time of the officer's Yisit. The heaJ of the de}Jartmcut assures rne that in the cou11try di~trict the cxpenf'C"· arc chargeable frorn' thP nf'an=.'~t r:;ilway station, that i~, for the hirP of (·ar~. The cost of the car is iu pr.oportiou to tLG serYire·: n~quired b~r the people v,-hotn tho in.:-;pcctor has to Yisit. As is the crr···C vvith an" other :'\linister, when the head of one of ~n1y departn1cnts (t~Sllres n1e that the inforrnation giYcn is con·c{'t, of cours(:, I haYe to accPpt that assurance.

In regard to the statement made by the ho11. member for \Vest iVIoreton that scales were condca1necl by inspectors and that Yisits fro!n ,.ralf' :;:a le.,. men in1mediatclv followed, and aLsv to the interjection n1idc by the Leader of the Opposition that that always happened, the inference to be taken from their remarks was that the insjwdor and salcsrncn were in collusion. I \Yonld remind hon. me;nbLl's that the party of which the;,· arc n1en1bers ere in power for three years and no 'teps were taken to prevent such happenings during their adn1inistration. No inquir~· was made as to whether these men vrerc di _:honC'st or IYhethcr 1noney vvas being rcceiYed frmn the·sc agents :"irnilar to n1onc_'..~ paid b:v lYaugh and .Josepl1son jn the shnrw of c;ccret connnlssion, as it wa..-; disco\ creel 1va,:;; the ease in the dairying industr .'. C'ertainlv tlw matlc•r should ha Ye been ta);;:en up. I 'will haYc inYo':tigations Jnad~'. and if it is fo!Jnd that collusion ha;;; e--cish 1 bet\YPC'n our inspectors and sak~.men of ;;;calC';, action will be taken. Of course, it Inns.t not be forg-otten that a smart sn]esuiall would takn nch·antngo of the situation. I{nOIYing tlH!t the inspectol's IH'rf~ on thr; joh he 'Yonld naturally rnake it hi:, buf-in( ,-, to follo>' t ],cm round. It is Ycrv difficult to pro-..'~ co11usion, but v c n1u.St protect. prople froE1 the suggc~stion that their :--.:< al1 ~ f'Ye (0ndrrr1.ncd VlllH'Cc~sarilv in order to giyc ~alc'lnlPll m1 opportnn{ty of :-:ecnring husine:-:". That would l-lc pnt-ircly \Vl'On~ anrl nnjustiflabl0, and any l\1inister ·who V\Tanted to keep his depart1nc~nt clean would l1aYe to 111akc in..-c.~tigo"tions after h0uring the suggestion rnadc by the hon. 1nen1ber for \Yest 2\IM<'lon. As far as I am concernerl, I will ha..-c inquiries made.

:\Ir. )LHIEn: Hear, hear!

ThP SEC'HETARY FOR PUBLW \\~OHKS: At the :canJC tin1e \YC find th~~t ~:-·ale:-; arc ~mnctinw-, out of order. Thi" i~ not f:o ,-crv oftrn the- ca-;c in the conntr1- districts. l\11-: Hcnclcrson. before his retirement from the pqsition of Chief Tn~pcctor. informed 1ne qnit" clc finitel, that he had had in the City of P.cisbane n1an;: itntancc;-; ·where inspectors had di::.;.-oycrcd that certain trades peop1n w~·rc ,,,,lling under -weig}Jt and the t:calcs had

[!!on. TJ. ,1. Rr11ce.

to be' adjusted and that the department had to nw.kc subsequent 'lnrpnse visit8 frorn time to time. It was found that the in~ . pN:tms had not been gone twenty~four hours before thee tradespeople wen; again at their old practices. Naturally scales get out cf order and require adjusting and this applies pal'tiQ.ularly to scales used for '\Yeighing hean· loach. for example those at butter faeto'rie.s. The1:t~ n1ay be' sorne- discrepancy that can be easilv re<:tifiecl. There should not be• any object'ion to a sa]osruan having the' opportunity of replacing ~calcs when t1w departmental inspectors have found sets to lll' ont of order. 8alPsmen naturally 1·\'ould try to get business by making it. a practice to follow the inspectors. So far a~ I kno\Y the great 111ajority of our officers vn• !lH'n of honc·sty and intc~grity and the f-,upen-i::-~ion exercised by the suvcr1or officers is abo excellent. These officials ha\-e a difficult and Y8l'Y trying job. ?\aturally tl1cy urc criticised. I-Ione-t business n1en object to ha \Ting their businesses inqnired into lH~can ')e the;, recognise that it is to son10 f'Xtent tantan1ount to a suspicion of dis~ )JOIJPsh. The dishonest man of course does 110t ~s~ut. his business to be inspected. So fa.r as I an1 a \V arc, no charges have been made against any of the staff.

2\Ir. :'\lAHER (W rd JI orcton) [11.10 a.m.]: I Jo not desire to be rnisnnderstood in this matter. The two Bets of scales belonging to my firm that were condemned by the in-,pc(·tors vi·cre used only for the purposes of our mrn check and had no relation to public trade at all. As a matter of fact the point was seriously argued with tbe inspcC'tor that one .-:et of scales \Vas not -..vrong at all. Th,,t was our YerY definite and emphatic opinion. NeYertheJes'', they were condemned. and by the particular inspector who was followed all through the South~ \Vestorn portion of Queensland by a particu, lar salesman. Many people who were told t.hat tlJeir scales were bad haYe inforn1cd n1c that t.he" >n're under the impreesion that there >nts nothing wrong at all with them, and that the l!lspector from the Y\'0Ights and mf'a, l11'PS dcpartrnent deJiberatei,~ condc1nned the ~, al>::>s wben they were in perfect order.

It wa, .. suggested that he did that so as tu proYide facilities for the 'alcsmcn fol:owing hirn to sell nc~T scale.-:. That 1vas tllf~ pniut that I IYishcd to crnpl1a•~iso when

~poke a n10n1r'nt ar:5o. It i:-:- son1e years that lwp[Jenecl, cc,rtai11ly before the

cnt uf lhc :\Ioorc Government. and I fonrottf'n at tho rnorncnt the true cir

runn~tan~c' of thc' case. I have now cxpl<.till('d ju~t what happened.

:\h. '\WORE ( .. lubiuny) [11.13 a.m.]: On ihe qne·tioiJ of c-harging cartage on the HIUiprnellt frorn the nearest raihray station, I should like to point ont that the equip, went arnounts to but a few weights. i~_ charge of 6cl. a n1ile is n1adc in this respect, but I should like the Mi11ister to note that the wcjghts and n1casurcs deparhnent has f'iYf' depttrtrnental motor cars, and that the ac!11~1l cost p0r ruilc of running thc:-:c cars

1930,31 1931 Z:2 1932,33 1933-34

2,27d. 3.65d. 3.2lcl. 3.16d.

., a n111e.

If tlw dc[Jartnwut can run the c~rs at that co,t. wh•; should the unfortunate indiY'iclual be ;;Otn];elled to pa'\' at the rate of 6d. a mile' \Yhat basis is adopted in allocating

Supply. [30 0CTOBEI<,] Supply. 1035

the cartage eost to the individual? It appears :to me to be done purely by gues,work: I have had accounts in rnv horno whore a man five miles further on tl1an my place was charged ",,actly the same amount as I was charged for cartagc. I supvose the cartage rate is fixed on, a mileage bu-...is from the nearest petty se'ssiom office; I do not know. The a1nount proriJed in " Contingencies " for travelling f'xpenst~s, etc., this year is £7,100

1

and in Yiev1 of that large sun1 sorne definite !ta:)i~ of allocating the charge should be adopted. If the cost of running a motor car conYcying equipment is 3.16cl. a 1nilc, th(~ll the jndividual \Yhose scale i;.; to bP i;;spectcd should not be charged anything more than tho acturtl cost. He should not Le chargvd, say, 5s. for the cost of the equip-1ncnt Y:hen that cost is taken into con~idcra! ion '' Lcn l'stinrat.ing tho cr..:-t of running the cnl'. There is a good deal of llissati:3-fa,·hon in connection v.-ith these nratt.er.s, ami i he J\linicter would be ''ise to ha ye f-ome inc1nir]c-:; made. The people arc n 1~xiou~ to kno\Y ·why increased charges arc imlJO~fd frmn tirue to tirne.

:\lr. DE~,';CON (Cunnin(Jham) [11.16 a.m.]: The an1ount required this yoar for '· TraYel-1 i ug C'XlH~n scs) fares, froig hr-.:, postu gc, printing, ~:-a tionery. i r.cidcnt.als. et('./' is £7,100. 'J\yo additional inspectors of rnachinPr:v an cl scn ffo1cling ha Ye been a ppointcd. Is the appointment of these two j 1~ ..;prf"tor::; rc:3 pousi ble for the increased amon11i requ1rell for traYelling ~.xponsE'·~; t·tc. ·: If that is :30, then the 1ncreasea amouilt aliocalecl to them i" out of all propol'lion (u the amounts previously allocated t0 the original nurnbor of inspectors. On t lH' face of tht.'se figure~ the tvvo ne\Y inspcf'tol',J arc to be allocated £425 each for traye]ling expenses, etc. This 1natter n1crits sonlC' r :cplanaticm by the :\Jinistcr.

J\Ir. KE:\'NY (Cook) [11.17 a.m.]: l lune car·tcd the equipment of the inspector from

raihn:ty statio11 to rr1y own vlace of aiHl fron1 n1y place of business to

the next business place that he wished to visit. but "hen l recei,-ed the bill in connectiou \Yith the Sl'rvice pcrfonned at n1y business place an item was included for cartagc and other incidentals. Upon seeking an explanation from the inspector I ,,, as informed by him that he had to aycragc tl1e co,t of cartage over the whole trip from C.tirns to ::\larceba. He poi11tr>d out that althoufdl he might not have had to pay for cartage in JUarccba it \vas ncces;:;ary to include a proportion of the aggregate cart<tge cost in rcf'pcct of the whole trip. I ''as charged for cartage, although I carted the equipn1cnt free J .:-\ Greek re.staurant kl'C'lH~r i11forn1cd 1110 that he had carried hi. O\Yn scales down in his hand to the i11spcctm, had them adjusted, and carried thern back again to his business. Ho complained tbat on his account \Yas a charge for cartage in respect of the adjustment of thew scales, and added, " How can I pay ca1·tage when I carried the scales do\Yn in mv hand?" The inspector hacl to ayerage hi.s traYelling cxpensf"") and he charged a proportion to that town, \Yhether any cost ·was incurred or not.

The SECRETARY FOE PUB'LIC \YORKS (Hon. H. A. Bruce, 1'/ie Tableland) [11.18 a.m.~j : On his own admiosion the hon. nH-:>nlbcr for Cook remajnf:d sjlent ancl did not bring before the :Minister who controJ1cd n1y clt~partn1Pnt during the rcgirne of the

L1tn Co;"('1'11lllCllt the facb which he has now gin:n the Connnittcc. I-Iis inforn1ation \Yonld h<tYP been Ycrv YalualJlf' at the tirne. a11d tbe rnatter could haYt' been rectified long ago. It ncPcl not haYC bcPn d0fcrrcd to i he third year of my Estimates.

l\.Ir. I~E~~Y The nuttter as brongltt Ldore the :VIinister.

The SECRETAR '£FOR PL'B.LIC WORKS· Tb' ilO!L InPillb{'r had rL dnty to the State. a111l l Jo 110t know \Yhdh(~\· his orni:"sion

i!"' d\'liberatc or utlH'rwi:-)e. TI1P .'ugge,tion of Ll Hif·r of tll':'

'ppo'-'itio11 j.;; quite TlJpre should !JI' ir.~qnir: inlo the of the co~t of 1 U!lllln!l· ulotor car~; officer.:; of ttH-~ d:_,p;~dltu•ut. The praC'ticc has bt>e:·: that (Jfi:icc•r:.. and i\l)llistcrs owning motur cai·~ an' :--i\.pcnct' a 1nile \\ }h'n thPir car:' [UT hejng u~ccl for public puqJo:c..,. From infonnaiion that ha-3 bcc~1 1 · t'!'d !)C'forc lllf' I find that tlH>.:;e cost". \\Lit arc D.Yf'ragcd oYer ihc 1vholc lifP of ltc C<:tl'. Sl lclmn go b0·· oLcl fourpencc: a lJJilc-.

Tl:(' Lon. l<lt•JullC'l' for Cullllinghmn i11qulrcd the rca~on for the incrca:-~cJ apvropriation fof tr<.n·diing Px:pcnse.::. \Yh£>n l\.tr. H«'nder>0 J, tht• Px-~...·h1ef inspector, l'C'tircd ir ;va.;; f<Jtllld that the acctunulatc~...l ho1iclav leaYe of our in~pcctors totalled scYentv-fiye. ,..,-cek~. That 1xas a debit which should not have bec'n left to tlie department. because we had to provide additional inspector~ to pennit of thi:-:i leaYe being taken. In Rcldition ~t:\·eral of Olll' ·;n~pcc-tors haYC been f:crlonsl:-ill and uunL1t' to carrv out their dntie~. Thi., ha.- i>l':olYed add,itional expc-me. ns tdllJ)()l'!:Lry lllE'll had to lw eugagcd to proYidt' for tltP continuance of the \York. S111Cf'

I ha ':C 11 f'Pll in charge of the departrnent the \\ in t1Ji:-; llarticn1ar snb-dcpart-11 t~nt lut:-. raihel' l'elnarkablc. {)ne oifwc·r 11:-; b<Jdlv ~e:aldPcl, \Yhile anoth0r v. a..;; ~~,_,yc•cel. injure(!. The adclitio11a! appoint-n;t~nt·· \\'~re n cc~:'al'\' to cope \Yith the..;e tll;j <~ rd happening:.;;."

LU'lu (Itl:'DC'cticn of ~\lachii~erY. Sc1fioltli11~. ~!_nu \\-~ ight:-, a11d ]olcr:~ul'P") <.~greecl to. -

'·THE GAS ACTci, 1916 TO 1933 .. ,

Tlw SECRETAHY FOR PUBLlC \\'OHKS (lion. H. c\. I3rt!Cl', The Tul!lcirwdl [11.21 a.Jnj: I nwYe-

" Thilt £2.226 lw grant,•d for ' The (in' Aek 1916 to 1933. · "

It will he noticed that the appropriation for the ClHTcnt financial \Tar exhibit:3 an incrca~e

compa 1·ed with ~c;,t \car of £368. This i:-; llPC'l'~"ary to ·proYid(' for a clerh::.

t_,:pl;-,1 and additiollal llioney for "Conb,;ngpncies.·' on account of the incrpa:'lcd act.iYih· con~eqncnt on the anwnchncnt" of the Act lc!;t ~"p;SIOn.

] tc~m agreed to.

])EP~\RnlEXT OE Pc~BLIC JxSTll1TTIOX.

CHIEF OFFICE.

T!Jc Sl<:CREL\RY FOR l'CBLJC I:\. STRi_'CTIO); (Hon. F. ),, Cooner. JJn 11u [11.23 a.m.l: 1 moYe- · ·

'· That £30,161 be f!eanterl for ' De~ pa rrmcnt of Public ·Instruction-Chief Office.'"

TIH_'n' j.., an jncrca~e 111 this YOie as coinpared with that of laot year of £1.629. primarily clue to an increa'sc of £1.079 to

Hon. F. A. Cooper.]


f:Jr the panncnt of :l'!lO:I:ntic and the pa~,'lnent of tiJP L~t..:ic \Vage

to officer:- reaching the age of t\\C>Lty-Otlf'

yr ar in thi~ financial year. ltctn G~n-<·d to.

IXf:I'ECTIO:\.

The SEl'RETARY FOR PCBLIC 1:\STRCCTIOJ'\ (I-I on. F. A. Cooper, IJrr u,, r) !_11.25 n .m.]: I m on•--

,, Tbat £15,452 be granted fot 'Jn--~ CH:ctiou.' "

Thi' Yote proYidcs for the trayclJing expens<>, tJustcna.nce Ne:., of the school inspectorial Pstirnated requirement for 1934-35 greater than the appropriation for pre, ious vear. ProYision is nwclc for aut0111atic ~::daryu inerea:<L'S for this financial year.

In the l'Stimatecl require111ents for "Contingencips" an additioual an1ount of £32.C 0\C'r last year's appropriation is included to er:-.urc that cYer~\ school in the Stat:_ i~ inspected during the current financial yenr.

Itcrn agreed to.

:.\IEDIC.\L AX D DBXT AL IXSI'EC TIO:\.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC Il\STRL"CTION (l-Ion. F. A. Cooper, lirr ,., n·1 [11.26 a.m.]: I mo;-e---

" Thnt £16.026 be granted fer · :'dedi-cal anU Denial Inspection.' "

The (•stimatecl rPquirPment for this financial YP~r is £709 less than the sum appropriated for last year.

The sttJ.ft' incrf'n•.c re:-:ults froru th(_· EqJ] IC'i~ .. t:nent of two aclditiona 1 nurses for the 1:-look\Yornl Campaign. The net cstin1ate for salaries is le~s because ·of the transfer from t !w Honw Department (Motherhood and Child 1\"dfar<· Fund) of £775 to meet part of the cost of the I-Iookworrr1 Carnpalgn.

The cstin1ate for salaries inclnclC's proYl"i·=:n for anton1atic increases.

The estimated requirement for " Continb'Cneies'' js less than the sun1 appro}JriatC'd fm· 1933-34. 110 provision being made for allo\nlnce hncl tl·aYE.'lling expenses of d::;ctor c~r1gagcd ln opthalrnic inspcctio11, a~ \Ya ~ pro1·ided last financial year.

This -rote provides for the runni11g co..;t~ nf the rail and motor dental clinic.

::ilr. WATERS (flclrin (;,-orr\ lll.27 n.1n.-i: This is a Yote t.'J -..Yhich e..-cr...- hou. 111Pmbcr. no n;.attPr on which :-.ide 'of thP Cornmittec hn sits. will giYC' :::Hpport. a1u n1crel.Y ('OIIc•.~rncd th1"!-t a g-reater air!ount i:.: not cxpencl('(l in this direction. panietdarl:v ;,, the acti,·iticq of the dental diui<. Tlw Dt•partnu•nt of Public Instruction i" doing Yaluable w.:;rk in proYiding a dc11tn1 caraYHH n cater for the Il('ccls of countn chiJdrcJJ. but under nre:-:ent eircun1stance:'o the :::ta ,. of th.r:t rant\a·n at an~- one pln<·c• lllllst bC' only ;· ~Lort one. I trust that nPxt fiuancia 1 \'car th0 }Iini~tor \\·ill .c:iY<' con;.:iderai ion to. tlH· (·nl~drn',l'Pnt of adc1itiJna1 Inotor r;:lraYa1!' .. and {ir!lti:-;t• to pcnnit of gr(•ater fa('ilitie!· ·in2.· P~tencl(•d to the f<nthf'r cli"'tClnt nrrrt~ of tho Statr. Sontu 1ncclirai ,- ncl d0ntnl anthoritiP" are of opinion that the hunwn t0eth ~hould Le exarnine~l at lc-a:-:-r every thrcP 1nonth:-, and -..Yhilst that 111c.,~· not be l"'"iblP in the far distant portions of the Sletr-. I trust that tlw ::\Iinister and the C~oYCl'1llllC'llt ~::-n0n1llv will con.;;idC'I' thP

v1 lwl0 mattPr. ·for afti•r a11 an exten.::ion of

rrron. F. ;t. r'oopr:r-.

t l>is sernce \Youlcl be in keeping \.·ith the l;rogn•.;;sivt> policy embarked upon by this (k•partnlent.

The department is to be cong-ratnlated on thP facilitirs it has ruadP aYailab]c for medicn~ inspeeti ;n. The ean1paign for itnmuni;;:at ion again~t di]Jhthcria t'onductecl in cooperation -.,yith the Yarious rnunicipal a11d .hire councils throug·l10ut the State has been uud0rtakcn in a ,·rrr.T cfEcicnt nu1nncr, and thP Chief ::\Iedical Officer, Dr. L. St. Vincent \Yelch. is to be commencled for the excellent "'n-ice that he nnd his f!•llow medical officPrs <tl'f gi ring t.J, tbc State.

T trust the GoY£'l'1ltl1Pnt ·will giYc con"ideration particularl,Y to the extcn!3ion of thP facilities for dental illSpection.

::ilr. CO:KROY (.llaranoa) [11.30 «.m.]: T'nclouhi<'cllv the work being done by th" depa rtnH~lJt "under this heading is to Le corn!Jll'lldcd. ~\Iv n1ain r0ason for speaking is :o congratul~te the Depa.rtnwnt of Public ln',tructioH upon the attitude adop(,ed reg«rdi·'g the ha!f-c.,ste children who arc attcndiug the State school at Mitchell. Quite a number of those children are attending that ~(·hool, nnd. unfortunately, a large proportion arc suffering fron1 trachorna. The sugf[P~tion -..vas n1ade to the dcpartnH'nt that a, 'eparate school might be established, not onlv to proYicle for the education of these children. but so that they could rcC<'iYc mc·dical tnatmcHt for their' eves also. The department has now ?ecurf'cl a building, \Yl1ich is to be furnished. and a teacher is to b:· appoint. d to instrl.l-ct the half,caste children in this separate building-. Irrcspecti,-e of colour. a child is entitled to receiyc tllP bencfib of our educational system. Cnfortunately, the surroundings of these children \YN'e not altogether desirable: but the establishment of a separate school and the appointment of a teacher to instruct them will be productiYe of good, and thp children will have the opportunity of receiYing further treatment for the infection to their eyes.

I "-ish to thank the :Minister and the Director of Education for tlw action thc·y }HtYc taken in connection with this rnatter.

The SECRETARY FOR I'UBLIC IXSTRFCTIOX (Hou. F. A. Coop<'r. Br< m") fJl.33 a.rn.-1: In reply to the hon. member fnr K<•h-in GroYe. I mav state that consideration will be gi\·en 'to thP 111atter of thr• extcJCsion of the acti,-itiec of the traYelliug- d''ntal clinic as ~oon as the finances of 1 he Stutr pcrn1it. 1\.t the preseut ti111C we ttre <Joir~g as n1uch v·ork as fitlHDC(1 S wjli ;: llcnv, in rcf.nn·d to both denhd iusppctioH

lld e-q, troubles. and an cxteusion of t.hat nrk ·,vi 11 be- undertaken as soon as possible. f join \\'ith the hon. rn<'mber for ::\Iaranoa

;n my appreciation of the work do110 by the officers of thP dcp:<rtmcnt in connection \\'ith 1ll 0 clical ·:_uccl dental inspection.

Item C\Icdical end Dental Inspect;on) n~rcecl to. ·

Ql'EEXrL.\XD PXIYEPSITY.

Tlw SECRETARY FOR Pl'BLIC TX'OTP.CCTJOX 1)-ImL F. A. Cooper. Bre111u) f.11.34 a.nJ.l: I mo..-e-

" That £6.960 be grantPcl for ·Queens, 1anc1 Uni..-ersity.'"

c ;:tiinatf'd reqnircnt<'nt i:-. i~1 [!dchtio11 t0 '~m,·;;t. of £16,000 prm·idcd un_:1C'r

· C 1n pursllilllce of .. The l111-of Qurwnsland Ad of 1922," undce

Supply. [30 OCTOBER.] Supply. 1037

\Yhirh annual endowment was prescribecl of £20.0GO. Th:s amount was reduced bv 20 per cent. under the prOYISions of ".The Financial Emergency Act of 1931 " to £16,000 LOW pl'OYidcd.

Ill addition to the proYision of endowmcntc, the Ycte proYides for twenty open scholarehips to the University, including a rnunbP/ of agrirultural scholarships. These an• aFa.,·dcd on the results of the sf'nior publir.· cxunlillatlon.

linu agreed to.

TR.U:\l~G COLLEGE.

T!Je SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC IN· STRuCTIUN (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Bremo·) [11.35 a,!II.]: I moyc-

" That £17,887 be grantecl for 'Train· i1Jg Uollege.' ''

I Lc1n agreed to.

Qt.EE:~~~·L \1\'D .\GRICtJLTURAL HIGH SCHOOL AXD COLLEGE.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC IN· STHUCTlO='i (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Bn mer) r11.35 a.In.): 1 illOYO-

" Thnt £18.132 br gnmted for ' Queens. lanU Ap;ricultural 1-ligh School anc1 CollPge.' '

Tlw increase in this YOte results from the il1clu:-ion of proyision for the payn1cnt of aut01natlc 8-alar-.:, increases. The estirnated requirrrnent for~'' contingencies" is actually le" than the sum appropriated for lrrst financial ye at~. Thls rcquirerncnt is the cstirnated co:::t of "\rage~ of fann, stock, and dorncsbc <·mploy'""· and of equipment, fodder, fuel. repairs, tool", pro,·isions, etc.

}Ir. KK\'~Y (Cook) [11.35 a.m.]: Some tinw a.s.to th0re \Ya." n discussion iu regard to t be extension of the opemtim;s of the ,~gricultural College at Gatton to North {1U('Pn:~dn ud. .A sta teme11t in favour of such .. ~ c:ourse was nwde by the Secretary for Agriz:ulture; bnt, no doubt, that department ~~:ould vYork in ::onjunction ·with the Department of Public Instruction. I should like to kncn~,: if the GoYern1nent have dPc.;idec1 to extend the adi,·ities of the college to Kairi.

:\h. t;l'AHKES (JJalby) [11.36 a. m.]: It aJfou!,-, 111e no pleasure to stress n1y oppo.-3it !Oil i(J t t:c college nnd to the iucrpa;-e in t ~l~ 'YL' iutiinatcd by the :;\lini~ter. My cJpro· .t!ou j~ leYclled at the cost of rnnn1ng and controlling this college when there are in tlu• cnuJJtl'~·.: niany qndeYeloped areas where :-chonl:-: a1·c nJOst essPntial. The schools are th' onlY mcane whereby the children in such ;: ~'<''" ea n be kept in touch with life. They t:re u1 ll_ gi'car dt~udYantagP ~b cmupareJ \rlr1l tl10 children in the tO\Ylls and cities an.d oti,cr populatecl areas. :\ly objection is to th.• t :)-.;t of rnnuing this inc.titntion \Yhcn tllc' \Otc fer ~chools is cut to the vcrv bone. l take Pxt~tn,ion to this cah:ring for the l'' o;1lt• ,y]JO can ,·;ell afford to pay for tho c 1tu·,ttion of their cLildrc11. \Ye are asking ·'''ttl r; to tal<c np lancl in newly developed a•·ua...: c:eYc·lop this State, but \VC arc Jl()t proYisio11 for the schooling of d!('ii· ciJildn·n. Education i5 denied to thPn1. Tht· :--:.ecrrtn.r~v for Public Instrnction, no d'Jll:.JL \\ill Jnforrn 1nc that a corn=·-:;pondencc \<Oill''<' 1.' proYidcd hy the department. Snch a tolir~f' 1:.- usc1e'"'"· bccau~e the parents usually 1_':t\'(· not t!1e tin1e to givo their children th'c rwcc"· ·n~v lwlp. an.cl in other instances the p rPnb t.heru:;.e}YC'::-i haYC not the neccs~ary

r>c1uccltion. know that. I an1 .very. much in the rninorit:,-. but I v, ish aga1n to stress Iny oppo,ition to the expenditure required for the conduct of this high school and the 1ncn':l~ed cost a~lticipated for this year. As I rreYionsly stated, the studl'nts graduating fro!1l this colh~gc are in the Inajority of cases not practical young men but theorists. \Ye have a Yery goo:l illustration in sorne of the offtrcrs of t hr Department of Agriculture. Everv d<t\' farmero and others complain of tl1e imidcquate supply of ccr· tain inforrnation because those responsible have been educated in collegl's of this nature. They ar·e not practical men at all.

Tho SECRETAH.Y FOR PUBLIC I"'· STRUCTIO=" (Hon. F. _'\., Cooper, JJrenuri [11.38 a.m.-1: There is no need for rne to reply at this >tage. bnt I am irnpellc.d to t·enwrk !hat the people who complain of the facilities being provided for agricultural education are usuallv tho>c who need the know· lPdge later on. 'This 1nnch I do kno~': and that i' that the QucPHsland Agricultural I-ligh School and Co11eg:c is doing excellent work and will continue so to do.

::\lr. SPAREES: Tltc colle~e should pav for it cif. ·

Tlw SECRETXRY FOR PUB.LIC I:\'· STUUCTIO:\': l would recommend the hon. member for Cook to discuss Kairi more full~· when the vote for the Department of ... \gricnlture is bcforf' the f'o1nmittf~e.

:1Ir. KE"''"Y: ThP ho•J. gent!• man dcc• 110t kno1-v anytl1ing £1 Lout it !

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC I:\. f;TRCCTJO:'~: If the hon. member de,;ire·· it to be di"-russed, it can ll(• diseus:-'e.d, but l can assure him that ihe Department of Public Instruction will not miss any opportnnih of C>xtendin!Y the facilities for instruc~ tion So ~oon as fut~Ch arc aYailable to enable tn to procePd properly with the institution in que;tion. Tlw hon. member will under· stand that "·c fnll~, "!'jlrc··iatp tlw fact that th0 Lorthcm portion of this State is entitled to an agTicnltural collt ge and high school eimilar to that already proYided in the Ronth. The Denarttnent of Pnblic Inetruc· tion has been .for ~o1nc consillerablc tim2' rnaking inquirie" along tbo·~e lirH-·'3. Th0 'cope is tlwre but the g-reat need at thu prc•ent. time is the fmancial provision for an institution of .such magnitud0. The 11f'ed" of the• :\'orth arc well known in this re ·pect nnd haYe not been lost sight of.

Thlr. SP ARKES (Dalby) [11.49 a. m.]: Tho l~on. gcntl0rnan appeared to l:H' engaged when r was speaking- and I d)ould like to stress the fad that rny point is that the increased Yotc fot' the Agricultural Collr:rc is not jmti· fied \Yhcn at the ~amc tiwc it has l.Jccn fonncl mo•t difficult to proYide primary H·hools for the imtl'llction of the children in fnr distant areac. I sav the instruc· tion of thc~r children i:- tbc ffrst P·-,sC'ntial.

The SecRETARY FOR Pt:nLrc lNSTRPCTTON: T will deal \Yith that matter when y;e come to the r ·leYant Yotc.

Mr. GLEDSOX ilpsll'irh) [11.41 a.m.l: I ·would a,.J.;: hon. memb('l\S. c:.:.p!..•ciall~- those

ho (,)m plain about it, to take the opportunity of Yisiting this particu1ar inPtitution in order to a~cE'rtain the type of 1nstrnction being imparted and the mcthodo acloptE'rl tllf'rt>. It is rat}H~r amu~ing to hear hro Incmbcrs of the Opposition. \\-ho ha,-c LePn ;;:itting side hy sjcJe. one ol)jccting to t1tis vote or to any increa"3e therein and the

Jlr. Gledson.]

1038 Supply. [ASSEl\IBLY.] Supply.

,other, the bon. n1cn1ber for Cook, dc::~iring to know ,,],, tl;o l\orthern portion of the State cannot· be Jn·m·ided with an institution similar to the Gatton College.

3/lr. SPARKES: Yon sl10uld get .vonr cars cleaned out. You did not hear. ·r said it should pa.v for itself.

:\Ir. GLEDSO~: The hon. member for Da:by would be doing :3orne good if he wore lo ati,end the college for a lesson in rnanners "nd ho.-· to address hon. members in tho prop(!l' wa:,'. llo would bo achieving sonlothing if he attended the co!leg·e for six months and allowed the teachers to impart to him a kno··.vlcdg·p of English and manJeers. Be ;.-ould then be of some credit ro the Chamber. \Yhat a nice state of affairs, \vhon \YC' ha .. -c a rnon1ber of Parliament who is supposed to be a representative of the people throwing such dirty insiuuat.ion.:-1 across this Charr1bor as ho has done thi3 rnorning. EYc·ry hon. lllcrnber ·who gets up to spcak--

~lr. ;-:.PAHK~ '3: \Yhat arc you talking about: You are drunk!

Th<" TE:\1.l'ORARY CHAIIUIA:\: I ask the hon. memlwr for Dalby to wit!Jdrrrw th t exprcfision.

Mr. SPAHKES: I withdraw.

:\1>-. GLEDSOX: If the hem. member for Dnlbv would tn- to contro~ himself and not be' ci'runk from, the exuberance of his own verbositv he -would not, refer to 1ne as bPing chunk. I object to that type of :--trtLL'llH'nt con1ing h·on1 a11y hon. n1ornber. T11P1'e i-s EO ncL·Ll for it. Surelv \Ye can di~c:u~s Inatu'rs in tt:n1perate" language \., itl1ont irupropcr cxprcssion-3! \Ve arc di.;;:c_;n:':si:ng the Queensla11d Agricultural I-Iigh School and College, a college that has Lecn cstablj~3hed to dis3en1inate knowledge; ~,et that is a sample of the criticism of this Pducational institution that ono can expect from the U]lposition. This .-otc prm·ides for an illstruL·tor in plant brcedjug and an assis~ant to the plant broedel'. I should like the l\liui~tcr to gi\ o us ~0111e idea of tho work that i:;; lwing carrjod out at this collct;"e ),y tlw 1 lant ln·ceders. l am very 1tmch intr•rcotcd in any phuso of actiYity that "ill bcnef'!t our industries and the State.

r\ fnctor h<ts b "en established ut Red-lnnk to J;rodnce linseed meal and fibre from lhu flax plant and seed, and I should likf' to know from the ll-Iinister 1>hethcr the plant has given any attention to the of producing .a flax plant of the hjg1H-'st cornnwrcial \-alu0. I c~ti111ato that of the cJnantity of flax produced only 16 JlPl' cent. is utilised for the production cf JiusP('Ci rneaJ, the re t being used for the proclnction of the fibre rec;uired for the rnanufaci ure of string, ro11c>, elc. In otber countrir·l, of ihc \vorld it is po~::::iblo to n1anufacturc high-clas.' linen and other piecegoods from this type of flax, and I should llke to ~ce !ts prolluction encouraged to the fnll in this country, RO that the State n1a:- reap an adYantage. I took the opportullitv to .-isit the factorv at Rcdbank, ;Yhere I ;v;s informed that the factory recei.-ed its flax ~upplic', amounting· to about 850 tons pPr annun1, fron1 tho Darling Dovvns. Sorne very {ine fla.x is coining to hand, and there is a market in Queensland for the sec·d alone for something like 1,000 tons, yl't of tlw 850 tons only 125 tons wi:J represent sec?d. I should like the department to give some attontiou to this m-atter so that

[Jlr. C/ledson.

our primar~- producers vvill bo encouraged to produce flax for SCled and fibre requirement,; and e.-entually for tho manufacture of high-class linen and allied fabrics.

I join issue "·ith the hon. member for Dalbv when he states that lads trained at the Queensland Agricultural High School and Col:ege arc only theorctiLal farmers and uot practical n1en. I know of quite a number of young farmers with practical experience who have taken a twelve months· cour~o at the college and have returned to their farms much better fitted to carry out their duties th.an they were before. In addition. the farming industry is being assi,ted oH the manufacturing side; the college has bcl'H constructed to sel've that purpose. That is all .-erv ;,-ell if one desires only to peoduce acticlo~ and not take advantage of the scientific methods by which they are produced. The college has been of immense .-a:uo in the training of student, for the L1air:ying industry, as, for exan111lc, in crean1 testing and butter making. Quite a nurnber of the students after :eaYing the colle~c have been able to undertake the m~na<>·ement and control of butter factories that lwvc produced butter of a quality second to none in thf' "odd. That would not ha .-e been po,,iblo but for the training thnt i~ afforded at the collc~·c. \Ye l~no1~- ot' these accomplishments and have seen them done from dav to day. Therefore, we should be prepared 'to bear witness to them and nl,o let other people know just what is tdking pla.ce ihcre. I ·was Yery sorry to llC' ,,. , the hon. member for Dalb:, belittle r],,. work of the college. There is not the slig-htest doubt that if the college were ab~;Ji,ho .. l our p1·irnary production would suffer.

I agl'ce 1vith the hon. nlflllbL"r for Cook that we :--:.hould extend the ~plwre and influC'lH.'P of the collr~e by cstabli:-:;h1ng a "i1nilnr in titution ju ::\orth Qucen~land \\-here Hleil

()IJ Lite land alHl 111011 clPsirou~ of l'iettliug oil

thi.' Ltnd in the tropic:-:. would r.;-:·eiv{' 110t

onh- theoretical in:-:tnlction as to product im; frou1 the ::-o11, bnt al.-:-o instrnction in the 1neihv.l~ of 1uanufncturug prirnary product~. ThL' I\iini ·.ter could vl'ry Wf'~l .adopt the :<ugrrc~tion. EYen if he Y f•rt· _not Tabl_t' to p_...;tabti~ll all agricultural collt>ge In :\ortt1 Quc('n~laud on :-:.nch a lnrge- ~calc a::;

at Gatton lte could do :"<'l on tl!at \Yotdd l'nablc young' liH'n to gr

of training thc-.;r d£'::-;irc to kno,declge in fannin~.

1\Ir. Sl'ARKES (JJrd'u;l [11.51 a.m.J: . .-\lthough th(~ hotJ. rnemlJC'r. £~1· Tp·-:Yicfl _too.k ::-tJ·ong <'xceptio:l to u1y lntcl'jl'Ctlon 1t J:::-,

rather rernarkaLlr thrrt the 1-lini-:tf'l' hirnsdf took no exception to it. I l'C'Hiarkcd tlwt the col1f;re should pay its way. to whic:h lh~ hon. member replied that it ,, us bctcl rnanncrs. I c1c~irc hirn to show rne that

j,;;; not good r11anuers to adyocate that 1 college• should pay its way. The collc~t' shouJcl not Le .an i11~titution ~.olclv for the purpo:-:.c of tPaching n1anncr:-:. ThP hon. ilH'nibPr claim£'d that a student after a comoe of instrurtiou at the collc•gc better cquippr:d for agricultural Jjfe. should like to see such a ~tudent giving practical effect to that tuition on a farm. and not at an institution v, here 1none ,· js no object. Suppose that in the• course, of his training· an accident. happen~ \YlH?-rvL;>' n nvinglc~bar breaks while he i~ harnessing a lwrjc. A ne\Y one is placed in his hand:-J.


Doe:- am·one belieYe that that enables thelt bo,· to l;ecomc a practical farmer? ::\!o. 1f ~uch .a 1ad wcre vlaecd on a farrn ho would l'f,'1uirc to Le 11car the cit.y where he could pnreh·~s-· CYl'l'.\ thing he de~:ircd to carry on l1i . ..; operations.

l ha YC j :.J~t returned frmn a visit to the ~outh, ,-;ICrL· I \>;a~ asked to adjudicate UIJOll

::.onJt· t'Xn11ination pavers connected IYith au agtit·u.ltnral ('(dtego. Thof'C vapcr:3 dcalt pa1 ticu1arly ·with cattlc. It \\as n1o.~t <:H!Ht.:-:!ng tO nu:> to rcacl tho:".o paper:::. \VithO~!t ~·X{',t'pt.ion I_ c,ould :;:c:cct the "tudy11t ~ ho 11~:~1 a pracLca1 as \'n•lJ a,s a. tllC'on:bcal t>xpcricr '-~ f::_·om th:._; sttlclc~nt. v;bo h~1d bN'n ~('JJt to the col!e'{e b.v his parents for the fJUl ]10"(; of litting hin1 for .a life on the lallrl. Thar is tht- PXC:Pption I take to this collcgf'. Stndeut,..; <ll'U rrainc'd thPre \vho. aft0r the· le lYe, will not be a b]e to C'ngagc in prac· ti< :11 fanning unlt·~s they hayp capital to enaljle ihe111 to C'i1lTY on. I bc·JicYc in the l ar:d ~'chool of pr.nctical training. The Lead<•r of the Opposition '.\·ill admit that he ha;.; h·.d that cxperiel!Cf', uud that is v.hat built hi1n up iu tl1c position he oc,·unico:'l to-day. I belicYe that this college shOuld pa,v it" -wny. That i::-, what the hon. nw;nLr r for Ipswich took such a great exCPJ1-t;OH to. I would remind the hon. member th~:t :-ouw of the cxpelHliturp no\V appropric,tcd fot· this coll•'ge could be well spent . COUHtry in IH'OYiding schools for the

of onr 'ctt!Prs. Doe, he care how c•f settlers who are enc1ca~

YonriHg to carYP ont a liYclihood in ren1otc parts of the Slate fare in matters of education? Dof'..; hl' ('are, ot· doc_s he not? :\o.

Mr. GLEDSON (Ipswich) [11.54 a.m.]: I clo not '\ant the hon. member for Dalbv to f!·~·l_, a -,ra v with 1nisrepresH1tation of tha·t kind. I takr' JJO objection to the hon. rnomb"r cxpn~ -~,in.Q" his opinion regarding the collr 'f', Lut whPn he interjects to me, " Get ~-<;nn·. U<-11'_, r)<•<:nr,d OU_t" }w is not raising the chg-n1ty of th1s Parliament.

::\Tr. SP.\RKES: ~1r. ICing, I rise to a point of orcln. I did not sav to the hon. member for In~vvjr·h. "Get your Pars cleaned out." I said r.hat -(.he hon. ·nH'·mbcr did not hear.

Mr. }lAliER (lrrsl Jiontnn) [11.55 a.m.l: I rc;n·e;;cnt the electorate in which thi;; c ollc~P i, ;;ituali•d. \'\"hen I Grst visited it I \YCLt 11 111 n1nch the :--an1c lclc:1s as tho:)e c·:prc -;cd this n1orning by- the hon. rnc1nlh·.· f?r Dalb. T \Vas of the opinion that perhaps ttw uwna~emPnt of the colleo·r.· and t}H' in,.truction giYe1_1 'vcre not of::; a practical nature and that llOssibl:v a good deal of

··\ J., Yi astc:l. but. si1wc I ~JaYc rr'prPtliC' \Y0~t 1foreton constitucnc a11d

0~1 l]lP r~u:nt'ron:..; oeca:;.,ions on which I hrn c• yj-.j~cd t11i:' cnl_lepe I L, tye hacl an1ple opportunrtv of arnYtng- at n judg"lC'Ht on the ~>o>it;OJL All I \\onlcl like the hon. mAmber for D"ll' to do is to Yieit tlw colleo;c. It

to coude·~nn on a cnse which reallv to np an ~..\ unt RalJy an~1

it clown, hnt if th(, hon. lll0!lll )' r <:ollc·ge on ~mne field day or on -.o!l1(' othPr occasion he would rcn.Ji"'P. tll ·t t!J(' co11P:!e 1::-1 under YPrv cxccl1ent Ll:~JJa£tcrtl{'!lt aiJ~(l i~ doing Ycry iood work.

~Ir. ::.;F\l~E,~: GPt a coup]c of their bo,\~ to 1:t:tcl1 Your rabbits and vou will find theY want a tauJc in \Yhich t~ ('atch thcn1, 1;or ~~ tl'n p.

The TE:\IPOlL~HY C'H),IR:\lA:c\: Order:

J\lr. :\IAIIER : I agree with the hon. membc·r i1! regard to the nccessit.v of practical t ra inin!£. ::\o one real-ise'\ 111orc than I that a b:=~.v, bro:1gl1t up under a good 1:nastcr, :-:0curing fir t-fland knowledge of agriculture and .":'t~-('k. is a Yery useful type of 1nan; nil! "'" ,hould be blind to the facts if \'-'c d1d not realise that there is n1orc behind :::griL ultnn" and stock thau practical know~ kdg'l'. The scicntilic, th,~ theoretical, and thp Pducational aspect;.; nre to Lr:- considered. The students who attend that college each y<-'ar reprc.:;ent a. Yery fine type indeed. A pmpor1 ion of the l<•aders in all walks of Jife to-da:: in clncensland !H"sed !hroug·h the GatJ. n Coliege in their youth. The gentleIll all who repr( sent eel the Burnctt t onstitu~

in the last State Parlianwnt-I refer to . Boycl-vu:ts a product of this college, and

nobodv \'vill .sav that be \Vas not a capable man .;n the la1;d and that he did not enjoy the• confidence of the fanners in his electorat<'. Lecau·-e ho r<'prescntecl them in this Parliarnt nt. and in addition \Vas a .director of the bacon factorv at Murarri<•. GenerallY. so fnr a' limitation., of marketing conclit ions "·ill permit in these days, J\.fr. Boy cl lll;-vh• a sueres::: on the lancl.

SPAHl<ES: IIe had to give way to a 111an.

}fr . .:\lAliER: J n what respect? :, r. SP.\RZES: II c is not in Parliarncnt

to-da.'. .:\h. =,IAHER: The hon. mPrnber flatter<

hi"''''lf. Tile fact: that :vir. Bovd lost his :-.l'at doe~ not. condemn l1il11 in rt::;pect of hib pl'adic 1hilily on the land. )Iany good rnen lHlYC come to Parliament and then lost their seats. Rcully S!.lch an cxpr·riellc<, is not JJece~.~arih a reflection on the rnan, but in 111anv ca!",!--'S a reflection on his cJnstituent;:;. The· l:on. member \\·ho reprc·sentecl l'Ol't ( \nti· in thP last Parlian1ent-I refer to JYir. Butlc·l'--wa:-:; also a product of the college, and I haYe n~et 1nany uc(·e~sful rnc11 011 the laiJCl-m<'n who ha 1·e, achieycd distinction in the affairs of this State-who ha Ye during past years attended this college. I ehould 1 ike the hon. rnem her for DallrY to accolnl'ally n1e on an inspection of ihc Agricul~ nnal College at Cation. I foe! sure as a rf'~.ult of \Yhat he sa-w he \Yonld appreciate the ;;plenclid work of Professor Murray and ti,e excdlcnt staff associated with him in lh•.' conduct of that college. If ono searches Au;;tralio it \l'onld be cliffi< ult to find a lll'inf'ipal ~.8 wf'll qualjfied a~ Professor :HurraY. whilst the staff who >York undPr his LOntrol 'ha\'e bec·n jndiciousl:v selected, and <1rr· rno;:;;t capable lllCll in their rcspecti..-;e ~phere~ of action. The student ~ccuro a YC'r."- good n1casure of pructiral cxpcriencP. The.. C'ngagt• in th0 practi( al ',·orlc of ploughing and 1nilking, ronYerting the hay into chaff nnd filling the f'ilos, and go thr01urh the ~uno ground work as they would on an ordinarv farn1. In addition rhr~- ha.\-e the advan(age of being able to listen to lectures deliYerecl by competent ltil'll clraling with the chen1istn Df the Roil, plant bref'ding, clisC'a~cs and l'C'sts in agricHltnrC'. <;,tack prnLlein'·. ~c0d se1e{'tioll, and .-::-:-> on. Th" efficiency of the co1lc~·c is iiid1-c tPd b.-1' the increasing clc1nand for accommnclation at that institution. This inc:rcrLsrd YOtE\ Uf!ain."t \Yhic~l the hon. mernbPr for Dnlby ;;;'poke, is the' result cf that increase1l den1ancl.

EaC'h Year clas~cs arc concluded in reln· tion to "pigs and tractors, "·hereby you/IB:'

]Jr. JJJah~r l

1040 Supply. [ASSE.\IBL Y.] Supply.

1ncn frmn the £urms an" afforded the opportunity to Yisit the college for a week ot· a fortnight, obtain practical expt>ricnco, and Ji;-,h!ll to lecbu·e;-; Lv llH'n who .are \VCll

equipped to dPal 1vith tll~~ rc~pectiYe subjects t!te:· handle. I kno\• a ypry fine young rnan

O\\·n di-trict with btent abilitY \Yho to take a courn at that college.

\Y hen ln~ rPt.Urlled he inforr tcd n1e that h•?tlw~;ght he knew .a ~oocl deal \vhcn he \YCllt

tl:Pre but he found that llis kn_ovvlcdge \nts Yc-r-: inc·igndicant l"OllllHll't:>d with what he h d 11,'<\ rnt.. In 1n.v 011iuion tho college is doillg n n1o< 'll'"'cfnl "\York b,v giYing the

n1c11 a Yl_'l'Y ;;.ound practical, ._t:'\ 1vell d, knowlr'dgc of rnatt.ers relatin!..i

l:l nd. In otht•r cou!ltl'ifs tlleti..~ ...-ot· ior l'ducation bv l11Nll1')

the" rnited J1UU1bC'l' of ~-t.udv run

has Le011 a l!t Lhe formidabJ.;

J trogrc-.. . ...: of AnlL'ricu in the m a iter of ag:·i( lllLJ.Ltl p1·( [;vrion.

The st<-ttl·nv·nt h<;t the college should pa,\ it-.. v. · on rhr' face ol:' it, nn ~J_b...:urdih·. A ( of 1hat klncl cou1cl not po--,~ibl." IH I

nf )<

L c£ ti11• ha:-:i(· titit;p;s <"OllJl''ded 1;n)~ fro1~1 t;:\_' land.

J\L·. SPI.Hl\1···-. lr 1 11li~tlr:n1c-d if ii J.~ i~)"c a:1 n~rit·ul! l1ral ,_oll··~te.

a tombiJJ"ttio:; r· ~lli~l an f·dnc<ll

to tlwt type r;EI 1_ he rc-qui-..ltt~ rdtH·<!-

h1:-: Lo\\·n his ro ,.\1~)ri.1 t\1t· kLtn\l{'cl!2e inJpnricd to 11: Tllt' ::stucie:Jt-- haY(~ lPctUn'

·1\0ik anJ infonnation or< stuck. and frolll

a first~cla;;~ nn the one hand and

ott thu othc'l' -da::>::-. kno1dcdgl' of all l<l:t 1 t et r0 ::-:oil aud ~tack fr(Jm !:oi; tht' PL I r1 t 1H'orctic·-d points of 'l' ;r A -Y~_i'\' fir:c --,tanlp of youn~ n1an i.s tu ·r!"d otl!. l;-~. the colle~!.'l'. and l.Yhcn one (.\;-..:cr'\·~·c:. thl' l~ bo.-,'"·. ~"' '1 lHtYC clonE'. anr1 r. tlw of t!:e colL•gc life and

coLt rol Fl'of. ~ ·Ol' ?.lnrrav and l1i, .,.::: ta)ll" h~~~-t· O\·e~· tllf'ir :-:.tndcnt<. OllC can

onlv lhnt \Yhen r:wy :-:;o out jnto tht' "'··i,-1( r 1 of thr_• Stau• they will LE~ ,-alua1J1c--a:-- J('t' tO it.

.. AnotlH'I' a;:;.pt'Ct of t hr.: ,., ork of th·~ college i:-) the oppol'tunity it giYes for rhr: trflining of YO('ational workers. 1~ou1:g ltH'lJ ntt ·Ju.li11g· the• in;-;titution acquire a

\Yhich are able to capihli"' po~itions in tJ1c buttf'r

ar:d che('~P fach)]'i(' . .:: of thf' StatP. rrhc \vork of tll(' collcg-L' is CHIP \Yhich Rhould COP1DlC'fld

it elf to r~Y('l _v rnornbcr o£ thj;'l Cmnrnjttt•e a rnl PYC'l'Y right-thinking citizen of the State. _I should al~o like to support the :,uggP.~

h.;ns rnad" by the hon. rnembcr for Cook fol' the cxtensiun of the uctiYiilcs of thi.,

[Jlr. l11aher.

college to ihe north of Queell~iand. Tt i . ..; c·,.,ential that the tropic--d plaut li£e and c<mditiou of the Xorth should be studied in lhe ~~vrth. J-iis Excellcn<'y, after ,-i~iting ~ orthcru Queens] and, particularly strf''",sod Llu~ importance of the c-stabli~hmeut of , ucll a col:Pge jn the 1\orth, aud he is a n!n· practical rnind ·who does not ro C·xl;r·e_-;s him~c-1£ on nr:-tttors IYhich h~· { H1-

~idcrs- to })( wcrth "·hilc of tl1c lJPOl)le lU

This is a Yotc that I hayc indeed grP,lt nicasurc-. i11 .<;:upportiug. I arll Yery plctl:'lPr.l -;_~n :-;('l' t:w Gon~nunent has r0alised the irnportnn<'t' of cxtrndiug dw faciliries of th0 CattoH ~3,!4ricultural liigh Fkhoo] and Coller~c-, tlnt ~1'\·C'-r.Ll t hou:::ands of po1u1ds have 1w-r>n PXj)(•ndc•d in thi~ dit'('dion Juring· thP pa.st

and 0 ion is also n1rrde for fltl'ther the~ etHTPnt I

of

_\( 12.10 p.m ..

)[c. (;LEDSOX (lJl·'lf'ith), cf Tnmpnrarv Chainneu, I( ing in t11c chair.

T.

i 1Gll

~,fl·. ~~P.\1U\FS: ..-\ Yel':' H!llJ0 1 t~lllt <V;C lt!

t 1 t {. "' ~: ( l ',' .-'.1r. (;_ ('. T_\\"J,OH:

ll!f':!lber Jw,;: CYPr v:l~cn th<~ l'P\"lt'\' '.\hat tht'Ol'V has dO:iL'

a})pJit'tl ~ little of of di:-;('o· c1·in ·-· thr~

1JCf'll rnade in the indnstrje.s of thP Stare; <:~r~d unr,

1JUt in -;pherP of prndudiOlJ. vl{ nric<ll it ha::. lH'f'Jl nf

n1 .ior itnponance. It ha..;: t!w rnP~I all ack the it· nnd kllovdPd§.!,_'.

i:__ applied \.ftt•r· not r.lenierl tlwt

\rith a JH' "''Inc job

!liOl'C cH1cientlY h-;· .1 )H-'r:-..)tl \. ith 1JOth thcordie:~l a!:d jH'QI 1 ic.1 1

Th0 of pl'odncii0n ill 1-h:• prin1ary ha'-1 bt'Pil HO doubt

n eon~id('rable amonut ];1, lU~(~ nf ihf'Ol rtical knowlt-~dge

.-\s for the >York of llw can ·dcfiniteh· ;;;;av th.-.t n

aft0r threi' \·c-ars'' in:.::tnti'· tion then' and luck~- l'noug·h · to fann >Yill be hdtcr equipped to fann than "-ill be the rnan -;;d10 luck,- ('!10l!Q"h to SC'-< urc a farrn has not beet! throug·h th'P i11f'Htntion. \Y(~ haY<' 11ad nn f'x:arnr)!c of this during tho pa:-:t t\n~nt_v pa.rticularl:• in case of the rctunH'd who Lad J:.'} the-oretical knovdedgT\ of fn l'lll

bf'fore E.~ntering- their nevv calliJJg. \Vhat a storv ·,Yonld hayc hrcn told if r:tor(' of these- cOlleges hacl been in cx_i:-,t.cncc

Supply. [30 OcTOBER.] Supply. 10±1

L went: to thirty yt-~H:-3 n go, and the young Au3tra\l,_dlS \Yho \rent O\-t'l':3Cas t,o take part

the r;reat. \Var had L•cen r•qLiipped with knowleclgc imparted from these colleges'

llow ih•'' coulcl haYe returned to their cotll1tl'c (;JlC(; niorc to eugage in successful fannint.:: ope1·atious! \Vhat a different story v,-ould ·1ut YC been t ., id eonceruing the rnonPy i hnt ~ as \.Yasted in connc<..:tion 1vlth soldier ..;C'tt lettll._'ntc:: ::\Ianv of the settlers vrho l1Cl'haps had a srnati:cring of rural life were bl'lieYc>rl to Lu practical n1en, but ho\V Inan~ 'nccec•d«ci ·: \Ye mu•t arlmit tlmt tlwory has play(•c1 n \':onde1·ful part in the progress of wh('at 11ro·.luction. The DoCJkic and

- in Y ictori". tbc Hose-South Australia. the

IIrnd..::l"dnnY in 2\:e\v Scuth \Yule;:;. und our O\~-n r at C aJton ha. Ye played (1. rnost nrorniru•nt part in ul(~ pro~lnct;on of \\heat ~~~ I\n~tra1ia.

;_\

v-h('c·t tlH•

Do vou not kno\Y that it wa;:;: farmer· \Yho c•yo]ycd the bc't

\':orld has C'YCl' ln~ovvn '?

. TA YLOR: The hou. ulE'tHber a s1ng1r exception. nLlteriall v a ,~~1-.:tC'd

t lw pr1 !ll<l ry pro:Juc('l'S are tho -~tH:n \Yho t:'1\·.:; rr-:·{'i\·,...:cl a trainin~· in tlH'SC' in~-tltn

lla\c' hnd tlll~ pri,ilc·~e of --3 111 fin~ Stn i('S out of the six

nnd I an1 yeL a yoang nw..:.l COill

nJ<lllY hon. Inentbcrs. I know l1J'\1l~· of tbC tJ pes of whf'at placed 011

n1nr~;:cts of tlw \Yodd bv the ...:.\uslra liau prinFuy p~·c(lnccr to-day ~{re tho prodr.ch CJf d le!:!'('"· If the bon. lllt:Inlwr fer J)alby l1isu \Ya:-·, \YP \VOtdcl have '.Ylnt he t:"all::' YJl"[1C'ical llH'~l--HH'll who could takB a t~-~ui11 of hor:3c:,; and n1ongh, hnrro\Y, anJ :::ow.

"bo .,-oukl Le hdnlcss in tl1c face Ot~c r1nlst n t ho.t

the at to be practical \Yith difl'icu1tie:;

c-ut- of t 1H' or<1inary routine of fanning life. ..:\t the C:-att011 I\~ric11ltural Col1ege tile 3-tll-

.,,_, 1cot o·dy to handle cattle

v:itlJ hCLY .. j, a cl

all ' tlH•1r n1anagc-Incnt. a rnr1-in1entar traiL

alH1 cheese rnaking. )~ll th0~c to nwke for efiicicncy in prjuLu:· ~o donbt, with the kn0\"'-7 1cclgc

1}'1'"'"'\ ·i-"', 1 cou1d go out to-HJOJTOW rnld ;1ncl -::ow a pjcce of land, 1Jut what li.lppcn if 111!' ('l'Oll bL'c~:xtw afilictecl

1'\l L or smno other cli-·cnsc? I .--hould fnr hP}p to so1nc other 1nan \Yho

similar trouble in the past. co11eL!·c·; train tile student~

c1i~o~tscs that occur fr.Jnl

[ do) l~Cl \-dJcthcl' the- lH)ll. lllC11lhCr

fo !~a;, an:.-' nH•cha11ical knowlcc1gP i~JID rf to him. but it lllust be reco2·ni~(~d t l1~t1 lr.I'LJ ;:12 ls bc{_~,Jnling n1orc rnrch.aui:::ed ('\'l r:- cla." The Innnl.wr of tractor:'. dice

rnJcl sirnilar n1echanical annur,-,.., to priu1ary production is inCt:ea~En'J'Y a_2;ricu1tnral rollcgc hns an

:l.~rructm· to train il1c students in th(: ns:__' of ihe;;;.e dc\·i('P~. and this training \Yi1l Inak·~ the futnre fa1·m<•rs cf the State more efficient tltan tbe farmers of the past. As I ha YC

~tr~tcd on rnany O('cas:ions, the road to progrf'~ is stl'C '.Yn vvith the wre-cks of tho past. Partlcnlarl:· is that tl'uo of prirnary producer-::. The hon. rnc1nbcr for Dalbv cannot cl .. ,;,- that. He simply liYes in the past. He i.- onP of those \Yho haYe had a wild and

experience. T~terc i~ 110

asslrnilated a large au1ount knovdcd~-l' in the process. l-Ie rnu~t not ~-et, though, that every boy who is placed

on the lanJ lo-drw would not bu able to ·1cqui1'P the knowlc~1ge po:5se~scd by tho hon. t~wtnbc-r, because he could not roarn round th,, wild aurl woolly \Ye>t and thus obtain i!: in the sar:~c way .

I·- \\-fJnld be- an t'X('C'-llCJJt thing if an ag-ri~ cnlltil-:i l cJ~lL'-g·c-~ ~irnllar to the one at

ICJil \\'Pt'l' c,tablishcrl in :\orth QucPHS·

Till' llonhern portions of the Slat art' 1H ·''Jtlling; Jnore an cl !llOl'C the ~cenes of th'-' L1Lonr,~ of primal':-' prodth~Crs y ho al't~

in the dairying industry. The-y :--oau because of thf- Yarv-

n; dimarir- of the :\orth. Tl;c college would assi~t thcn1 Falmen,Lon ln.11d:5 und the

olh_'l' a 1.\·ondl'rfu] orJport;_~liit'' to fntt~il.' :-et,tl~r;.;. If the right t~;pe 01 ~lLtll can D<' obtruiH<J to ~ettle on tbat JJ.lHJ. ,·:H! be CClUippPd IYith the knoW

thu colL'gc at- Gatlon or a lw \·.11L to ._, YC'l'Y large

for t.he fight rrheacl of n J our thillklng that it i~

oniv ::('('1'-.;:.:--ar: tl:at a lwll be- ctb!·~'-To ~ n tl:r; scrub an n_,~t"' aud 1 D 1 o a plcuo._::h. E1·cn: countrv Jtl t\11' \\ i-ri1 Aw;;tnt~lia in

or lw; l!lTO '1 (ll'

L!~O\Vl< -LUllOU!lt ].;:!'lOWlrdge i;.; ~i\idi_ttt--. at" {;dttcU v,:hicJt j~ of gT' clt <JJ:C•' tr; r!J''Ul in afte-r l1f•'. If st~lch a poli('y i~ ,(nn:d by the prc..;cnt CoYl'rl!llV'llt or tilt' C·JYCl'i':lll' nt \Yho foJlow ihein, in ~.:eir_ ia1;d · ,•ttlt•n10nt 1 councctetl 1\·itll - dll t 1"! the \Yill fc.:l -_·prv

l'f'Stdt~. \Ye !llUSt do \1-hatCYr:'l'

)1~'· i lJlt TO COSts of lJl']llHil')~ procluc-iio;:_ "\L·. ~lac,·loPald, l-ndc·r ~;'' of State' for J)o111i~=1on::; .. .:\f1'·1ir.:.. 1:1 dt'' i---..h P-DrlianJellt, t,,1f1 u.:; -.·e..:.tr-rcla·: ~!:at dH:: eo~! of pt'odudion 1~ ilH.:: 1nain f<-:_rto.r -: 1; rhc· qn~· ... tion of compctit1on on t1H~ \Yodel';--; nwrkr·t:-5. TltP rnon-• kno-, ledge nn inCH. idu;jl c;n1 obtain ihe Lcrtc,·. !tether it l·; ~ll'il;J<l 1n·oduction or ntllerwi:--.r'. llJc-ll .::ixtP\'11 to t ·cntv-oue <l!.!"i e 11: ~-:.:.::siaiilnte tlw knowicdrr0 l1y ln -trucior;;; .at OH' CtH'en:-::1a~Ic1 T!lLt1 School and Co1lcc-o nnlC'h rnorP

~'(' 1.iily rn~n oYer t-h0 .ag·c of t~,- ellh'-tO.II_', Oi' hn•nt,-.--hv_P :eAr:;;. Tlra+ ].~ the-of tt1r· dcp~1n.nwut. :\c\"<'l' mind old ;,i~·d;; thrv al'e g-oing· to pass ont !P.tYil.12.' iC'-f't great a3~ct to f-.c1Tlrn1Pllt. i\•;tcll thC' ,, ·'1-;;·hat_('VPl~ .' ou~ can_ to cc:u~p thf'uJ f0r nght Jn lJf(•: +or tf lli<H J..!

dotll' t hPn ltJI' (;on rnnlcnt ,-..-ill Lu-..- 0 uotl!ing 10 feaL

:O.I,r. TlE.~('(IC\ (l.'~tnninrrlwm) [12.23 p.m.1: w;\P ll,tt'nrd \';~th intC>lT~:::t to tlw

cu1 rlt'li··pn•d lJv tlll' hon. rnembcr fr~·

, -~ tun not" going to co11drnu;. ill!' (0JlL'~~-p a1 (~attoll. IhrrP arc IHHIJV JJrecticn..:: in which it n1ig-ht be jmpro,:-0(1. hut tLat dOL'~ not lll'o\·e that it should 1F' cond,•nllH''L I do not think thrrt the Gatton

1 ~ anything l ikc- a-. Lad as the bon. for Enoggcra rnadc it out to 1Jt'.

Tl1e ere at troubh• about C:.-atton Collerft: and ki!Jd~-l'l_l iuslitution~ is not that the (lo r~ot tf' eh the· :,tudt'nts thoroughly, but that rno::-:t

theiL· :-:otudcnt.:; do not go on the lancl.

ll[t·. Deacon.]

1042 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply

It ie auite possible that the students arc taught ·too much about the land.

Mr. G. C. TAYLOH: Surely you do not mv that the la:HI cloco, not offer sufficient iucluremcuts for lh<'m to go on it 1

i\fr. DEACO~: \Ye' cannot get away from the fact that ''''(~ ycrv seldo~n see anv students from Gatton Co-llege settling on th;, land. \·re do not RCC n1anv of thcrn ;1~ farme". I have seen some· of thorn, but tlwv lcarnr ._l a lot aft0r the,- loft Catton Collcg0. -

The SEr·nHARY FOR PuBLIC b:sTnrcno·, : So doPi eyerybody.

:\h. DEACO~: Of comsc they do! After all. the school only gives a start, and the ,.,tudPnt ha:- to Jearn after\Yardf'. A large proportion of the students who attend any of tl1P.se eo: leges do not want to become fanners; tlic:.- want to become stock inspr•ctor-:. dai1·y lnsp('dor:;;, and inspectors gcnemll;·. The farmer finds it Yery difficult under the~c circurnstanres, ber·tuse ycrv often he has to tn to teach the instructol.· ·who is s0nt out i:o his farP1, and lf he get.' a pupil from the college the latter think::: hP knows CYerything, whereas he has oul> bel'fl equipped to start his busil!css. "\ftcr alL the college JWYcr claimed to turn out a complete farmer. It gives him some knowledge that might be useful to l1im, bnt only n t-nlall proportion of the students ''""nt to go farn1ing. \Vhat is the reason for that? The hon. lTIPrnber for Enoggera is net a fn.rnwr or anything like one.

C.Ir. G. C. TAYLOH: I liYed on a farm lHitil I \Yas eighteen or nineteen years of ag0.

l\Ir. DEc\CO~: Bnt look at the hon. n1e1nlwr--hC' is lefs llk.C' a farmer than anvone could re. (Lnuo;hter.) The worst thi~g l\·c hn YQ hc·ard to-rlay a Lout the college haR been tlw ''JWech uf the hon. member, and I hope tlw college is not as ba-d as he makes it out to be.

The SECHETARY FOR PL'BLIC IN· STRCCTION (Hen. F. A. Cooper, Brcma) [12.27 p.m.J: Une of the notable sections of this college is that deYoted to plant breedill,::. If the Queensland Government alone \YL'l"O interested in that ono n1ight say it was not so popular as it should be, but tl1e fact- that tlw Cormnonwcalth Bank 'cntributed £787 towards the erection of the• glass hou~e for plant breeding and haf-'. }1rornis~rl another £700 towards- the exten~ion of tl1at glass J1ouse !'hovvs t.ha: odwrs beside,, the Queenshwd Governm,,nt have some icka of the value of :chis worl:. The g-las., house that is used in the 111~11 tl'r of the plant breeding- of maize costc £1.400, and I beliPYC \Yhcn \YC ruake the e-xt0nsion bt>Ht>r work \Yil1 be done. [ da no::: know thut I an1 g]y]ug a \vay any sw:rt t n·heu I ~a:; that tlw plant breeder antieipa:e. that "·bcu th-: \;ode ihat he is now pursuing in the matter of maize is completed he ,-ill be able to proUuce a Yaricty of n1aize that will Ehow a ]>roduction more than clonblc aud probH bly treble the present production.

::\[r. CLAYTOx: \Vhat is the average production at the present time'(

Tl1" SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC INSTRLTTIQ]\;: Scme of the experiments slim,- a production up to as high as 58 bmhels per acre. and if wo can :reble that \\"(' shall not be doing badly.

[M1·. Deacon.

Mr. EDWARDS: If he would use his .\:nowledge to solve the problem of price sJ that "''' could sell our produce it would be mur:h better.

TlH• SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC H\STRCC'TION: The hon. member is a real JWl''Ollification of that type of perwn who i:o; neYer c-onvinced. \Vhen we convince him th<tt t!Je right thing is being done in plant hl'crding, he says, "That is all right, but w h,, not better the price"" Jf vvc do better the price he says, " \Vhy not get rnore J>eoplc to use our products?" So that the hon. UlPn1ber is one of those who will ahvc.t.~·s !mYC' sonrc grouch. B11t \Ye arc noL conf"f'r·ned \vith the hon. rne1nbcr's opinion on the'-e Inatter"

The hon. member for Dalby complained of the lack of practical work in connection v. ith this college. \Ye can only compare this imtitntion with others in Australia, and 1 can tell hou. members that the seniors at this f·ollege do an arnount of practical work ef,ual to tlwt .done in ~irnilar institutions ju- .. A.u~tralia, whilst the juniors do rnore pracr.ical work than the average amount uf pnvtical work done by juniors at any ot}wr sin1ilar college.

The follmv-ing table will afford excellent eridc>nce for the hon. member for Daiby a;-- to the usefulness of this college:-

Year. 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 Y:31 1932 1933 1934

:\umber of Students.

33 78

110 109 124 137 166 176 219 252 282

beJiPve had ·\·c a11<.T n1orc ac'oalnioclation nt that imtitution there •ronld be well ov-er 3GJ studL·nt-, there now. Those figures indic3,j t the• popularity of tlH.~ college and pl'ovc that it~ ,~·ark is beco1ning 1nore \Yidely kno'..Yll; and the farn1ers are content to send tLLil' Hlll'' to that institution because they Lelil'YP it is a good one. l\Iany people ha\·e

thnt its operation should bo extench,cJ, IYC ,-..hould haYe :-;imilar -colleges in the

Sorth. and I b;lievc that will come about.

Th" Gatton College also conducu farmers da'"l'.~. Those d:1sses are hl'ing attended by lal"g-' 1 11l1lnbcrs of fanners each year. At the lu:"t tractor school thero y, as a bigger colh'd inn of fannL'r~ and tr u:tors than has c.~Pl' LH'Cil seen at any other agricultural collc':YC' in the ( 1 0llltnOln<(~nlth. If tl1nt does JJOt 'l.Jrovidc alJunclant PYidence a.s to the pnpularit-,' of that imtitution, then I do not kuo\, what c,-idc•nce hon. men1b0rs l'C.'quire.

:VIr. SP.\RKES: Hl w do vou account for the demand bv the f~.rmers for clraur;ht

. if tho:v a1:e going ju for tractors? Ti!f•y do not want t·Lcm to pull tin tractorcc.

The SEI'HETARY FOR PUBLIC INSTHrC'T!O:\': Pmbab1Y they might '-''ant tl!C tractor, to pull tl1e hor•·cs. The hon. Jupn;bcr for Dalb_r said, ''Supposing a H\ inglP·b:u· breaks. \d1at v;ill the theorists kno\v ahout it? " That staterue11t indicates that tLP hon. 111Cn1ber has ncYor been to Gati·on College. for if he hac! tl1e v-ery first thing he would be shown would haYo been

Supply. [30 OcTOBER.] Supply. 1043

\cow the timber is CLJt and the way it is prepared, ho,"r swingle-bar~ are rnade, hovv hol'~e harness is tnade and hovv all sorts of iron \ ork is made. The whole of the rractical si,)e of the wmk is done at that t'ollege. Tbo hon. n1enrbor's idea of thcot·:, i~ "no:o;c down to a book." I bolieYe he i-S ;1, man ~ .. ho is an anthority in regard to Herefore! cattle. I b0licvc ho knows a lot. I bel iPn· he has a wonderful herd. I believe it i:-; lti:-J that practically eYcry bea;o;t Le ha~ i::; in hPrd book. l vvant to ask the hon. "\Yhcre do you got the hPnl book" " If it had not been for the thC'ot·y that l1as gi\' 0 11 us 30 rnuch practi:.-c tlw hon. lnc:rnb_r for Da1bv Vloulcl not be able to have the he has·: All the theorv of the pa:'3t that been turnncl into thC pl'acti<'al kuov-:lcdgc of to-day has as;-;i~tcd the hon. lllt~ruhc•r, and vet he turns ronnrl and kick~ fro1n uude1· hi~ feet the }adder h·· \Yhlch he ha" l'i_~ell. I do uot nnclcrstan(l itLs objC'C"tion to theory. He is himself au iil<~stmtion of the use of thcorv. Ilc had a tL-_ory Yt'ars ac:o that it ,\-ot;ld be better few hinl~ to con-centrate on IIereforcL. and }•i~ tht:>ory has lJOrile fruit. The hon. nletnbct' i::- 110\Y practising the tbror.v l1P once t !·onp._·ht would be ri:d1t. ThPn~ is nothing'' rong v;ith thooretical wm·1c lJn1ess \Y.: haYo t 1:c'Ol'etic:J \vork -,. P can ha ye no pl'OgTe::-:J. 'Ti lwu. 1nem her k1101Y~ that, and if he doP::: not knnv .. · it t}lC'n he is not the practical nwn I thought h1· \Yas.

s(a(<>d bv the hon. memlwr for t1Htt ,;ou ncve1· sec an agricul~ nnn On the' lancl; that hP doe

lJOt go t11cre.

1\!r. DEACOX: You sec too fc1.v of thcrrL

Th, SECRET I.HY FOR PGBLIC 1~STRCCTTO::\: Probablv that i., so. I 1•r'liE'Ye th~"~t if we had n:o1·c Gatton CollC'gQ stndl'nh on the land things y•"·oulc1 not be :-J) bad on the lr:nd. Frorn a vor7 ('arPful r-.tfn·uv of the student::; \Yho 1eav0 Gatton Cn!l<·~c· it ma,, bo "'icl that wobably 86 per t '~!11. cl the1n lea VP it to go on tl1e land or tn tab-, u;J ]J0'3~ti.ons dircctl:v.,. allied with

and I do not include stock and agents in that catf'gory.

:\It. SPARKES: TlH'V 1nnst fail lf thry ttre 1101 on the land. ·

The SECRET"\UY FOR PuBLIC 1~STR\'CTIO::\: Tlw,, arc on the lnncl or in r·onno·tion with the lnncl and the hon. lllerub·'r n1u~t knO\Y that. The hon. n1em ber canuot ~ndiratP one inc;;rance of a rnan who bacl l•ce11 to t1J<: collcg-o ;::n ';/ing that the yerrl'." 11 snrnt then.., \Yerc wa~tccl. Tl1at <:'all b0 :1id 'in rr•g·Drcl to oJ-1101' walks of life. h:1t

J·Ot In con'nPction with t11<~ Gatton Coilc.uT. 'The hon. nw1nbcr for Da1b:-;·, I bPlit>YP, hao.; t. kPn np a stanr1 in r0ga.rcl to the Gatton Cnlk" P from \Yh:ch lJP \vonhl like to rctrc:u. I ut smnc holY h(' \Yil: not. I invite the hon. m01 ll)f'J' to com() to 01e ...:\gricult.nral CollPsrc

ith me. Lrt him on an air of gentle-'"''' an cl which he will not he known~·(J::tu~thter)-antl let n1e take l1in1 on a tour of inspection. Let him put on tlw air of a theoretical man so that he will not be l'£'rogn1secl and after he has made a tour of in~pPction he eau stay there for a 1\'eek. \Y c \Yill put him up in any \\ay ho desire,., 0ithcr as a cook or a \Yaitcr. a student or a teac!JN. and at the end of the \Yeek I lJciic,·e the hon. mc1nhcr '"ill give us an bonc~t. ullbiasecl opinion. (Laughter.) Although the hon. member is a splendid

practical 1uan) he l'ms given opinions on a <.::>liege lw ha.:.; not visited or taken the trouble i.o i mpect. h that practical·:

·::\[r. SPARKES: I ha Ye boys fro1n there; that is tbc trouble.

'Ii<e SECREL\RY FOR PUBLIC INSTRl~CTIO::\: The hon. member sa:-s so; but we ha YE:' Leen rnn,king strenuous cncleu~ \Oll1'' to trace bovs who haYc been student;-; rV G~ltl011 that the hon. tnentbcr says have he~>n in his ernploy. I do not ask the hon. tllt'JnbC'e to giYc rne the nan1es of such boys p11blicly. but- i£ he will supply the infonnation in priYate the department will be able ro End the boys and ascertain why they used a butl'l-ler·~ knife on a blown beast.

\Ir. SP.\RKE~: The·· hadn't a butcher's knife!

The SECRETARl: FOR Pl.'BLIC INlla! Tlw talc is there. (Laughter.) PreYiou.-~h· the talc was) and '" I-Iansard n \vill prrll-,." it. that it was a butcher's knife the lad Ll'c'cl. 1 remember the ,',ction of the hon.

~o particularly \Yell. I11 speaking dn~w l1is arn1 Y· f'll bark and gave

thru:--t. I rC'HWHiber it lJarticuaud I \\·oudcrcd at the ti1ne if that

\V:t,\· a st!l·gcon pt rfonncd the_ operaAll l kno\\· is that Uwt is the unpres

he u;·ave. ~Ir. En\',·.\nns: Do bo.v~ go on, \vhen

at h'nding the Gatton Coll(~gf'. in the san1e Jnanuer as i·hp hon. gPlltlt>ntan is going on 't \Yill hP no': give us ''Orncthing sensible'?

Tl"• SECRET.\RY FOR PrRLIC INSTrn ,..CTIOX: I am trying to get dow·n to the kY•'l of the hon. llletubcr. I \Yill .admit it ;, '.-en- diflicult. If the hon. member for D,-dby ,~~:n vi:.;it the colh:ge, \\'P \\·ill give lti1n t'YCry opportunity of seeing all its ph--t:-.cc:.,. \Y c \\ill gi·,·e hi::.n ever,\· opportunity

in-3p:'cting the col1cgo, C'X<ttnini11g the stu-the kitchen, the books, and all phr:sos

of work. _,\Iter all. l bl'lieYc-notwith"-f tntlill!Z' the .attitude of the hon. lHPinbpr

that !J,,- i.s a !Jr,nrl that is \Yorth plucking l!''Hl1 the Llnning.

=~rr. DEAr o::-.;-: The htm. gentleruan i~ \Vastj ~1:-- lllll ('.

TL,, ~\ECHKL\RY FOR PCBLIC INSTRl.-:-CTIO:\: S0 loLg n'3 I Llln not wasting t!~P ho11. rncrnb':-r':s it dcws :1ot rnnttcr.

~\Ir. BAR:'\ES (Wurtcil'k' [12.39 p.m.l: I h~l ye ('Ycry 1·e~pect for the Agricultural l-Iigh Sd:ool and Col\cec at Gatton. and I scarcely b:ow \dwt \\'C should clo without it. It may l·o~. Ill! our needs to tlw fulic't extent or go

L-1 r a:-::: \YC \You1d like, but \vithont W() should be tho poorer to-day.

\re at lPnst l1P putting back the clock of prog' s~. ar:d we arc not prepared to do t har. T sh ·re in the di:--~1ppointn1ent expl·p.;,~~d h"· smne hon. nwtnlwrs that some of the graduates-perhaps, 1nany o£ them-

1 o achieve their dectinv-fail to find a on tlH' June!. The 1\Iinister. however.

iufonut-d the Collllllittee that n very big perc(~Ht·1gc of thn~e who have enjoyed th(~ fru··ilitit-s of the co1leg·c have found thoir way in :-iOlllP cErcction or othrr to ser,·ing their coun; ry in n profc;:;sional capacity on the lnnd. It is just possible that the academic ,-.;idr- is rccL'iving too 1nnch attention at the ithtitntion: hut the demand to-dav is that 1\·0 should give n1orc and rnorc attention to matters connected \Yith tlw land. Indeed, I an1 glad to know that the dcparttncnt is

Jlr. Barncs.]

l04A Supply. [ASSEl\IBL Y.] Supply.

l'tretc1ting out 111 aln1ost every Jircct;on con· r ci,~able in order to attract the yum;g to the land and e11courage thc111 to flnd tl1crc the highest and best in life. For w:~sclf I mn prepared to accept the critici"11 of the Director of Education in coLnLction with thjs tu a tter. l-Ie is a ruan ( \7 Cr ready to call a ,padc> a spade, and his refereLcc to the work of the coJlegc should count. I take :t that Ll' bi·ingc:; tu b:::ar th(· ni0.'3t rn1llute critie1~;n of >>hat is clone at the college·. I think \dw r lu: has to say in hi~ \cry hne report ~l~o-Ldc1 be recorded iu " Hansar\J .,_

'"AGHICll.TLR.IL l-IJGH SCHOOL AXll CoLLEGE.

.. The r\gricultural High SrLooi ami Colluge at Gatton i6 fulfilli11g an Hl!port· ant IJ<-ttiunnl fuuctioll. 'Tl1e fanning 1lOpu1ution has frorn tin1c iHIHlt..'lllOrial been described as the backbolle of tl1e nation. lf that is EO, tlJ(' ncL'd for rraiul'd intelligence to cope I',Jth prinun_y lJYOdHctiou iu all it.::: ph a "Pt' UlOl'e thall en:r nece~s~U'Y iu Yicw of tlw lJL'cuJinr diftlcultic": .and~ pl"oLleur:-;, Loru of a bcwilden'd and embana,sed world. 1'1H-' slcadv dnft frurn the field~ to t.he !urge centres of povulatioll HHi~t Ut'

,·ftt ch:cct and it eau be checked llJah: ~ng 11fe on the land worth while. n'i<:l!t~-iold difficultic"i r a used bv t!Ie econow1c hliz.-:arcls can11ot YCTV 1Y;ll be ch~Cllt'"::-ed lJerc, Lnt it SCCD1S vas if a dPH'HlliiJed

u:IiYl'l'sal effort to establi~h <J ':'tunlv .alld JLlcl)igent pcu::;;antry 011 the> laud, 'UJJder condluuns ·whil'h will return to t:tL'lll

rea~u11able 1'0\Yard~ for their JaLour 1~ UIH' ureal!" whereby :--omctl1ing iike stabilit\ c<~n be effC'l'ted. The .~dwoh: arc doing wuch in this wa:: by t]J<? club HlOVl'llJf'nt referred to above. They tould do ruon~ bY au incTea:--L'd deYvlor>mcnt of agricu~t~ral i11structiou. \\'1Ji1c it is plca.:;ing to note tlwt. at th<' close of tiH' Y('ar. the ..::\gric:nltural CoJlt'gc l:a.d 213 students, am! that its high ~tandard of efficicnev J:" recogni'~1 c·d tltronghout. Australia, J;C't tlH_' 11nmber of .<:-tuc1Pnt::. i~ ridiculouslv f-"rnall \Yhen cornpared with the nur11bcr for vd10rr1 we are paying in othPr typ0s of :--econdar:, ;-;('hool~. Sooner or later t1Jc CJU(•stion will ha,~e to be di'L'U;sed as to whethc'r \YC are not spending too n1uch on t.he purely acadcrnic side of super-prin1ary cclncation, and too little on tho;.;e brandil'~ of it that arc bdtE'r calculated to our industries and solYc our difficultie.s."

\Ye slwulcl g·ive the uhno~t con."lt1crati ·It to t hl· last sentence in that part of t1Jc· :_·epon and co;J::;iclcr ·whether too :!:;ntch hl'iJ:g-clonc on the acadcrnic side and prac-t1cal side i~ not rccciYing the fullc~t attcutio11. 1::: is fitting. too, t1Iat t}JC \·cry fJ1w report bY Frofes~or ::Hurray f'honlcl b(' ref•.·rn·d to. It illustrates t.hc; wonderful >Yo;·k j.., being carried on for the bcnc·fit -Jf State.

HcfcrE'ncc was rnade tllis rnoruirg to Jll2I?C'

prnduction. I have been infonned :_J 'aln i!!ld ag·ain thnt SOlllC' llifl]ze-gTO\Vf'l',..: On [}:t.iri-1'UlarJy-faYOUI'C'd ~rot.~ in tht• 1,Ya-;_···:jd\: district J1aye obtained a c~ie!d np to 170 lms~ cls per acl"e. Of conr'c. that is a pheJJomcnal ~·icld, hut 50 odd hn~Jtc ~R 1s

ln· no :nH'::llJ" nn nncmnn1nn y-it>Jd. The d~l1nrtn1ent i~ on th0 rig-ht trnck n ttention to a~?,Ti~nltura.l t bought.

r Jj r. Barnes.

"o doubt that the college has served a .-ery Iit.e purpo::ie in dealing -with the product1on d 'tud stock of all kiuds. but I ha1 e somct irncs wondered whether , \Ve arc getting <J

.-:uffi< icut return for the annual cxpt>rHliturc of £17,000 to £18,000. One \Votdd like to .'ee much more being done. vV c arc told that 1dditional student:' cannot be takPn beC,lU-::,1:.2'

:-:uflicicnt roon1 is not .a.Yailablc for them. ['prhal" much more could be done if iJ;crca::;:ecl a-ccornlnodation were nntdc avar!able. On the whole there is ccrtai·dy room for c·ongratulatlon OH \dwt the dcpartnH'llt 1.~ aiu1ing to do in connection with this very '''Jpm·taJJt college.

~Ir. DRA:'\D (Isis) [12.45 p.m.] : The hope has Uccn expressed fron1 tirne to tin1P in thi..: Chamber that the administrative control of the (Juccllsland Agricultural 1 Iigh School <l!ld College would .on(_'e 1norc rc\-l'l't to dli: Dl•partrncut of Agnculturc.

=\lr. ~PARKES: I-icar) hear!

:\lr. DIL\XD: l cxpres;; the hope that th;s colle(re v\·ill not revert to control bv tH;. DqH~rtmcnt of Agriculture, that it" will ronain with the Department of Pnblic In::truction, for the reason that the college i~ es~cntiallv ono for the in\:itruction of Youth~. \\'};en \YC n~alise that under the ~tatc school sy,tcru project dubs are cstc,b~ li~hccl at the Yarious eountrv SLtte .chool:3 the need for maintaining this college under the control of t.hc Department of Public l nst1·uetion beconH'S apparent. State school childrc.'ll can graduate through the .studjcs of tbe State school en1bracing preli!ninar,y training in agricultnre a11d can, "\;'ith ihc greatest oaso, proceed fron1 there to tiJe collpge to rcceiYc 1nore adva11ccc~ agric:_dtural traiuing. I rernernber the tnne wlH·n this college ''·as under the control of 1hc JJqwrtrllC!lt. of Agriculture. In rny opinion tlie f;r'rYicPs that the teachers rc11dcr at (;atton College to-clay far exceed·, in practical .-aluo the tuition of bygone days. \Ye ,Loulcl cxprc,s our appreciation of the actiYitics of the deymrtment and its officers in the \\~ark that is being clone in promoti'Jg intt:rc~t in the scientific sidr of the rural i11Uu~try. :\To one could represent a rura.l <'OJ1c,tituency \Yitl!ont being seized of th<; importance of the policy of the dcparLmrnt iu rural rnattcl'3. Tl1c Queensland Agr·icLllt ura! Hig·h School and College could be of ,y;-eat benefit to children who han' rccC'i,~ccJ ·l1e e1eJncntary t.(•aching."' of agricnlture aitd stock husbandry in the project dubs in State >chools. For that rpason I lwpc the :\lin;ster ,.,,i]] do all he can to keep the college under it.:; Jlrcsunt jurisdictjon. Sud1 a policy would be bc'll<'fHial 11ot onlv to tlw children huL n.hJ· to the ,\-hole of ti-lC pr:op1c of the :-.:tatc.

Item (Quccn··hnd Agricultural Hig!J School 11d CollPgc) <tgrP d to.

WO ,\In;"s COLLEGE.

SECRET AR¥ FOR FCBLIC IXc;Tn ~CTION (Hon. F. c\. Cooper, Brcmcr) [ 12.49 p.n1. J : I mo,~e-

,; That £2.50 be grantPd for '\\"Pincn's Co~lcgc.' "

This col!ouo is snpporterl partly by public ~uL~cript-ion. The colleg-e is a residential onr. mn_inly for co_y1~try . girls,,, hold~ng

l"'la rsJ,p~~ to the l; nn·er"ty. I ne g1rls nrf' co<:tcl}('d 'vithout pa~-mcnt of fee·~.

Item ogr0ccl to.


El-;D(Y\V:\JEXT, FEES AXU ALLO\YANCES (:SECO~D· ARY EDUCAT!OK).

Tlw SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC INSTRL'CTIOX (lion. F. A. Cooper, Bremcr) [12.50 run.]: I move-

" That £61,030 be granted for · Endowment. Fees and AlJmyances (Secondary Education).' "

This appropriation c-overs additional endowInPut to gra1nrnar s.chools, £5,800, and f.,dlo~arf'llins and al:owallCCs to sce:ondarv sehcols. £55,230. ·

lh'l!l a[;rccd to.

STATE SCHOOLS.

The SECIU':TARY FOR PUBLIC E\'STRUCTIO:'\ (Hon. F. c\. Cooper, Brem er) [12.51 p.m.J: I move-

" That £1.183,951 be granted for ' State Schools.' "

Thi:3 vot0 f'CJYe1·s the whole actiYitie::; of the State schools, and the estimated rcquireInl'nt·, includes expcnditu.re on salaries and co11tingencic_. for primary, intcrn1ediatc, and high schcok The estimated requirement i~ £':6,011 hi.SJlH·r on account of salaries, and £5,441 on account of contingencies than the sttm~ appropriated for these services respcctiYely fOl' 1933-34.

:\lr. CO"'ROY (Jinranoa) [12.52 p.m.]: I am n'r'· pleased to note that there has been a reduction ia the number of schools closed during the ]a::;t hn:]ve rnonths as conrpared with the number dosed during the preceding ,., n. In 1933 thirty-three schools were ~:oscd. \1 hi le in 1932 the number \Yas fifhthrce. Of course, these schoo:s arc situated 1nainly in the countrv districts, and countr~- HlC'IHl'ers are rnorc particularly inter•,•~t eel in the;::,o n1attcrs.

At 12.52 p.rn .. :\Jr. iY. T. King (Jfurr r) l'Csumecl t11e

chair.

:\Jr. CO:'\iROY: ~o hon. member repre~cnting a country constituency desires to >Cc an:· school dosed, because that action 1c d-o to great disappointment and hardship to people in the country. I am not omplaining abont the action of the depart

IllCIJt in closing schools because I realise a ,chool is only closed on account of the smal:ncss of the attendance and enrolment. The Director of Education has alwavs been Yery sympathetically inclined tmYards any rn,:tler affecting country schools, and I know that he has C!Jdeavourcd to meet every case that I have placed before him concerning tlH! closing of country schools. I prcsu1ne that is also the experience of other country 111C1nbers. Of t::onr~o, \VO realise that where thP 'choul attendance falls short of the n'qllir~d nnn1bor and remains so inU.efinitely 1 be dt'P" rtment is not able to agree to the f o~~tinuaut.:c of that school, but I have kno,vn jn_8tances \Yhere, before a school has been finally clo•ecl, the Director of Education has al:m-.ed the school to remain open for a further short period in order that the parents of childrc_'n .dlig-ht not be inconvenienced.

Tlte report of the Superintendent of Technical Education. which is embodied in the la>t report of the Secrctarv for Public In~trurtiun, rnakes refC'rcncC to travelling Yocational schools in these words:-

" Son1o y('ars ago bYO Rail-way Travel~ ling :\Ianual Training schools and t'iVO

DouH'";tic Science sChools •,,rere con-

~trurted for use in the railway sidings in the smaller country centre,, and for a period of some ~'cars very efficient Domestic Science, Wood, Sheet-metal, and Lcatlterwork classes were held in a !urge numbter of the remote centres of the State.

" These tra ve !ling schools proved a ~rt'at boon to the school pupils in the smaller towns. On account of the financial stringency it was decided to lay these railway schools aside, and for sev0ral vears the children of the anthack ha\~e in conscqnence been deprived of the instruction preYious:y provided. It is highly desirable that these travelling schools be rccommissioncd at the t arlicst date pos,iblc.

" \\'hen the schools wore in operation the boys and girls of the outback looked fonYard with keen anticipation to the stay of these schools in their centres, and they profited greatly by the fulltime instruction giYen dnring a period of seyen weeks. There is no doubt that 1hcco itinerant classes gave a fresh outlook and inspiration in life to the pupils and grcat:y brightened the general drabnes~ of their surrounding~. The cost per pupil instructed for the fnll-time course of seyen \Yceks a1nounted to about £2 per pupil, and Jlw benefits recei,-ed \vcrc proportionately u1nch larger than I he Pxpcnditnre inYoh·cc1.

''The fullv equipped carriages haYe been carefufl,. stored by the Hai1way D<•uartment while thc·y haYe hccn out of ('Olllnli.-~;ion, and they could be rccmnmissionc•d at ~hort notice if the neces~ary funds were vro\·ided."

In new of the importance of traYelling YOC alional schools to chi:dren in the outhack country, I trust that the tuition pro~ ,-iclcd by tlH'm will shortly be resumed.

On the suhject of State schools generally, :md more particularly State schools in country tO\Vll', I desire to quote the following pertinent remarks made by the Pnblic Service Conunissioner in his last report:-

" Suitable schools and efficient teachiug, good medical, dental, and eye ser,-iccs for the children, good hospitals, gnotl roads, prornpt aud efficient sorYico by govcrnrnental departments, 9..re all welcome. A countrY school is even rnore necessary than a'"' country bank; c>nd a Government imtitL>tion which ( )Dlbines the functions of a Pcttv Sessions Office, Land Office, and the Yarfous SLate agcncit.~s, is rnorc usciul than many a '-"OH'Ht('rci~~ l conc:er11. T 1

.1LSJ tl1iLg~ cost ll:O!:cy-~rnuch rnolley--ln:•, chc0-::e~parn;~ t (dicics hurt the countrv cv 'll n1oro than the city." "

'f],e school buildings in country districts gi,-ing reasonable facilities for the educa

of the children. I an1 not complaining a~ far as the educa

tion of the childrC'n in the c..ouutrv to\vns nre e~Jl!ccrnl'd; because I rccogni::;o thev haYo tl10 sun1e educational faciJitie.~ as childrPn in the cities. The quc:;;tion of school buildings, hvH!vcr, i.-; an iruporta.nt one frorn the point of Yicw of country town.-.:. and I th1nk that in mnnv in:-;tallccs ~their ncecls are oYrrlocked in t!tis To use tlw onl that appears in rl'[JOJ't of the Public Scn·ic~ Commi~sioner_. it " hurt.s" pe011lu in ihc

J/r. Conroy.]

104() Supply. [ASSE1\IBLY.] Supply.

countr_y to,vns to think they ha ,~e not l'CC(~iYed the sanl8 consideration as citr dwellers. I certainlv enYicd the hon. mcillbcr f·or :\nudab this morning when he thanked the Sec~ rPlarv for Public \Yorl<s for the two~storic l schoo"l buildillQ' that had been erected in his eloctoratr~. He;idcuts of cou11trv to~rns are faced "~ith many difficultic<, "~{i:hout adding the lack of proper school buildings to them. The State school at Horna is a wooden build~ ino· wl1ich "as Pl'ectecl over fiftv years ao·o an~~l to~ which ~dclitions ha vc boc1\ r~wde fr~ll~ tirnu to time as the attPnclancc incrca!"cd. The present lmilcliHg is not suitecl to tho needs of a gr. wing tovo1 liko Ro1na. \vhD'-'0 citizens are adYocating the erection of a new :;chool. I t-:tnJn~)y support their rE>·]UCst in th 1 t regard. I rcrognisc: of course. thnt Homa is probabl,,~ t!Oc the onh' tm\'n in the Slate \Yh~:-:c school buildings are not ad(•quat0, bnt I JPsire to irnJH'C'SS upon the ~Iinistcr the nr'?ent uece:.;sit.Y for 3...-.'nlnathetic action in the rnattcr. Hou;a ha:., V a -J)Opula tion of ',00:1 '\cw schools are being erected in the larger ccntrf'") and it ·does nr t appear fair that countr~· to\vn:- shonld not rccPin~ ('Yl'l'"V

con~idcril~iOn in the iuterc>;ts of the welfurO of the chillrcn. Bad surroundiugs haYc a delPtPrions effPct upon the iJn])J'c ...:siollable Ulinds nf Uw youug. It does not jtuprOYo U1cir Pdnf'aJion t:J· }mye the rndirnPnts inlpal'tccl in bnildings in a bad ~iate of repair. I contend that f'OUnir·.- children <l re as rnllC}J entitled to consideration as are the chllclrcll of the f'iti\•s. SomP of us hn..-e to liYe in

country, all hough certai nl:v grcrr tPr nu:u-rc,idt~ in tho citi<>:), and I wi:d1 tl1c Sec·

n tar,· for Public Tnstrne~ion would nJh~ IllV

t cqnt?':::t and giYe it hi.; ear!H'··t eonsidcrn.tioi.J <1~ ihe ear}ic.St lJO~siblc UlOlnent.

l\Ir. SP~>RKEtl (Dal!Jy) L2.7 lUll.]: So far as country schools are concerned I join vvitl1 the ho1t. mcmbCl· for :llaranoa, but I \Y'oulcl go further \Yith re~·ard io the est a Llishrneut, of ~chools in areas 111 course of deYtdopinont. l an1 aware that the dL'i.JartJneut h<ts to consider expcndit.ure iuYolYed, but 1 feel sure the hon. gentlc'man will rculi<e that the cost cf education 11er child rnu::.;t bo greater in the countrY than in tlw c.itv; allo\Yanct~ rnust b" made tor the cliffcrellt ~ondition". \Vhibt l an1 a 'Yare the dcparttucnt i:3 end ea Youring j o do ('Ycrything lJO~:)iblP, 1 feel sure that the ofl-rcials are 110-L quite conyersant \vith the rcquircuw11ts of rhc couutry child as cou1pared '' .ith ii.-:; or suburban ln·,oto-type. I refl'r to the nee to be tra Yellctl in nttc11ding u school in a cit~, or suburb. If ono \\-ore to suggest that a child should han~! to jourll(',\T four or· fiYe rniles to attond a s('hool one would be looked upon as bPing ahnost a n1auiac. Lut tht~ hon. nH.'lllLer for 3.-laranoa \rill support nty assertion that in countrv districts that ·distance is often tmYelled bv " rhilrl. 'Tlw department when considt•rilJg. the uch-i~ability of cstaLli~hing a school takes lnto cvnsiderati n the nu1nbcr of children liYing within only a three-ruile radiu~ of ''le pro),o::;ed institution. If there arc not ,ufticient the school is not t'stablishrcl. Xo account i~ taken ,of children liYing >'i ithln a fiYe-ruilo radius of the ;-itc. The hon. rnen1-ber could also tell this Committee that it is a Y,'JT co11nnon ocenrrence for a child to ride a pony fiYe Or' six 111iles to a scho<Jl. :'>fy contention is that when the department is gi,~ing consideration to the est.abJi~.hment. of a new s, hool the rhilrhcn to be taken into af'C'Ount shonld be th:=.~e rc~idir1g within a radius of fhe or six milPs. I know of chil~ drcn who arc oyen walking four rnilcs to

[Jir. {'c,,&rov.

attend a school. It would be much better that children should atwnrl s~hool even though they had k' travel this distance than that they be taught L)T the corre~pondcHce method. I trust the 1\liuister will g·jye my point of Yicw considPra.tion. It i;:.. to be expeeted that in a district in course of deYt~lopmPnt the children will be ~prcad OYer a f'ousidcrable area. I h<1YC i11 rnind a ;.;cU lcrnent in nn· O\ n clcctoraic wht)re lwenty~tlnce fami'!ies arc settled en 1,200~ acre Llorks. It "·oulcl thm be i~trpossible to get the required numbr'r of childn'll within the three~mile radius. The radius slroulcl be C' tended to fiye or six rnj]ps. In doing this the department would not on!,· be extending an acr of oTt'at I.::indncss to the parents in LhP Lli-trlrt~ but \Yonld aho be ,"ff<>ring an incentiYc to people to deYclop the far distant areas of the State.

2.L\HF:H (lr,st Jlm·,tvl') !2.11 p.m.]: to support the contention of the hon.

lllC'Jllber for :~.Jar--·uy:>a regarding the lH'f'C:"~it:, that counb·:v di:-trieb be supplied v·ith :-initabh: 5!chool hnildin~s. The- ot11cr day I Yi:::itod the Surnn1cr Hill schooL in 1ny O\'dl

c1ectoratc. for the fir:-;t tirne, and r rnu:-;t sa\' thClt i,h[lt bnildiug i~ not a. rrcdit to the dopal'tltH'llt. In fact. it i~ tho WOI';";i

b1-_ildiug of it~ kind in the wholr· of the elc:·'orat(', and it ~f'f'lllS a Jlir. that the peo11lv of thio district 'hould hn 'c to send th<'ir children to 'llch an ill~wntilaterl and Lacll:v lio·htod. bui1dino- at a tirne 'dwn .,o n1nch n{~mcY is an1il~dJlc for the construC'tion of !POdf?i·n, indf•rd rrlmofit lPxurious. schools iu tht· n10h'OJ)c1itan area~ and tlH' l:n·gcr pro\·incjal (•jti-e~ of the State.

Thi., school bltilding was erected forty~six vc;ns ~ ~o not bv the Department of Pubhc Instrurtio~. but c by the people of the district. They now make a request to the d<'rartmcnt' to provide them "~ith a modern school building. I think that is a very rr a .;onn hl c rcquf''.•t, and I am suro, if a n'port is called for the district inspector of public \YOrks nn1st report in faYour of a hot lr'r structure. The ;dwol i, loca i ~'cl on i:lr<' si cl,: of a rockv hill v, ith wbstantial outcrops of ',tone, and in their play the C'hildr0n skin their knees badly, and sores dC'n_•lop on their logs in consequ0ucc. The old Jlaling fence erected forty to fifty years

j~ in a Inost c_lil:tpidah-~d condition, and oui fit prcscllts tllc flJ1IH <trnncc of frrrrn. It rcrtainlv clef's not ~ug

it is the centre of e~lucahon in t}tn of Summer llill. I should like, to

that this ·da· I ha.vo sent n letter to the Din--ctor of Edu,catio:t on this -.;ubjcct, askill;( him to do hi< bc-:t to gTant tire rcqilest o£ the 'Chool committee for a more nn~to~ dat~ . .;;chool structure on a rnorc cml\-c'n~icnt .c.:.itc.

I regret that I ~laYC i o bring np a 1nutter of Yer:v great pubhc interest on the subject of a f'C'l'jes of questions that I haYc directed iv the }l.ini~ter in ihi~, Chan1bcr during the pets! few wcPks relating to thf\ appoint~ mcnt of a lad uamccl Cuthbert from Ipswieh to the Ropclcy school located in my electorate. I ha,'e nothing against that lad at all. I do not know him; good luck to l1im. Still. I think public atten-tion should be called to certain things in connection '''ith this appointment. The \Ybo1f~ appointment, so far :a., 1ny under~tauding of it goc~, ;;:cpms to savour of political infll)onco~-in fact. I ''ill say, po'~ sibly :\lini,terial influence. I have very


great conficknce in the ofllcers of the Departmer;\ of Public Instruction. I belieYe that the l1ighlv pla<:ed officcn of that department --those whmn I arn privileged to kuow-are men of YPry high ideals, unci it would be

their grain to giYc favours and conto candidates in junior and senior

examinations f..O that n1erit di.ft not receive i rs proper compensation. In thi' particular e:ase J haYP neYcr bc0n able to ascertain from dw l\:iinistc•r by rcque~ts in this CharnLrr \vhnt v:as thc-~ numerical position of the lad Cuthbert in the last senior exarnination, but seeing, that ho only secured fiye Cs, it j reasonable to nssun1e that ho 'vas pretty low do >n on the list. There were 823 candidntes at the last senior cxarnination; 564 of the·<-~ \YCTc succes;..ful~ 80 were a ppointcd ; so that h avcs 484 unappointed. Cuthbert, \Yitll liYe Cs, rnust 1Ja.\ e received just a bare pass.

:VIr. \YrLLTDifi: :\'o rs and no As?

::Vlr. ::\L\HER: :L\o Bs and no As. The 111atter came l].nder n1y notico, in the ftrst place, as a result. of the following letter which I received from Miss Marjorie Glcnnic, LalH'nlount, Yia Gatton :-

.; Lakcrnount " via Gatton.

"26th May, 1934. " E. D. ::Vlalwr, Esq., M.L.A.,

" l'<'.rliament House, "Brisbane.

"Dear 1Ir. ~Iaber,--I recciv(d your 1etter. and kno1ving that you vvcro absent froru Brisbane I refrained frorn answering '" nne sooner. I n1ust thank you for t1H' i!th'n 't you have taken in 1ne, and I mu<t ac1mit that I was very disappointed to note that both you and Mr. Eclv, anls do 11ot giYo n1o rnuch hope of b<'ing admitted to the State.

" Smne tirne ag'O I sent in an application to :\1r. ~IcKcmm requesting to be adn,itted to tho State as a student h'acher. That must be at least two months ago, but up to tho present I ba YO IlC\TT l'CCcivod a l~eply.

'· I cndose a cutting from last \Vednesclay's 'Queensland TinH~s,' which speaks for it~clf. This :.\Ir. Cuthbert I know well. Ho snt for senior last year 'vith ll!C'. J\' ow, his pass consist0cl of five Cs (he failed in Mathematics A). J\1y pass "as tl1ree Bs and two Cs. After going throug·h these figures you will surely sec that I ha'oe' right on my side when I say he has rccei Ycd preference over 1ne.

" \Yhen I interviewed you in Gatton ~'ou rcquPstcd rue to adYise \on if I heard of anyone getting admitted \vith :1 n i11fPrior pass to n1ine; hence mv reason in ·:.taiing the above case. ·-

" I trust it will still be in your power to do son1ething for rnc. Aiain thanking you sincerely for all you have done.

"I{indcst regards from all, "Yours faithfully,

" :\LIR.JORIE E. GLE:-;XIE."

''Iarjurie E. Glennic had a pass of three Bs allfl t'·'O Cs. I met the father of this little girl last 'reek and he assured me that ~he had not yet recelYccl an appoinbnent in thP Pdncation.d servicf~. nor had she been called up for co11~idC>ration or rejected on any ground:-;; vYhateYC'l' such as physical cli~abilit:"~· or personal di~qualiflcations. It 1nust

be obvious to lion. members that this lad Cutllbcl·t. '"a'· pitchforkccl into the educa, tional senice over and above :Y1iss Glennie, IYho had a feel' superior pass.

I haw a letter from Miss Olive Schmiclt. :\lonnt Syhia. Miss Schmidt says-

" Tt has come to my knowledge that ,, vouth named Jamcs Cuthbert of Ips,;,ich. who secured only five Cs in the senior. has been appointed to the Hopelc,v State School, which is close to my home. I cannot understand how anyone with a lo\Yer pa·::, than rny own ,hould have been giYen preference to me as I have always understood that appoinhnents are n1ade in order of n1erit.

"Also, I hove been told that Kathleen I\:cnll~\ forrncrly of Laidlcy, \vho failed in the senior exaHiination of 1932. was giYen a pO'liticn last year. If this is so, the order of appointnllnt is entirclv wtfail'. lt doe:-; not C11couragc one tO 1-ry for a l1iglwr pa~s, ~o I arn writing 10 yon to find out \\ LPther you kno\v anything of thP rnatter. ''

sent tlwt letter to the Director of Education and l:ncler Secretary with the following con_nng letter:-

.. 1 urn attaching hereto an irnportant letter \Yhich I received from :Miss Olive Schmidt, of Mount SvlYia via Gatton 'Yhich ;;;peaks for itself. ' '

"I shall be dad to have vour views on the rnatter.'' ~

Tlw Director of Education replied-" In reference to j-our frequent repre

sentations in favour of the appointment of i\Iic' Olive \V. Schmidt to the Teachc•rs' Training Colleo·e I re"ret that up-to-date, it has been to~nd i~1possibl~ to place her. The percentages she sc·cured in the subjects of the Senior Exa1nination do 11ot encouruge her to hope for a place.

" I regret Ycrv much that so many candidatc3 haYe "better pas~es that vve have foLmcl it impossible to do anything for ::Vliss Schmidt."

:I is, Schmidt,. for 'vhom nothing could be done, recciycd <1 pa.ss of six Cs, which, at least, \Yao ono C better than the lad Cuthbert \Yho was appointed to Ropcley school, 'cry dose to the lwille of the Schmidts. SurPly, iu a case like that. it was desirable to appoint thi::; girl who W..LS residing close to the school, so that there \Vould be no expense to the department~ The girl had l'CCClYcd a ,,_upenor pass to the boy who had been nppointcd. There must be some reason for thu~c things. I can come to no other conclusion than that political infiucnce has bL ._'n at work in tbis respect.

The St.<.:RETARY FOR PuBLIC LANDS: You \verc 11ot using political influence \Yhcn you were working for ::Vliss Schmidt.

:\h. :\L~HER: Only to the extent that ,he wa~ entitled to appointment bv the Htct·it of llPr pa~s. The ~linister \Yi)l not be able to indicate to this Committee that I haYo a~ 1\:ccl for anv concessions or favours for candidates in this electorate ,,Jw ,yere n:::;_.;ucccssful in these exa1ninations. I certainly mitde rcpre,cntatiom on behalf of scores of young people \Y ho were successful, rut inYariably I haYC to be content with tltc clcpartmci1tal n'p1y, tlw,t js, if thP ]HISS

is of sufficjcnt merit an appointn1ent \Yill be ~·1Ye11. !]ere is a case whe1·e h'"o girl~, \vho

J!r. Jlahcr.]

10±8 Supply. [ASSE:iiBLY.] Supply.

in that exarn ination, ha vc to lllC·. Th' p·_ue 1'l"- h:···n

aHd are verv bitter about beratLC girls. who haYC. been diligent in their

stLidics au:J got a better pass in the senior than tbc candidate appoiHted.

aLle to ~ccurC' po.~itions in although opportunity has

llftving lower n1crit in r<~wltc. :\"ot one ofticcr of the

dPpartnlclll can justify it. The ~lini::Jter rn nnot. I do not kno'y it has

done'. \\rhat Cllcouragcrnent there i.o .voung pCOj}le \Yho are full of confidence aud fai1h in our COlllpctitive cs..::uuination ~\ -1-ern wheu t1w:; find after haYing set ured

tlJat a:JPfars to tlw;~l to be · ati~a nd moi·c or Jc,s l'll.titlcs th('lll to a in the tt:•aching scn~icc, that som0-

o:l~~ u;uch loYver doYnl on the list has been

into

into a position? Such .cli~~cri1n~ a blow at our ''hole c01n~

sv,-tcrn and uuclcnni1W'l dcpa.rlincnt. Fu1·thcnnorc,

. ite-r i.~ YPntilated in this ColYlus a F<ttis

dcal of cxi:J~

tPa('hers, and Slt11ng for the;;p

hecau-.,e thcv pla~-inSJ: a big. 1 hP education

ol>tair jn the cornnciition -xist~ for

' apl~JiHUneuL ls - -·"""'d by tbn ~uJCt friend:--. ;;;o

t;nch:l ~lU~HlaLle that tlH:--::e 1vrite to 1ne and coin-

have di:::.crirn1nat"·d politi,-:a] lH'C"

stud.v, aud and

i!JYid1o ·,s pc -ition >omcboch who ha

~ tbcir

th2 people f!ucl a certain the~e thing~ arc happening. I

bring forward ilH' 111 tt~'r in thP public ii!tN<''t and hupc tl>at if i-t has h~llJJ!f'!H'd in gunra11iPe \vill iw gi,·en ou b•' tltc ~\lin1~tPr

th·' ·enior and junior r·•:·tmin::ttions nH·r~t 1vjll gei jj·-:,

:uP reward.

=\Ir. 1)) .. :\TI!·~L rl\.t;JJll i2_2d ·:n.-1· Lea nil:· end or-;~ th _, "r·('llHtrk:3 of the hon.

for l\T <ll'anoa cnn<.'erniug c:Juutry in f<1ct. T al..:;o ri~0 to Ycnt1latc a

cone~·rnill.!l.' rr :::ehool in lllY owu Thr follovviug ](•ttc-r, 1Yi1ich l

re, ,;,·cri fron, :\Ir .. J. M. Fletchcr, of the ·ncl:-: Local Producers' ..:.\ ociation. for it-elf:-

'·The abon~ L.P.A. has taken the HFtl-ter of tlw <"1o:'ing of the Fa.rada~,' :-:clJOol np, and I \'\'as jn~trnctcd to ask \·on to continuC' your effort~ on cnr llfehalf.

'· I mn sending ::on a <- 01)\ of a letter I ha\'e written to the Director of Eduu· tion on the nlattf'r. I canPot nndL'r't11HI ilwir clcf'i,ion tD ,!Jift ihe echool \Yithout giYing- lH \Yarning·. lmt ::;:p- 1ngthat VYC1 can n 1 n-=ter cighh•cn now of age

[Mr. Maker.

:·nd twclYe c·oming q;:, t!: ~ ctPpaitlTICllt rnay :::;cc it:-'1 way io 1 <'O[.Cfl the school Of course i.hc clcpartlllent cannot be blanwd for it~ decision. It was up to us to produc~ iJr t.;:(.._.cpillg' the ~dH1ol b:re a1lcl I ;\ o 1 l':e been able to do so.''

I ncul not read tfw leitcr which l :out to clej_Jartntellt iu re:-~pect of that rn<ltlt:r,

it is kno\\'D io the dt'partnHHltal uffir .·r..,, lmt l take the opportunity to (1uotr: the following lC'tter, dated 28th instant. frora tl!C Dep;lrtrnpnt of PulJlic In::::truction:-

" \Vith rPff·rcnco to your repreb :ucations in the rnattPr of the retcntioll of till: Fnradny school building at lands, I would liko to poi11t out

scl1ool in question has been df•<;t.'d October, 1932, n ncl that, ao lute

a:~ J unc last, the reopeniug of the .~chool r·eceivc:d coesidcration, but was llOt

appro,-ed, as ihr~ pro;pectiyc e11l'ohnr·!L \\·a~ insufficic.•nt to warrant tiUCh n:olHY· in g.

It is noted that eighteen children arc llO\V hstcd as Inicuding pupil:-, of tb:- ~chool in the OY{'!;t of it3 n•taiurd aJld reopeuecl: )JOilltecl out that, of these ::<'YC!l re: ide at a di:-.tan~:P le .. _.., 1 Lar1

!.llilc;:, InHn the ,choolJ Hnd of seven, onl_y tYro rc-;icle .,1t

of lc'-''1 than one nnd <L-ha Jt the school; further, of the -en'-:-1 re:-.ide three and and a-half 1nllcs fro1n the

" ln Yiew of the lm1tr the :;..chool has l~ 'll

fact. that the rcn1oval of dccldcd upoll a:'l a n:con!Ule!Idation (Ji the

Hl pcctor, at1c.l teud(;r lL3

lw· lH'P11 nct·eptt:d hv \\~ork~ DcpaTLruent. it i~ regrt't',~;'r

th~t the dccioion that tho -cl10ol at )Je rcopcw.:cl n1w~t l J. ihat tho fC(JUe . .;:.t that 1ng- nllo\\·cd to rcn1air; <> .. t calliiOt ha gra11tcd."'

I klJO\Y tho- DcpartnH'nt of PulJlic ln"-Lrur;tioll has donQ ruuch for this Jnattt':i' of education. and jt i:"5 knon·Jerlgc that I apiH al to the to v itlH.lraw UH.: call fo1· tender·· of the Fara,chv '-cltool

allo,,: tla; ~z;hool lo build a llC'Y

th(o fact that ~-OillC cbildrr-n the fSchool ]::.; no ~Tt nt I haYo kno\~11 ehlldreu \\hO to school.

I con::-,id('l' that nlOrP con~idcration .should be gi,·cn to tho education of cl!ilclren liYing J n the countrv. A 1l GoYennn cnts in tralia urge pCople to go on the land do hnn. n1cmbers think that if cneout·an·({nrent ic.:. nC"t giYcn in tho rnattcr of cd~cation PD rt'nb "\Ylt h prohabl_y six or _f.ie\-en children ':ill do ilw pion~P1·ing work that is yet io be UoJ;(l? Their fir:o-;t considcratiou is their children' "\Yclfa1·c and education. and it. is

thct the children in s-onw of tho haYc not the !'clucational oppor

nre dcsirablu. The department is to he connncnded for the institution of COJ'l't'spondr;nce 'chools, whi(:h are prm-iding opportuniticJ of cduc"tion to manv children in country areas, but a moth,r 1\'llo has not rcceiYccl any education is not able to teach

Supply. [30 0CTOBEIL] Supply. 1049

her r lJi1dn~n; and in cmne cases 'vhere ~he lwo that abilitv 'lw is too Lusv in the cowyard in til<-' r;1orning~ to do So. Iu Inany caseo PYCn the children are helping her. I a~k the~ l\linlster to extend cverv consideration to these people in the country areas and a ~1~t thetn 1vhcncyer it is possible to do so.

\nother matter which I desire to bring before the notice of the 1\Iinister is the condition o£,tho grounds at the Xcrimbcra State School. which Jo not reflect credit on the !JPl'SOI! vYho chose the site, because it IS

almost tl·· rough as a quarry area. As chairJnan of th'-' local authorhies association I haYo Pndeasoured to secure the services of relief ·\yorkcrs to rcn1oYo the boulders and provide snfficicnt space for the children to play ln, v ud I recently rcc(•i--.-cd a lc·tter from the department stating that \Ye must not allow rc-lil'f \C·orkers to work in the school grounds without the pcrmi;,sion of the de pm tmc'nt. The follo\\ing letter \YHS

~·ecei ·. ed in reply to a reque~t 1nade by 1110 111 rL,:Htrd to the ;)chool grounds:-

•· YY.it !t tt>fcrence to your rcprc,_entalio"' rebi ;,." to the desire of the sclrool lOdltuittcc· nt ~crirnl1era that imprOYC'!JH'lJt~ bC' effected in tho school grounds, I ha YC to in forrn yvn that, in vic·w of the smail attendance (enrolment 15 ancl

to,

12.7 for September last) and likely to br incurred in leYclling

jt; is rPgTcttecl that the "' rL'CJLie::;t ca~-1not be acceded

has c.dYisecl area at the lmck

which has Leeu cleared of brJuld('r~. alld i:-; lnrg·c cuough for a playground."

l do :not D~~Tf.· \\lth the in:-,ncrtor. If he \\Cl"_' :1 n·<l"olu~hle 111an he \Youiclnot saY that tlJ.·:\• "'<:- ·~ufi1C'ient SlHlCC :Jt, that sclJOOl for ;t j'l<!_'·~round. The :-pace he• 1ncntions i.-; not a-; lur; .. ::f' a;-; a lc>llllls coun. and l do not think ~UI_YOilC \;ould cmlicncl that a tcnlli:-)

,:.,

\\O'!i 1 he ufficicut few a children·~

l H r1]1eal iO the tO giYe t·on~1dC'ration io n::qucst

l:c,J:aif of thC' sd10oL j..; ·not in of incurring

i11 tlH~ lcYc1lin2" the cm~:""lider

school }11{'(·0 of ground. I feel sure that

ha:-; considt•ration for the counbut 1 a.prwat to hirn to .sho·w n1orc

If hf' knc\v Ihe eo·1ntr~' pPople [ do he wcnld rcCLdily do so.

:IJL WfT.LL,:\1~ (l'ort ('c rtis) [2,35 ]L

I~··fo~·" add lll,y~elf to the Yotc• d};;;~:J:· -..ion. J·p to r·ou(rratulnu· tlw ).fin1~t(';· tf; p~y n. tritmt~ to hiu~ and h·~ oOi :c,_l"'i the~ ...-ery nlc:.ritoriou!' •sork

h<J\·c· r.r.-cot1Jll1ish::d during tlH• f',.~t ,.·c··n. d ... jr· io a h·ibnte t.o the tew'ht·~'~

w· tbe PfficiPT!t manner in '' h1ch tLc\ lla.Ye carried ouL tlwir yarion.:; dutl0~. prtd. icttJarly during tho la:-t year. .\, :rn I am familiar \viih the \York of aPd inspector~. I kno"'>Y it Y<'F arclnoll'. and thov <U'l' confronted

IEany difiicu]tie-. i al,,o wi::;h to C'""~ n ,;;3 n-;y of t.he excellent t Y!1C

of H' lwoi · thnt 1:-:; lwint~ prccted ni i11t' prPi'P_nr nPH'. The ~chnol l~uilclin_g Jll'O-gr:lHtHH' 1" Cllrrlcd out by thf' Dcll:-tl"t-wcnt of \Yor].:;;; aecordlnp- to th(' clc,irP, nf iht' Sc:,rct ·r~· for Public In,tnwli·,t:. 'l'ilt' (j(~i~:j o': 1\tlilclilt.!...r [..; ]!ai"t~( .l-

larly fill('. bC>ing C'Oll:-;tr~letrd Y\·irh P y]cvv to cornfort. good lighting. and Ycn1ilatio11. Th0 nwttcr of tl1r cnla.!'~t ~!Jf'':t of 'OHh..'

of the schools, particularly those in the centl'cs shJwiuv progress, has not been lost 'ight of. Without wishing to infer that the tf 'lchers or police officer~ who are in control of the attendance at State schools are not doing their work. I might moHtion that there a.ro instance.". \YherC' the regularity of the n1tl•ndan("o of children at to\vll and countrv r,d10ols is uor as good as it n1ight he. I-Io\V'en•r. that matter is oue not eon'rt•d bv this Yolc, ,

Poth ,-ocational and rnral schools haye been touched on by a nuruber of hou. n1clnbel·s, and I \vish to say that tJO much :;:trcs<:>, ca11nut be luid on du:.' fact that lJoth classes of chool a1·c [H.•rf<Jrruing a great work for the StatP. I contend that eycn· district :,houlcl pos:-;ess eitllCl' a rural S{'h0o1) ...-ocat ioHal, or high school. C11fortunately the district that I repn''ent in this Committee has nc1thcr yet, a11d it sho\\·s so n1uch agricultural activity that it really should be supplied ,,-ith an establishment of each class. :;\lonnt Lnrcon1 is one of tlw oldest e~tabli::;hed an as in the Port Curt is district. and a woudurful opportunity exi~ts tllcre for tl1e establishment of a ,·ocational schJol. The L~pJlCr Bun:f'tt i~ one of the: cmuparatiYely ne1dv ~": ~lrd a.rPa"-. ar>:l the· re al:so i~ a wonderful opportunity for the <'stablishl>Jont of a l"l!l'<ll ~chool. The pro· poets for the (''-ta1lish.t:cnt .-. f a. hi(..::h ;-;c-hoo1 at Cladf:tone DlllJt:lr to 1Jc Hluch IH.·arer r, ~lli~atinu than tltey haYP L('C'll for a lo11g time. \Yjth the c""i.abli:'.lnnci!t of a yor TLimwl :-.chool at ::\lounr Larccnn. n n1ral .school in the l~llper 'J~un~ctt alJd n hi!.th ~chool at Clad:stcmc the district \Y. uld b.•' weli equipped \Yith t1w lll('an~ of :;:...cOlHlar ,- Pdncation.

Ano!h0r (;nc-:tion to \Yhidt l·mJ:-ideratioD u1ight be g·l;en i:-: th~' PxlC'nsion of dt>ntal <l ncl n1edical <·n·ic" to the ~c1JCH ~~lllH' -di~l<:ltH'f' f1·mn rai]\,.rt.\':--.

lHlClPr tlu• ]1~_ ·-:c1ilJ~.t .of ( n1 Jt:.!.: n1y it b:::cr~c-c

~0011 <t" fuJH1s 11n' t!Yi.l

bP extci!deJ. Tlw ~"r;ntr fn•p to 5 ·herd <. hild~·(•n i~ al:-o tl

l'i~d1t dir<'{."tioll.

cOll1lllC'l1t h;-ts bPeit llHtdc ,en

of ~cr·ond :r"· ec1nc ,tion alld of thP 1~ni...-~r~ity junior :-:tandanL

The Rn·. \Y. P. F. Moni<. hen cl mnstcr of the Chnrch of En~da11cl Cranur: tr tv;;eni\·-sC''::'OlHl · l"PlKllt. at tiCJil of prizt•s at . "honl. hnrl thi< to

" Thtse ls n cle 1n: lll I'" _'tai,n q1.~art~·r~ to baYC' the uf lllt' tJUlllO.!" Public E"'\::alninntion I do not tl1lnk it ~~hou]d he done. thiu]\ that priina1·y ~chool "\YOrk should be to fit n1ore closPlv :-.ccondar-~ y;ork. \\' c~ ni1n rl t in our o'\Yl1 pn;-paratory schooL and .\Vl' ha Ye 1hreP gradein the nHtjn ~chool before· the~ junior; but- bo· :-; come to n:o; frmu the State schools 'who arc P"Xpedecl to n·ach junior ~tandard t\YO later. \YhuJ. thcv ha YC 1111.1 de a. ',,·ith four onlv oUt of tPn Eccondnry sclJOol ~uhjt>ct3.~ ::\ly arh·icf'. tlH)rcf.JrC

1 1~ lJOt lo }O\Yf'l' r l1e

~tandard of thP .Junior Public Exan1ina:1on, hut to s0nd hoy~ c'ar1ier to a ~ecOitct1ry school.''

Jlr. Williams.]

1050 Supply. [ASSE'\IBL Y.] Supply.

I a •n m accord with his vie" c. that it 1·

a matter that can be yerv >Yell left as it " at the present time. •

During his speech at the opening of the recent Bcen]ei gh show the ex-Secretary for Public Instruction. the hon. member f.or Logan, said that in his opinion too much rnoney was being spent on secondary education, and if a good deal of that money were used for the further devdoprnent of agricultural, rural, and Yocational education it would be more wisely spent, for Queensland would then be fitting its boys and girls to the cm·ironment t.hey would occupy when they Y> ere men and women. Secondary school education. he said. led to stiff-collar jobs that did not exist and bovs found thcrnselves in a blind alle•·. l-Ie ~vent on to my in support of the value of rural schools that they did much to induce young people to go on the land. It is pleasing to have that from the hon. member who once •occupied the position of Secretary for Public In•-truction. That goes to show that education and tl'aining are Yery very necessary in a young conntrv ~uch as this, and that 'vc are proceeding along the right lines by proYiding the ,y~tmn of secondary school training that >Ye haYe at the present time.

I might refer hero to the utterance by John Ruskin, who once said-

" Crime. small and great. can only truly be stayed b3. education-not the education of the intellect only, which Is on ~0111e ruen ·wasted. <.lnd for others rnischiP\~Ou'..:;-but cducntion of the heart. which is alike good and necessary for alL"

On anoi-her occasion Ru~kin :wid-" Education does not n1ran teacLing

peonle to know what they do not know; it means teaching them to belutYe as they do not beha.-c. It is not tl'aching youth the shape.o of letters and tlw tricks of numbers, and then leaYing them to turn their arjthtnetic tu roguery and their litcratur<' to lust. It is. on the contrar:vJ training them into thP perfect cxt•rcise and kingly continence of their bodies and <;:.Ouls, by kindnes::;, by watching. by warning. by precept, and by praise--hut, aboYo all, by example."

Dealing- with tfw subj(•ct of education, really as it exists to-day. E:mcrson said-

" The responsibility for the future rcst.s >vith our educators. Education ::hould be as broad as man. And, conYer~eh,_. nHtn should be as broad as bis educniion.''

Mr .. J. T. Hcadlcy wrns up the objects of true C{lncation as-

" The a\vakcning of our bLst sylnpathieii, ilw cultiYation of our be,t nncl puroot tastes, strengthening the desire to be uscft!l and good, and directing youthful ambition to unselfish ends."

It was pleasing for the people to observe in lhe Brisbane press recently that the department has a plan for the establishment of a practising school for the use of country h~Qcher:-;. In rnaking this announcement at 1 he time the Director of Education, Mr. :\IcKenna said-

" Trainee; from the Teachers' Training College will be afforded an opportunity of facing the problems which confront a 2' oung teacher -wbo is sent out to a far distant country district in sole

[Mr. Williams.

chargc of a school with fom· or five diffL'rCllt <Yradcs of scholars. The trainees, ir~ turn, will be required to conduct the school. They will have to allot the pupih to different classe·', draw up prog-ram1nes of work, etc.

"At the Ascot school the head leacher (:\Ir. T. Hend0rson) has sought to interest his pupils in country aY,Jcations by establishing a miniature poultry farm, \Yhich is conduct.0d by the boys themselves. also plots of various kinds of fodder crops. The trainees will thus be afforded an opportunity of gaining some knowleclo-e of rural matters before proceeding 'to country districts."

Tha.t is a highlv commendable and a highly desirable step." The department is to be coiHtratulatf:'d on ib forethought and upon its IJlan to establish this practice school.

In ccnclusion, I wish to congratulate the l\Iinistpr and his off]cers, Inspectors, and leachers upon the splendid way in which thcv have carried out their duties during the" past tweh~e months.

Mr. T07,ER (Gym pie) [2.45 p.m.l: I am sme it is admitted on all sides that the Dcpartmc'nt of Public Instruction is doing ,-ery good work throughout the State. T~e urnount asked for this year is £61,452 m ex:cc~s of tbt' a.n1ount appropriated last year, the bulk of it being required for primary ~choo1s. for hc::tcl teachers1 assistants, and pupil t'cadwrs. I ha>·e no objection to those ii:crt'a'<'~ in salarie", but I "hou1d like to :--- ·e a llttlt• rnore money spent on the construction of schools in countr\· di~tricL3. \V c recognise that the school buildings in cities and large towns are far superior to country .. chool buildiw,s, and the smaller the building· the woTse appears to be its t,vpe. Of course, I admit that the school buildings llo\V being construci0d in the country are an i1nproven1cnt ou tho school buildings constructed n1any years ago; but at the present iin1e, \vhcn so rnuch loan ruoncy i~ available. some of the money could well be dcYoted to the imprm·ernent of a number of country schools. I have in mind a request from thp people ill the Gla,tonbury district to the department for a new school. I under· stund that in the summer time the overCl'O\Ycling in this school is n1ost obnoxious, both to teachers and children; lmto unfor· tunately, the qucc;tion of proYiding a new school has been held in abevanco. Xow that there is arnplc loan mon~y aYailabh~: the Go,·ernment should decide to spend a little of it in country districts. particularly ·where new schools are absolutely required. I ask ihe Minister not to hold the building of this scl1ool in ab<Fance. bqt to stretch a point and not spend so rnuch rnoncv in the citv in the face of the urgent need for its expe~ndituro in the country.

The people in the eitic \YOt:lcl not ~Ltnd for ihe conditions that arc imposed on the people in the country. It is only Lecausc the people in tbo~c country districts a re so scattered that they are unable to n1ake a combined reprCft n'tation and n1ake themseh·c, felt, a". do the people in the cities.

It is a hardship to require parents in a district who need a provisional school to find the :and and erect the building. Certainh· the inspector visits the district, :nspecb the proposed site, and inquirfs as


to the possibilities in so far as the attendance is concerned. If he decides that the pro~peci~ do not warrallt iho construction of a school it is not fair that the department shoultl imist that if the parents still dpsire the school thev should erect it themselves. For the most part those people are in poor circumstances. They are battling along and cndeavourjng to push on with our rural development. In some instances they are scrub "ettlers untlertaking that felling of .scrub \vhich precedes settlement. They ban not the facilities for educating their chilclren that other districts have. It seems a hardship to sa~- to them, "You must put up your own school." I admit they may not ha n• the nurnbnr of children required Ly tlw departnwnt Lefore a school is procPcclecl \rith. I know of one instance lately where the people "·ore so sanguine about lhe possibilities of the district and of the po~f'i L1ilities of the increa.scd number of children that they decided to erect the school themseh·cs. ·Thcv found the land and proceeded to erect the building. The departlJl<'ltt proYided the~ plans, but it took such a long tilllc to forward those plans that the building \',as commenced without them. 1

f'1W pal'Pllt:-; could llot have ornbarkcd Oll

t!1e proi<'ct had it not been for the admira~IP spirit displayed by one of the srtw;nillcrs ill the district, who offered to erect tlw "chool and allow the people to repay him as thev could afford to do so. That f-clwo: j:-: nOw vvell on the \.Y<JV. I undcrf;tnnd that nJ(~ attC>ndanco in the new year will be· mflicient to meet the requirements of the clP]1artmcnt for the establishment of a Smw school. The parents have levelled off ti1c· schcul grounds and put them in flr:<-t !a~:'-i order. They have a good school, .._tnd, .i11 c:ddition to improYing the surround-

lun·c erected a bush-house. All that lw:; bPen done at thPir own expense,

and i:!![JOSC''4 a hardship on them.

_.:\liOtlH'l' instanre is the _._4.n1amoor State fon·•c. ,\n application for the establishllluJ1 of a pruvisional school \Yas turned do·.'.-n lwcau~c another school exists 1vithin a di>tal!ce of i!,-e miles of the site proposed fol' Lhc ::-,chool. L-:-nfortunately, a creek nlll'' lrt· <'<'ll the school a11d the settlement, ;_~Jtd d (·t•rtain tinws of ihc year i uncrossnblc. \Yhrn the children are aLle io cross it the~· 111u~t IYalk acro,...; a log which has d1 p 1Yat1· runuing Ul",derneath it. Smne pa1 Cllr btrOlJgly object to their children {TO i.:g thi::o u·eck) because of the ri~lc lt '"" ],c ~"id that cvCl"v child should learn to wu11. )lost of then~ do so, but the best cf swiu1H:e1 nlf!C~ "\Yith accidents. It is Le{ tn~c of this dangPl'Olu creek, which had to be cro,, eel daily by tho children, that lht' agitation for a school at Amarnoor State fun_•,..t aro::'e. In thc-H: ca~os the parents arc < CHJ)ldhl to fillcl £100, £150, to £201 to build the <d1ooi housPe. The principle is i\'!'O!l~.t, t>""pecially IYht~n \VC c·Jnsidcr the tl.JOlJ.:<Jl:(l·· o: podnd th .t Ul'(' ~~} 1 ~ i11 t!L cit.'.

Approrriatim1 is 1nallc on the Estin1atcs for an additional b·enty-oight teachers. Pn ...;n111aLly a::3 the State progresses additional tc must be provided. I am pn r,icu: a rly pleaspcl to notice the growth of thr· home projc•ct clubs, \Yhose nnmber Jto••· totals 280. I ohould likP to sec this nurnbc·r con·.idcrnbl~' increased, because these c1ub~ do rnuch good \York. Thoy encourage tlw c],i]clren. antl teach them to take an jnterc~t in Yarious ::ubjects. The , parents,

al<o, take an interest in the working' of the club. and the combined interest proves of lllaterial ac.sistance to the school.

J\Iore rural schools should be established. Iu addition to the 11rirnary education rccei,·od by a child in the State schools the rural school teaches further subjects. A number of young girls growing up desire to be taught cooking and "'wmg-we come across instances where that knowledge IS

not possessed. Girls who pass through our rural schools are better equipped to go out into the world and cope with what is required of them than if their knowledge was limited to the instruction received jn ordinan- State schools. I should like to sec an "extension of the rural school facilities. in respect of which the v-ote has been increased onlv bv £360.

I trust tha.t ":hen the Minister receives npp:;, .ttions from country schools for the nrovision of a. paddock for the horsf·3 of the :-hildrPn who ride to school, the hon. gentlelnan \Yi11 realise the necessity of acceding. to tlte~c request:. Another 1natter to \VhiCh aitcntiun 1night a-lso be givCI~ jn respect of ,-ountr·.- ·choob is the pronswn of playsl1ccl~ ~for in country districts the absence n.f these facilities Is a hardship to the pupik The country school is usually built on high blocks, aud the pup1ls can find >-hc·ltc•r from tl1c ,:ements, but \vhat IS really reouil'cd i:-~ a \YC'athcr-proof playshcd such '" ·is proYidcd in mo•,t of the schools in the ( ity.

Anctbei' point \Yhict 1nu:-..t l,e CJllp_lw·i:-:.e~l j-.; tin=- cunditinll ti1at ex1f-'b at c:t ;o!:-- \Y.itll 90 or 100 where only t\YO teachers arc a' a!ld th-:: pupiL a~·e

1

a-:ccn1,lllO-Lhtt:d in thrc, roo;n~. l 11ot KIJOY< JJO\Y

rr·1~· h cl1er can ~net •· uwn:1ge t;yo cia . ..;~ roou1 ., a11d tlrirll..: 1 hn·c· tonc}JPi'S :-;llould lH• pru\ id(·d. TlH• L \"':' h.:_n L' in lllillc! i tb, t of rht' ~[o;d,;_l:lJJd 1"'-cllodl. ,, hich at one till!c had 700 I feel ~urc that the pt-r'-cnt ahcnc!alllT oi lOO v•:ill illcrca~c· !Jl'~'all":'L' the :.\lodld-· 'H1 ~tr<.'a I.:'

con1i.Lig 10 rhe fore' ~ g 'l:1. The c ~lltl':t l ~c]wr 1 for : OYcl

Gy.!.ll]lil' ~l!"t.: lnih: 011 \le' ~ practica1lv no \York ha~ br.cn o!l' the h{ncl ) tllat a cricke-t La 11 field t:c

ncl g·i!.'l-.. iu ridf!.c-~ .. a11d 10 to ]eye]

or foottii<'

a~".i~t8.llll' of t.,l' p<ll'l'iit-... a tL'lJ;!i" c-ou::t ll;t;-;

lwcn con· rt"ic~·cd. but \rhL'll o;J(• . 1

ihu wm:;.c1erfulh· fu1c proY;Lklt 111 th2 ritic ~!llt ( ctil \"'.·i~·:.ft d1 •t the• Utlll(~ irnJHOYl'lll(;lll-- \YPn1 , ted in the l "lll lport the l"(T:1al'k. . .

rc·nrc:~cnt cuu.ntry con~tthH'JE..1C". 1n co;Ic1n::-ion ('),_pH'~ .... the hope• tlu.L iG1jH'OYt""'·

lll('lit:-' v:ill b~· t·f['pr·H'd to Jl!:ll"(•' old :->chool LnildiJJg·.:;.

~\Ir. R. ~1. KI:\G (Lagan) [2.57 p.m.]: It \Ya~ not IllY intention to svcak on this \'Oh: until th(' uhon. mcrnbcr for Port Cnrti:., rnadc reference to the ren1arks I n1ade at the opening of the Becnlcigh show. I adhen• to what I said on that occasion. I haYc had n1a.ll\' coHYcrsntlons with Mr. HcKenna, the Direcim of Education, and \\·ith J\Ir. Ston-, Public SerYice Commissioner, rcgardinCJ on;, cdue:atioJlal s~;.7 stcn1 and the part that rural education plays therein. I pay a trilm.tc to the teachCl'S \Yho carry out our educational work: but I pay a ::;p~cial tribute to ihe wurk carried out m rural and Yoration.al school~, where e~\.ccllent \rurk enabling the State to rea.p very

resucts. ~\ly trouble about the

1}11'. E. M. King.]

1052 Supply. [ASSDIBLY.] Supply.

odueational :-.vsteill at the present i.in1e is to know ,,.Jwtlwr the large amouut we pay for scrondnrv education ac:hicyc" tho object which v;c ruO~t eant('Stlv dusire. I ha>:e very seriou:-5 doubts a,:; to wh.ctbcr \ve arc proceeding on the right liues, and those doubts are increased when I read the reports of the Director of Education and the Public Service Con1n1issioner. The latter points out how young ptoplc who pass the necessary cxan1ination nre looking for jobs and cannot iind them.

I do not think it would be out of place at this moment if l quoted ilw remarks of the Public Service Connnis.c,ioucr at page 19 of his rqJOrt :-

'·One Yiews IYith dread each Year the re:'{ults of the pnblic cxa1ninatim;s; tho~0 exa1ninatiou~ opc11 the flood gates and the applications pour in; parlianlCiltarinn::~, a::~ \Yell as officials <ll"e caugl1t in the vortex. Ten State s~rvicc vacall-

""1 ere declared in connection with last junior e"\arnination; there Vh~n.:

580 applicanb, and 497 obtai!lcd 50 per ('Cllt. of n1arks or o\·cr. Ten vacancies "\Yl'l"l' dcclareU_ for clerk t_ypists; there w<•rc 220 entncs and 201 of the apple· <;;wts obtained 50 per cent. of marks or m·cr. \pproximatelv 250 se!lior ccrtiliC<.lte-Loldc•r::, are reg1ster0cl for ernplovnlPllt, a11d there are, in all, not les"' th:ln 2.000 applicauts for cmplo:. ment in the ;-;ect:ton of the State scrvicf' under Hlv

juri:-dictioii. Thc~e facts dernonstrate th~ grca t ::crionsncss of ihf~ po:::~ition. The concern i . .- :;;till further illtPnsif.ied bv th~~ di~incliuation of rnany bo.T·s to 1jrOcced to positions in the <.ountrv and the re1ndance of their parents to pcnnit thCin to leaYc home. The allurc' of the c:itv grow2 111agically; cntortajncrs vie with entertainers in providing supcr-attractiolls, The artificial pleasure;-, of the to1.vn are not fonnd in t.hc countl'v; and the routine life of the farm \\:'ith il, round of chores and up~ ancl do\YlJS. lacks the attraction of a Urcat ~\dycnture: crcatn ls not -<:L::,:;ociatcd 1-rit h doubloon~. nor 1nilk with pic>ct's of eight. ·Y0~ tJJe rncrino fleece, if not the pig, helps to pay the Amtralian rent. The ~0\Yll:::; depend largPly upon the country; 1£. tho country 't.1gnates the stagnation \V~ll react upon the cities, and the cities '"·tll perforce~ be co1nnelled in their 01vn intcn.:sts to find wcivs alld rneans of balancing. in klntl, cmirl ition:s as benY(~C'n city and country. And, th• c1t\· ~.-dlnre llot·-.-il'h::-.tandiug. there an' nutllv compensating ach·antages in the courltry."

'Thai iuclicrtV that the Public Se-rvice Corntnis~ioncr ha given serions consideration to the po- it-iou that '"ill result fronJ our _s\-dClll of education. V

I ,hould also like to quote from the r.:-·mark:;: n1aclt~ by }ir. }IciCc•r:ua. the Dirl'ctor of Eduention, at page 22 of the rPport of tlu'! Sf'crptary for Pnblic In~truction :-

" In a young State like our:-, ·with huc,o natnral n.'::-ource.-:, rnarn· of IYhich are unde\·clopc0. or only pa1:t.inlly developed, tbc need 1s for prodncerE;, whilo the trend of much of our sceondarv education is to turn ont r0cord rrs. IIa~d trh.injnn· is negleetccL Pupih ;ue ruslwd along th~ narro_vvc:::t ncadc-n11c path \Yhieh g-ive~ prom:sc to lead them into a ' stiff-collar· job. and. too often. when thl~ end of the

[!J!r. R. :11. King.

road is reached, they find themselves in a blind 'Llloy, for the jobs arc not there. Trul v, the system could with great adva'ntagc be le'S hookish, and should aim more at fitting the pupil to his cm·ironmcnt. giYing fa<:ility to meet practical situations, and givjng opportunity to dovelov along li11e . .;; of greatest natmal aptitude. ·while culture cannot be sacrificed on the altar of practical and technical expediency, it sbould not dominate the curriculum to the detri-1l1ent of accon1pli::.:lunents f__Sscnt.ial to the pioneer and to our f50cial and industrial life. \Y c eau not go on facing tlw L'conornic, iudu::;trial, and social problems of the future with the mmc sort of fJducatioual equipr11ent as existed thirty or forty years ago. \Vhile ' 1nan does 11ot linJ by bread alone,' it i, found that pupils take new intcr<'st in their ~rhool v.-ork when they reali,e that it helps tJL'lll to prepare for their future caror•rs. HetJce. in onr State schools we ue placing increa,~('d on1phnsi~ on practical \vork -on club 1-rork, ag-ricultural work, r-ural ,-chools. and the trainin[i afforded by technical schools and collf'~e~."

It app('aJ'::) to n1e that we art~ spending a r reuH'ndou:-:; muount of rnonev on the ~clJOlar~hip ~y':ltcrn merely to giYe .an acad('nlic L'·ducati'llL I do not desire t·) lw a1isunder~ ~toad. arn 11ot cornplainiug al1out tho .liOl1f'~" being ~11cnt on :K~holari'hip~.

..:-\ Go\-EB.~.:\!EKT ~1£.:\IBER: \Yiu~t "i'e yon 3a:. in~·.·

~I1·. R. ~I. I{T~G: I an1 ~uggc, t.ing to hOJl. lucmb r.) h w the scho ar-;JlJ h ou!.!,·l,t to be a\':anlcl. The point i:'l th<lt we are pay1ng scLolarship fees to pupil:' attending g!·an1n1ar schools and HlJ}!!'ovcd secondary scho-Jls for an acadPJnlc education. That i, all right. I hal'e not ihe slight< 't objection to it; but they arc there getting a -ecoudary education which. it appr~tr~ tu n1e. i.;.; going to be beneficial in only a j

'l~hat. has bPon .l1?intcd out, b~ 1

ScrYI(:C COlllllll~SIOner. rrnou~·ntlCt:'1 of boys arc~ rocPiYing .a .~econdary cducn.tion in classics. .dead language'", and adn1nccd 1nathen1atics, allcl for what. end? \Yhcre is it going to lead then1 1 o ., Niy

is that in the~c secondary schools these sc!Jolarship~ are taken ~ut tbPro

~hot!ld LP lH'Oi'idc'cl what rnight be- tcrnH'cl t1w .. n1oclern sclJo:1l.," Ltnd in tlwt soctio:J pro':i.-.ion could be n1adc for an adva:tCE:d agrictdturni ar.d rura1 0duc, t ion. It r :dd L • indudcd in 1]Jp c11rriC'ulu.t1 qf ·ll 1hP -(·r'rlndur.Y llcolf' ap])l'OYC'd fol· 1lw •-,kin!-!" OFf of :--clwl1r:-dliil·"'· The d;,p;tdnlt-;·; 1_n l 1 lH' public generally 1\·ould han~ the knoiYJ,,dge that the 1noney expended on tbo ~e-h ob r~hips Y.Oll by pupils bad been 1vel1 ancl useful!;o· spent to the arh·anlage of tho holder.~. \\hat on earth is the good of winning <1 scholarship and getting a S(!Condar~' education unlc~s it i~ getting· tho :-.tlldt~llt 'Omcw!tcrc worth while. Of conrsf'. I kllo .1·

it l!<H :::o1nc yalu0----all knowl('(lu:.r· is bcncfici~Jl~!'nt if its nltirnaie J'('sult .to ihe particular pupil is that after passing his UniYer:--ity jnnior and senlor cxan1inatlons ho fends hP cannot obtain a job or obtains cmplo"·nwnt only to find that his advanced crlu< c.tion >~·ill be of no me to hi1n. t)wn it on)y l"ads to di;;:,app )inl·mer1t. I de ,,ire t'l ~CP thr- H~Oilf')- cxpcnrlerl in ~uch a manner that it will hctvc a beneficial result i:J faYOlH of the pupil, and the suggcRtion


I make to the Secretary for Public Instruction is that vYe estabh.<h m all our secondary s ·hools a svstcm on the lines of \\hat l call tl10 mocler;1 school.

I lmow many of oar schools include religious inst~nc~ion in their course of study, and that IS the reason why the denominattonal schools prcfel" the pupils of their particular denomination to attend the particular school. I have not a word to sav against that, but they should offer the add;. tional advantages cf prep a ring scholarship wu1ncrs to take up rural pursuits after leaving school should thev so desire. It is absolutely necessary that \n, should educate our young people to go on the land. The I and is crying out for them. \V o should instil into the rninds of onr successful scholarship holdNs the conviction that farm work is not men_ial work, that there is nobility tn. It. lt 1s creatiYc work) creating son1ethmg of '""· \York on the land is far better than sen·ing behind a counter. I do dt,.;;ire that we should be able to instil into the minds of our pupils the idea that there is nohilit:v in work 011 thP land and have them lanrl-minrlcrl instead of having them hanging Lack to C'l!JOY the lure and the amenities of the cit~'· I think this suggestion can be canied out. I submit it for the earnest eomicleration of the Secrotarv for Public Instruction. u

Bdorc concluding, I must sav that I most dPeply arJIWc·ciate th8 splendicf \Vork of our r•fh~c·e:Jtiona1 staff. I have had experience of It. I kr:.o\v ho\v cvcrv tnan and "\Vornan 1n that d0p~rtment arc ~playing his or her part nncl doing it excel!Pntlv. So far as our teach():!_'~ a re concerned I think it yvould be hard to a rnoro efficient, hard-working. D nd lo:. of people than our teachers.

i\Ir. D,\IU3ER (lJundabrry) [3.10 p.m.]: I haYc no n·nroachcs for the department. In the Buwlaberg district its work has been vvcll Joue. So far as school buildings are corWC'l'!l"d the district ranks equal with anv other Jil the State. The same remari<: applic~ ro the teaching staff. There is, ho\V'"~N. one 1.1atter that I would like to bring nndcr the notlce of the SecretarY for Public In trurtion. For ~o1ne years \\:e have had a wr0· JliJf' building in our hio-h school bnildin~. This school. und<'r the ~principaldllp of :\!r. Krone, has dor'e splendid work. The dl~la-·hnent at"'G pro\·idcd an intcrn10diat· ;-;•·hool bnilC!ing· ailjuccnt to the high ~chool llnllding· ctnd situated in a fine ar~':l. of g'l'O'cnid. ThP~P fine buildings arc unproterted :-n fn.r as fire risk is concerned. There i" r:o c~1 l'(·tnk0r rr:"iding near the buildings. 'ThP carPlakc'r or the janitor of these school Lnildil1;.t. lin~s qnitt1 a n1ilc distant, and I ;:.:.uggc~t r!1e11 the dC'padmcnt f'onstrnct a caretaker's I"< sir.kncc· nc,n· the schools. There is nlent~~ c:f }'Oorn nc1x the intcl'111ecliatc school nnd thr' hig·h school. The Sccl'etan· for l)nlllic ln--tr·uction anrl JYir. :J,1orris, suPerintcndPilt 11f Technical Educatlon, haYc alway:s tal.;:en a n'ry keen inb?rc""t in the Bundabcr(r '~hoo!s and, ihc:; know the position c:\.actlv~ ?\ow that · .. e hav-e two v-ery fine bnilding.s, hUJlt n \ a cost of some thousands of pounds. it vYonlcl be a wise step if the department -con<;;tructcd a car0takcr's re~idcnce near bv SO that JIT0111pt action may be taken in case of fin'. That is the onlv request that I have to m~kc to the department, but I hope that it vnll receiv-e ea rh and favonrable con-.-.:.iclc-ration. ·

'.1 r. BAR:'\ES (Warwick) [3.14 p.m.]: The total appl'opriation for the Department of Public Imtruction approximates £1,500,000, '"!'! o1·er £1,000,000 is required for State schools. The hon. member for Gympie has pointed ont that the increased appropriation this yr>ar for State schools amounts to over £61.000. but ihc bulk of the increase is required for primary education. :1\o doubt the MinistPr will explain why this increased co'it i;-:; nece~:;.arv. I notice that the nuJnber of teachers has been increased bv thirty-three. l am not cOniplaining about anY expenditure in conrwction \Yith our educational systern, rath,,r do I compliment the department on its ~plendid work and its alertne·,.J in moving fan~ anl \Yith the tim0s. It is a real feature in tltt' life of this department that it ~eeks to sc<:ure for the children all the advantagTs of inipron'cl educational technique. 'l'he act.iviti"' and the nctions of tlrc department reall,· thrill one. The work that it is doing mmt be of inestimable value to the future citizens of the State. I have in mind the projr·· t club rnon·ment. perhaps a comparati,·Ply minor side of educational life. but really a kindergarten systc1n utilised in a Yf>l'Y efficient rnanner in deciding the vocational thought of thE~ young people. It is a nart of our educational system that appeaL to me to the h,llost because it arrests the attention of our young people and assists the-m to decide the vocational life that thev m a \T follow. It is an oxtrcmelv fine 1110Y~· mei1t aiHl I am gratified to Jn{ow that the intr"re.st in the project club' is developed and susbint'd to such a degree that the number i:;; increasing. It would be difficult for me to find evcn the slightest excuse to criticis0 th · clepartmcnt for failure to perform tlw sma !lest part of its duty; on thE' other hand.· there is plent\· in my district to rcrn in cl me that I can compliment the dcpartnwnt most sincerely for the splendid sNvicP that it has rendered to the people. I am merelv repeat.ing here what I haY0 with plca~PrP told l!ly own people at n1ectingf' in mY cli-trict. Th0 department has ser eel us ,-cry well indeed.

The Educatlon.al advaEtagcs that ~urrounr1 t~10 to',\ n of \Y,,nvick in connnction \vith our ~~tate "choob ;::tand out. \vhen compared with thn:"P in other districts. as a happy~ servir·:: vYhich tl1e clenortment has rendered to the people of the district. Th0 buildino:s beautify both t}w tovvn and district. The intcrmr·rliate school C·'·~oblished at \Varwick works

c:n1irabl.''. and the ~ervicc;s rendered are in the• riirrction which the departrnent intended j: ro rcndt>r, and nre ~uch as \vill achieve

The vcr1,· comnlt.\tc rnanner in \vhich arc· .. (affcd is a credit to the

dPJ"' ;·tm•'llt. The department excels in staff. lrJQ' it~ r:o:tabli·d1n1ents. and here it;;; action

with its high ideals. I thank not onlv for the accommo

h:B provid0d in nl'Y electorate. bnt having staff~?d the various school-;

11: ""Uclt a fitting rnnnncr.

SomP cotnplainb hrtYC' bcc•n uttered that the citic~ 1·ocPi\·e first con~idPration in the 1nattcr of C'ducntional facilities. I an1 iPclitwd to think thev haYP. but at the s.~n1o tirnp thc·re i.:: r:o reaf'on fo1~ n1e to con1pl..1in of th" treatment m0tcd out to the town of \\~~trwick and the snrroanding district. For ·:ntrH' tim0 I't"'}1l'C'Sf1 ntntio1~s haYc been made for addition~ to the \Yar\vick Ea3t srhoo1. It is important that the>e additionc 5hould h-• 1nadc•; they are badly needed. I arn told

Jlr. Bar!les.]

1054 Supply. [ASSEl\fBL Y.] Supply.

that the department intends undertaking them at its enrlicst conYenicnce.

I have previou,]y referred to the Mount Gordon school and the necessity for the proYision of a teacher's residence ther<'. I do not know whether the department has taken this request into serious consideratiou; but it is the only right thing to do. because at the present time the teacher must traYel a couple of miles every day from and to ·war"·ick. The advantages in the country of having a teacher's residence adjoiniug the school arc very great.

The success attending the high school at 1\'anYick is applauded at page 9 of the report. It is very pleasing; to know ~hat last year 120 pupils attendmg the various schools at \Yarwick took out tht>ir scholarships at the high school. I compliment the department upon kocpi11g abreast of the times.

::\lr. G. C. TAYLOR (Enor;yem) [3.23 Jl.m.l: The dcpartment Is to be commended 011 the pro' isiDn for increased appropriation in this Yote. It goes to sho\\· that the Labour GoY<'rnmont and the party behind them are keeping abreast of the tirncs, recognising lhoir obligations to the rising generation. To-dav it is nccc,~arv that the children shouiJ receive as fine ~u1 education as it is po,siblc to giyc them with the aYailable n1achincrY. ThPre can be 110 return to the tirnc "vhc~1 a grown man coulcl onlv attc'"t a dcctnncnt b:v his mark-not by his ~iguature, h~1t by 1naking a cro:.:-.;-bccause he v1ra.s dcfi~ ci0nt in the rudirncnts of the three "R's.''

In the la't t\ro or three years the departnwnt h,Ls !-'hO\Yll a vcrv wise conception of th•c modern ideal of ·education by doing H"\YaY "'.Yith the old SV:'-tCnl of IllOl'C than one u class in one roCnn and substitntiug up-to-date brick ~·difiees whore single classroon1 accomrnoclnJion is brought into }H'aCtical 11sc. Undoubtedly, knmdcclge can bo a ·>imilated mnch better. more qnit"kl_v, and morn 0fficirntJ-: whPre schohu~ are taught in a :-;ingl.; c'L1ssroorn rather than \Yhcre tl~rce> cb:-o.:-;e.:; of different graC!cs arc taught in the one rootn, which re suits in the ~pecrnrlc of tctcbcr~ tr~Ying to tr:H( ~1 three' differc11t f2Tacles of pnpils in 0nc romn ~~t tJJC .-=-<-H1C hn10. The' tlcpartlnc11t 1" to be conr.;ratulated upon its actlYitic.-" in th1"\ dirccHnn.

The (1cp<lrlrtH'nt tnny' also be upon the cl.cnt I in•-pcction tint nit in1nod:u,t rwrt of the cducarionaJ tie~ of t hi.~ Sfat0. -whilst rrc,dit i" dnP al;;:o to th0 Gon l'11111Cl17 for their policy in J:ectio11 \\·ith Yocational and dou1cst1c c ln~~c-s. The• introduction and the cxt0n...:ion of the rnd!JOds of yocational inli~1ing proYidc the .Younger generation ·with prin1ar,v kutrwlcdgc of handicraft~ and the> culinary nrt w!Jich goc' to equip them for the life Lcfore thcn1. Those \Yho h:now the 1Htrd kuock~ to br: encountel'C{J in life fl nd the k:lcwlc·c1.f?c required to obtain en1ployn10Tit in the ind1l:'itrial ::::ph0r~ n1ust r:ongratL1late tho~e r0~pon.~ib1c for thl' i11stitution of yocational and dornestic ~ciencc training-. The bo: of yc~tcr ye,.1l',., conld g0t no Priu1ary C'dncatlon along \·ocatlonal line:-. and. coJJ~equrHtly, arc not so \Yell 0quipyK'-ci for the u'e of hanclicraft tools as the bovs of to-dav -ancl remember that the bon of to-dav are the citizen' of the future. · -

TlJm;c who have been priYileg-ecl to visit tile domestic science side of the training <'>ta blishments real isc the good work that is

[Jir. Barnes.

being pcrforn1cd. On n1ore than one occasion I have partaken of a meal prepared by scholars of frr:>m ten to fourteen years of r_gf', acting unrler the guidance of a donJestic sci<'nce teacher. Although some of those who got know ledge of household crafts may probablv later \vork in offices, I thmk rt ;,,ill be. agTeed that they neYcr forget at least the elt>ments of the culinar0• art. though it rnav be many years later before they arc called. upon to practise them.

I wish to thank the department for the progress made, in regar_d to sc~oC?ls in n1y clidrict. The lust yocatronal trarmng school i' in course of erection in the Enoggera electorate, and probably the finest modern school of recent times has been erected at ( Jaklcigh.

:\light I also mention the question of tlu' •'xtcnsion of the grounds of the :Ylrtchelron Sta to School? In doing so I shall giYe hon. members some idea of the method usul bY the Torv regime of twenty or t,huty yen r:-; a (ro. V The school at :11itchclton wn s en cted bOil t.wo acres of land. The school buildino·s had to be amplified in order to cope ''~th the increase in t~1e nurnber t 1f ,cho'ars, and at the present trmc the school lms a daily average aitcndance of _330 and the pla;:-ground is under ono acre 111 aren, which dcmonstrat0s that tho person rn:o;pon,iblc for the purchase of that site wa> lackincr iu foresio·ht. I wish to bring under tbe uo~ice of th~ department the fact that it .,,:ill be necessary in the Yery near future to pm·chaso a site that will afford ample. pro\·lsion for e'Ctcnsious, because the chst~·1ct Is FfO\Yitur and in a year or t\ro land \vill not \;e available at present prlces. r\(:tiou by the department in that direction \Yill giYo ~dclitional assistance to tlw people.

I congratulat" the staff of the departmcllt upon the courteous and considerate niain.lce in ' hich it has dealt \Yith matters appcr· tai11ing to m"<' electorate during the pa~t n-:eh-c u1onths.

::\lr. 1\"ATEHS (!Crlr;n IJrorr) [3.32 p.m."i: I r•:n d \Vith interest the report cOn1pi le cl by rlw Director of Education dealing \\ ith the r1diYitics of that clcparhncnt. Ono ]Jortion of ihat report in which I was 11articularl~ i ntl'rc 'tee! re la tee! to the e.cta bl i shmeui n: the interrncdiatc t.chool. Tl1c rcu1arks of the Director of Edncatiou in that re ')Wet coml?H nd attP11tion. and the cxtL'llsion of that 1 i;:; worthv of cncouragen1cLt, I-I·~ · ~tates th~t the prese;1t trend is

the cncourrtgcrri£'nt of a con:-.ider,, \\·hitc-co1lnred" clas.-.. Those of us conH~ into coHtact with 1nothers ;:~nrl

r:~t'.c·r:-:.; \\-ho~c sous hrtYC pa.:scd the 1~~niYcr~~t~' junior excnninntion reali~0 that it is t1l'-'jr ~1iH1 to s0rure for thl'ir childn_~n position~ jn i\-.c servJco or .a clf'ric.1i po:-sition

it, although the n1ajo1·ity of Tho~c 1~ ho p~-t-~s cxan1inations. particularly i"lH· (.~u1Ycrsity ju11ior, arc destined to clo 01"l1c·r thing\3 thnn dcric,tl work. If that fal'tor is rccogni::ed bofore a c}Jjld 01nbarks l!pon a course of education \\-hich, in the ~c;~t c:.nalysis, is not g·oing to benclh. hirn to rl1 · <'XtPnt it should. i't v·onld re»ult in benefit to the State, and I bcli0ve that the intermediate school vv1ll afford advantage in t.ha t direction. The extension of rnanual train-

Yocat-ional training, and the donteFtlc cour"r for girls shon1d b(' C>ncourngec1;

lwcausc it ie evident that the great majority uf e:lti]clren -who 4re in our schools to-day


will be moro suited to work m industry th<tn if they were merely trained for positions of a clerical nature. 'The Der•utmont of Public Instruction has caused an intermediate school to be constructed in the KclYin GroYe di:3trict. Tho building is a tribute to the Department of Public \Yorks and to the Department of Public Instruction. I hope that the principle of intermediate se hools will be extended and that the majority of children in that district will rcceiYe the benefit of Yocational training when they roach tho age of twelve years. l lrust the polic3 of the Government will continue in that direction.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC Jl'\. STRCCTIO::\' (Hon. F. A. Cooper, JJremer) [3 .. 35 p.rn.J: In reply to the hon. member fvt' Maranoa I wish to state that consider.ttion is now being given to the matters mentioned by him in regard to the school at Roma. In regard to the manual training school and his sugge,tion that those travelling schools might be re-established, I wish to inform him that provision is made in the vote for technical education for tbe recornrni.;. f::ioning of the tra veiling do1ne-stic science and m"nual training· schools from the l:eginning of next year.

The matter of the building of now schools i1as l'C\ eivecl verv careful consideration frorn the dPpartrnent ~for 1nany years. It ha5 t•J bn recognised there Inust be a n1ininn1rn Lclo\v ·which the deparbncnt cannot go in t !to est a blishmont of schools.

I can assure all hon. members who have s lDkon on lhis matter that the department gives the rnost sPriou.-; consideration to the question of establishing new scho>ls. The question of the three-m ilo radius ccrtainh' applies "'· a matter of policy. Childrei1 li,-ing "ithin a three-mile radius of a "chool are con'poll"cl bv law to attend iL On the P•tablishmPnt of a school the department cannot cmn1)('l children residing outside that radius to attend the school and it must th0r0forc giYc ~on1c attention to that pa tticular as1wct of the matter. but it does takt' into consideration every child that is offering, t1H" mPans of g(~tting- to school, and the roo.d...:. anrl the facilities of the children for regular nttcndanc0. The rr1o;:t s\·rnnathctic consideration is g'iYCTI to the esb;bli,!Jment of llC\\'

wohools. but mall,\' things of course haye also to 1lC• tn ken into consideration. There i~ frrst of all the cost of building the school. tlh' apnointn'Jent of a tearhcr at a salal'Y from £200 to £300 a c·ear and the snppl~· of rN]lli,itcs. TllP probable cost of conductiroct that ech~ol "onld be approximateh· £400 per annum. If ten childrPn an~ i;1 nttPndanco the cost ner capita is £40, which. it n1.n~t b• ndnYittecl. i-; a yerv heaYv rate of c"pendiinre. The Government ha,-e no }H~:-;itation in spending monc"':,- on the cdncatinn of country school children provided it can b0 done at all rcasonahlv. EYcrv enr-::ur;'Q'Pnl('TJt ic. 11:i,·0n to the ·opening· of a T~"W ~choo1 nnd h0forc a srhool is clo:;;Prl C\"C'r.v 0nrouragcn1C'nt is afforded to the p;:~rrnts to haYP it l'tn1ain open.

Tlw hon. member for \Vest 1\Ioreton menticned thr; school at Summer Hill. That in.-,tiiution lu1~ had a Y8l'Y u.rJ-and-down ce,r0er. It. has lwen opened and closed, oncrwd an cl closed. opened a ncl closed. and the doportnwnt would like to ~ee some continuity lJpfore ernhnrking upon a large ex·pcndihue in connection with it or any othce

school that is just en the borderline between the schoJls that we decide to "keep open" and " close."

}Jr. MAIIER: There arc oYer twenty pupils on the roll.

TlH' SECRETARY FOR PGBLIC Ii\STHCCTIO:\': Yes, but the attendance is nothing like that. The hon. member also broug·ht up the question of the appointment of Jam os C:utlrbert to the teaching staff of the dcp,utmcnt. On a previous occasion hc n.~kcd a scrie·o of que:;;t.ions, which vverc an"\erecl fully. E,-idently tho hon. member considered there has been something else behind this appointrnont and he is anxious to get on to it. For the information of the Committee. I will now read the question asked by i he hon. member for \Y est M01·eton.

He asked-

" 1. Did Jam os Cuthbert, l\Iary street. Booval, succeed senior exan1ination ?"

The answer to that is-

junior. of in the last

" Jamos Cuthhert, junio-r. of :Yiar" ~b·cct, Ipsv;:ich, did suceecd in the la~t s('nior exarnination. ''

\Yhy the hon. n1e1nbcr should give the address a~ '· J\Iary street, Booval.'' I cannot understand. Of course I reside, at Boo,-al and thf infercllC'O is indeed YC~ry, Yery strong that the hon. member for \Vest ::\Ioreton was endPa\"Ouring to connect ~Tarnes Cuthb.crt with nlP in son1e ·wav. The verv opening of hi.-. que"tion has th:'lt sinistrr iDsinuation. It conta]ns the inforn1ation that Cu.thbert w;H a resident of BooYal. whore I reside. That n:plains his whole> attitude in this affair. ThPn he asked-

" \Yhat was the nature of his pa" ?"

The ~, nsiYCr i3 .Q.'lYC'n. The next iH the

"' \Yhat "·as the nun1crical order of the pas;;; ~ecurcd by hirn arnongst the 564 L·11ldidat"es who succeeded'?"

::\Ir. :11AHER: YoLt did not answer that. You c,-adecl it.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC r:-;. STRFCTIOX: Xo, I did not eYade it. As L matter of fact tho l:niversity does not rliwlose lhe onlor of pa,es. These paseos arc given by the Liniyersity, which supplie.s cNhin information to the Department of Public Instt·uction and the Public Senice l 'onuni:;;sioner for their exclusiYo use and not for publication. The hon. member may kJL)\\' wh_-- ihat que~tion waf' net. ansvvered. but it ''."<'!.:" not ncrcssarv to ans\~ er tl1e question becan~c of the reply that was given-

" ~Ir. Cuthbert, in order to secure the anDointn10nt hP ha.;; l'ecciYed, \Y3,S not r~~uired to enter into competition "\Yith the ctlw1· ctndidatcs who passecl the :o:.cnior exmninat.ion in 1933."

P wa:-), thPrcfore, nnnf>r(1 :;:~ar~ to gjvc the place of Cnthhert in the 564 candidates, if it could ha,-e been given; but it could not bo gin'n. The ans,~·et· procer-ls-

" He was appointed as a small schooh probationer having passed the junior c xamination of 1931. 'The requirements for appointmc nt as small schools probationer arc-

(a) The candidate must have passed the junior cxan1ination.

Hon. F. A. Cooper.]


This Cuthbert did--"' (b) The candidate mu't be ow·r

17~ ycnrs c.f age. GiYcn qnalifi(ation~ (a) ancl (b). appointments arc made in orcl0r of priority of applieatioJL"

It will be seen. therefore. that Cmhbcrt',; appointment \Yas absolutcl~Y in ordtT and in accordance ·with the J'E'gulations of the depa rtrnQJJt.

Th0 ~-oung lady n1enboncd by the hon. l1H'll1-

ber, Miss Glennic. did not come witi,in that category. :VIr. Glennie ltas called upon me on rnunerous occasions and I wrote to hirn.

:\Ir. lVJAHER : You admit she had a better pass.

The SECRETARY FOR FCBLIC I:'~STRCCTIO.:\': The pasc does llOt c•llH' into it at all.

:\Ir. M.iiiEH: Our system counts for nothing if it dol'S not.

The SECRETARY FOP. Pl'BLTC 1::\STHCCTIO.'\: The young lady's pa" was for her senior cxan1ination. Cnrhbert wa~ flppointC'f! on his junior JlU'' c<f 1931 and hi-: HIJplication for appo1ntrllt'llt a' H Sl11aJ1

<chools probfttioncr. The lertn I addrcs<ed to :\Ir. Clcnuie r('ads as follo-w~:--

'·Dear :VIr. Glennic'.-\Yith P'fcrew·e 10 ycnr inqnir/ 011 behalf of yonr drntghH'r. ~Jrriorie_. se0king lJPr appoi11tmC'nt to the T0adwrs' Training· Co1lr2-r. I n·~~rr>t haYing- to 1nforn1 yOu that~ your danp:-hter's .scnior pas~ 1\'.t::; nm of ~ufticicnt DH'rit to g·aiu for ller sc·]pcticn to tlw Training Cn.llcge.

" ~-\lthough a promise of Clnplc•yrnei!T not- irnpllcd. I \Yould sngg·c--t that :·onr

make application to t hi< defor appointn1cnt ns

''-<-:hrols yn·obatinnCl', giYiug the lH'l' birth nnd for"'. ·ardiln?.' t\YO

rnol!in ls of eh a racier of n'~·c··nt d;:J tc. ··

Tlwt IY<\s the propm;;1.l Inadr to :Jir. GJcnJJ-ic. Eit hr>r h0 did HGt tell i he hon. 1nen1 her for \Yc>t :\Ir•rcton thc,t or d1c hon. member f0r "'\Y c~t 11 or don rli d not, adyj:;:c the Corrn11itrcP nf it. 1 pnt AI!'. Glennit• in ihe w.:ty of a po:-. ibh• appointment fn1· his daughter.

:\h. :\IAm:n: I eh! not >c:' rhat.

Tlt<' SEC:HETAHY FOR PCBLIC I::\STH'CCTIO::\: :\uw let nw deal "·ith our otlwr a.c;per:r of the 1naiter. that i:-, the :--lHf

~t -.ti011 that there n1ust be snn1c p1,8ol-ci-~,~,·::,;, iHHH('lire :1t t11c bad~ of it. I haYe · " ,._ a, proicst following :\lr. Cuthbcrt'b appoillt!tl(·nt. and one paragraph dealing \Yith jt

-Probabl~r if you could look at the of the abmc faruily

\Yill \Yhat party ~uppOl't. LOt yO<_ll'

pa rty.J'

T!w,t eornpletely exonerates nH~ frmn the c!·mruc that becau::'C the Cuthb·:>rts \\-ere Labc~m yotcrs I gaYe the boy a job. The fad" are as dHtcd in th0 answer::; to the quc.·tions asked in this Cha:tnber by the !JO!l. member for \V est Nlorcton. Cuthbcrt «pp]i,,d for a position as a cmall schools' ;)n}l diorlC-'l". .He Jnd n iu1:iur 1)~:.:--~. ~Ya::- on~r 17~ yf'a.r:-: of agc•. ~ncl tht' ·appoiiJtrncut canH' to l1irn in his tnrn. \Vhv the lw!l. me-mber for \Y est l\1orcton di ~, not .;:ati:--fy hin1sclf in another ·way I cannot understand, bnt I know that for the past c..ix \YC(•ks o1· t 1.vo months Cuthbert ha:"'- been lee! a clog's life round about Ropeley. From

[JI on. P.A. Cooper.

th!' questions put to-clay and the questions that have been asked it seems to rne tl1ero is more in it than I originally thought in connection with the appointment of Cuthbcrt.

:\Jr. MAHER: Not from me.

Th~ SECHETARY FOR PUBLIC. I.:\'STRUCTIO?\: No, of course not.

:\Ir. MAHER: I do not know him.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC I.NSTR CCTION: Of courec tho Iron. m em her dors not know him, but I know that Cuthbcrt is being persecuted in a very shocking \Yay.

:\lr. l\LmER: By whom?

The SECRET.\.RY FOR PUBLIC 1::\fSTHUCTION: I will deal with tlw persecutors fron1 now on.

Tho hon. member for Keppol rdcn-ed to the Faradav school. I can assure him that con·icleration will lw given to the matter. The Jcpartmen:t does not turn do\Yn a rPqucst in a cold-hcarted manner and withmu: consideration. The inspector' of t-he department can be relied upon to furnish a fair aud just report. \Vc have great faith 1n our inspectors. They know the duty that dO\·o:yes upon them, an.d they have the rig-ht educational outlook. They do not lightly or without good reason den:· opportunities to the children of the country. I bclie\'c that the correspondence o'ection of the rh'prnhnt:nt provides wonc1erful opportunities to the countrv children. \Vherevcr I go in the eountry ciistricts I meet people w}JO arc llCYt"''r tired of stressing the splcncl id work done bv the currespondenro Lrnnch. I n1et a m·an in the Goondi-wiudi cli<trid \Yho informed me that through the colTf:c,pondencr: schools three of his boys had reached secondary "chool-;. and he belio.-ocl that a fourth ,\oulcl get then' al>o. .-\lihough in so1ne ca,cs a. parent nuty be hann1r-rc~d bcC'ause of the fact that he ha~ not

1

had a really good education hirn~clf the dcp.artmPnt generally find.< that the parents r~o ahc11d. \rith the children. In ~orne ca"P:3 a pa rf'nt has even gone t~) the t rouLlt' of obt£1 ining the paper::: a grade ahead of the child, ~o that he or ~he 1:nay ]l, ]p as the c1Jild nJoyes along. L ·itors o± apJirc-ciation hav(' lx•Pn rec(·i-\-c~__l b.v. the d(·p~·trtutellt frorn parenh who haY~'' pointed out tlwt the chjldn:n \n•rc ~blc i11 turn tn t<•aeh lho parents.

1-fr. ST'.\RKES: In son10 ca~cs the parents caunot ~pare the 11c::c~~:ay ti1nc io tt:tch the . .-}Jildrc-n.

The SECHETARY FOR PCDLIC I::\:-<THL:CTIO.'\: I know that. If we lay it dcl\\n that nine children shall ath·ncl the -...dwol b0fore n. teacher is provided. and tho1 1 he nnmbcr is reduced io eight. then scYen, and then six:, a11d so on .. why not corne do1vn to one child . .and sav that there must be ,, private tutor for u~ch child-~ Of course, thn hon. n;crnher for Dalbv does not ask for th;lt, but lho lino must be "clra\Yll some\Yhere, and from the point of YiO\Y of the dc•partrnont bc•licvcs that it should be \\-here it is clravv·n to-day.

:\lr. SJ>ARKES: I adyocated a v::idPr scope.

TllP SBl'RETARY FOR PFBLIC I::\STH L'CTICl:\i : The drp:utmc nt does not <top at. a three-mile radius. All things arc taken into consideratjon-\vhcther the roads nre good and 1vhethcr 1he chi]drc-n can get w 'chool.

8tlpply. [30 Oc:roBER.] 1057

ThP hon. member for Port Curtis mentioned quite a number of matter5 of importance. I thank him for his complimentary rderence to ttw oflicers of the department.

I think the hon. member for \V arwick asked why the expenditure had been increased this year for State 'chools. \Yhen I moved the vote I pointed out that an mcrcase of £56 011 "·as on account of in(t'ca~cs in :3alnrics and that £5.-~fl \Ya~ 111

ref.lH.'Ct of ('ontingencies. T'hc hon. tnctnber for Lorran drew atten

tion io various phases of edu~ation. I believe that the depression has played a part in ~ome a~p 'ttb of education. The hon. n1cmbcr for Logan and other older hon. members "\Vill H'1llC1nber that eleYcn ten or even nin(' :v(-~fll'/3 ago the departt~cnt t:eceivcd so many applications from girls ior appointJJWnt ar· teachers that its officials said, "'G-iYe ns boys. and we will give them appoint-1l\PI>t~ to-nlOlTO\v." Ten vears a(J'o it \vas impo.sible for tbe department t~ get tbe ll~mbcr of tnale teachers it r0quired because oU1cr a.Ycnuc;, of ('lllploynlent were n1ore attr.ilniYe. \Vith the depression and the closing nf other aYPnucs iherc has been a l'H~lJ for appoiutrnents to the Den:1,rtnlcnt of Pnldlr lnstnHtion and the public scrYic<~ gc·ncrall~-- . Tho hon. nwmhcr for Logan k>1ov·, that the object of education is not tn fit a ma~ for a spc~ific job. The object '" to gn·c !urn a broaLl outlook eo that the ~t;;;tc . '1Yi1l bcrwfit. Tt i" well u1g1J l:Jlp(;:--·:lbk to train tlH' {'hi1d a long ~pPcifiv hn('"' for a :-;pP(·1flc job. Thcrt~ i~ no io"!J ,f..:Oi1l,f!' i!J thP ·world. to-daY that \Yonlcl ·'lH' ont~id0 tl1c scone of f'th~cation g-iYcn bv the clC]1artmcnt to-da:c. It all te1;ds along thP ]_jne of_ exer~ising _the brains of the pupil, ~1ot m. fill m!!; l11m with specific matter. but 111 £n~•Ing lnn1 tho po\Yer to think. \veigh, a_ncl ob:o;.crvc. -~.,hat being tl1e rasf\ a specific hiJc of edncat1on in a :<poeific direction is not dc:::ircd.

The hon. member for Dalbv advocated t~•nt th~ clepartn~Pnt. :::hould so Sha11e a. portlOll of 1ts cdtH "1-bonal progranune as to make the boYs agriculturally-minded and thue

them to go on the land. Tbat decirahlc. but the rea'on whv so

. ck,ire white-collar jobs tri-da~· 1s hC'C'lllSC' those joh~ arc attractive. Let us make th0 work on the lane! attractiYc. Let u-.:; rnal-:P it as attractin=- to the boYs as is the "hite-co11ar job and vve shall· bavc a irr':'H'JHlonc; cl~ffir1i1tv in getting boys for the ,,-hJtP-co!lar Job. The trouble is that the job on the land is not attractiYe. The man gni1Jg on the land to~dav a-: a la11otucr cann?t: p:C't, the ba~ic wag·e~ lie h~s no possihihtv I\ hntf'YPr of g-etting- land and becoming

f_ann~r. l1rrausc he .f'annot. out of the wage pr ul hnlL t:-aTC' ~uffic1ent mone-Y to buv it.

~vir. KEx;;y: \\"h.; not giv-e him the.land?

The SBCTIETARY FOR P"C'BLIG I'iSTRCCTIO:\': Vi"bat land?

:'vir. K;:;;xy: You hav-e lots of it all ov-er QuPensland.

Th" SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC IKRTRl'CTTO~: That is so. \Ye bayc a lot out at Camooweal and other inacce,sible parts.

Mr. J-\:rxxY: You have a lot in the Cooktown. Cairns. and Tableland districts.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC IXSTRllCTI0:\1:. There is a lot of good agricultural land m tbo Fassifern ,district in tbe West Y!orcton district, and on' tbe

1934--2 L

'\orthern and Southern Downs. Can we give t lwrn tba t land ? Of course vve cannot. The people who occupy tbat land say tbey cannot make a liring. The hon. member should look this question fairly and squarely in the face The department is doing its job in turning the thoughts of the pupil towards the land.

.:\Yr. SPARKES: Your members in this Committee aro constanth~ abusing· the n1an on the lrmd and thus frightening~ the bovs from goil!g on the lanc1. ~

The SECRETATIY FOR PUBLIC INSTROCTIO),[: That is not oo. The attitudeof the hon. member for Dalhv does more to frighten additional boys from going on the land tban anything else.

Th(' lwn. member for Bundabcrg mentionNl the desirability of the erection of a car0taker's rcsid0nce ·in connection with the hig·h scbool at Bundaberg. That matter is still under consideration.

It is not so long ago that the department inaugurated tbe home project clubs as a part of its rural educationa,l policy. To-day \H' haYo between 400 ;md 500 home project clubs. Tbat is something that to a very g-roat extent etands to the credit of tbe officers of the department in charge of that particular sc':tion, and is so1nething that i3 110\V rriYinn· the bovs a e:rcater idea of \Vork npon ~ tbe lr.nd than an};thing else.

:\Ir. :\L\HER (ll'eHt Jlorcton) [3.53 p.m.J: 1 should like to assure the Minister that I did not Q'in' the addreso of the bov Cuthbcrt as B~oO\·al with any clelibcratior{. As a matt<'i' of fact. I ha;-e a dipping from tbo '' Quccn~land rrin1es" in reference to his appointment which gi;-es his ad(h-ess as ::\1ary ,treet. \s it had been suggested that the Minist<'l' was actually responsible for the appointment of Mr. Cuthhcrt, I presumed he Jiyed at Booval. hut I can assure the hon. g<'Iltlcman that I did not do w with any deliberation.

Thr' SECRET.\RY FOH Pz·nL1C IxsTnuc.rox: To the pure all things are pure!

'.\Jr. MA HER: I appreciate the discriminatlou of the hon. gentlen1an, \vhcn he n=-fers to tne in that \YaY. Tbe po1nt escap~ i11g ihc lVlinl~tcr is this: 11ere is a position where two g·irls, lVIis:;; OliYe Sclnnldt and '.\Iiss Marjoric GlPnnic. both sat for tbc same 'enior examination as thi' bel Cuthbcrt. :Miss Sch1niclt. "t'Clll'Pd :3ix Cs. and =.\I1~s G lcnnir three Rs and two C'-;. but rlw lad Cuthbert onlY rCCCiYC'd fiye c~. \\hich ]s a Yf'rY JO\Y pas·~ in a .~;.;cnior exnrnlnaticm. It wi1l t'ake fl .~Teat c1ea1 of argnn1ent on the part of the ::VlinistC'r to satisfy the- poop1r out-side 'vho hflYe chadrcn sitting for these txarnlnat!on" tbat it is cquitabic' for a boy. ri;rhr at the tail end of the list of 'urce'8ful candidate' in a ·cniYcrsit\· s' nior ex.an1ination to- ::-:ecure preff'rcnco in appolntnH:nt to the tcaching.::..c-r~·ico o\·er othPr~ \Ybo securf'd passes of much hig·her relativ-e merit. The J\Iinister I a.kcs rdugc in tbis argument. that this lad Cuthbert had previously passed tbo 1931 l-niYPrsit:v junior cxan1ination. and baving pn-.:-cd it had aJlparontly 1nade a11plication to tlw department for a position as a student lcarher-~--

The SECRETARY FOR Pt:BLIC INSTRUCTION ' "\.-o. a~ a :::rnall schools probationer.

:\Ir. J\IAHER: But on tbe other hand both of these girls had also qualified in the l.~nin~r~ity junior rxatnination; in fact onP

.llr. Maher.l

l058 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.

of them hac! a very brilliant pass. \Vhctbrr thc"· bad nwdc application for appointment as a srnall schoob probationer I kuo\v not.

The SECRETARY FOR Pt:nLIC INSTRUCTION: Tbey had not.

~-,Ir. 11AHER: It is a confidence trick or~ tLe youiJ~· peoplP who _;;,it for the exan1ination.

The SECRETARY FOR PcBLIC IKSTRt:CTIOK: 1\o.

;\cr. 1\L\HER : It should be made clear to theoc young people who depend ou the merit of their pass that there is a backstairs D!PtLod of r-ntering the education ·:.ervicc. Thi< lad had knowledge that it was pm;sible t::) qualify for achnission as a s1nall school.; probationer: aucl itnJncdiatcly follo\ving his >u.·cc-·..:: at ttw l~nin_'r~ity junior exautination h~~ Inak(-~ his npplication. The t\VO gir1s, :Vith P?Ssibly better junior pas,:s, not possessl~1g t!Hs knowlPdgc, did not rnake applicallon and curL··enuentl"[~ haYe onlv asses.sed the position on 'the basis of tho ~C'"nivers1ty ;;:pnior examination.

:Mr. IV. J. COPLEY: Do YOu think there io a back~tu irs nH•rhod of eni:ering tho depal't~ lHOnt?

lVh. lVIAHER: TLe Minister says so. The ~111~1stcr say.? a Loy can pass the l;niversit~r JUnior exanl1Imtion :ncl St'YOral \-Tear" latpr se-rure a.drdi:--.sion to the teaching~ SOl'Yice on !hat rn . .;;:, by adopting a certain proccdurr--. j-!e 'c\n Ill:lkc application fol" the po;;i~ t1on of s.inall schools pro:mtioner and that opplit lliou. if it suiLi tbe powers that he at t!JO tlllH\ can SC'cure hin1 adrni'·Sion to tho teaching scrvi< c. It ~a\-onrs of political fa:·our. It .nla.~. ln1n:- its gocd points, it certainly h ·'i Jts bad points: th(:' fact l'Cn1ains t.haL lt i~ a bnck:;;t.lirs n~rthod of enterinrr the cdur ation scrYi{'e. Tho~e young peopl~ who g·o to gn'nt troub1P veal' after '.'<'ar ~n q.ualifyjng- for t_hc L"niYer~i·t~· junior o~~a1nina. llon am! prtrtwularlv those who take the trouble to go on fol' tlu" ·cniYcrsitv senior r l{arnination, and ho qualify witl1 pa,-,l' of high merit. should have ·preference in the matter of appointment over those who are nght ;Jt the tail end of the examination Tesult>.

Th-1r. :'vlOORE: Political influence!

1\'h. lVTAHEll: Tl,e ll'ltcr to which thP l\1ini;,tcr rPferrcd a.;; haYing suggestec.l that the Cuthbert family WH'f' of the same politiea) v1cws as myself really cuts no ice. In thiS matter I am Jeot concerned with anvbod:c's politics. All I am concerned with is a fair deal f,,r tlw vouths of the State who sii for .the examinations year by year and. who, 1f they get good passes, are anx10us to see that they shall have the right to securp the fruits of their good passes.

The SECRETARY FOR PEBLIC IxSTRUCIIOK: I arn glad to bear yon sa:_\ that.

:Wr. '\1AHER: The :'vlinister suggests that through some action of miue there has bot-n persecntiot> of this ho;c at Ropelcy. That " the hrst I ha;·c hPanl of it.

ThP SFCRET.\RY FOH P1:BLJC INSTRUCTION: You put in "BooYal," don't forget.

Mr. :,1AI-IER: Let m deal with the point. The l'lrinistpr mys that the life of this lad has been marle unlivable in the localit,·. Tltat is a very great surprise to me and "r am sorry to hear about it.

The SECRETARY FOR PcBLIC IKSTRUCTION: Have you been at RopPlcy lately?

[}fr. Jiuhrr.

Mr. :\TAHER: Yes; I was at the State school picnic a week ago, but I did not hear am thing sugg·ested in that direction.

Hr. 1\IoorlE: ::\or would You: it is only 1nan ufacturcd. ~

'\Ir. -~.JAHER: As far as that is concerned, tl e :\Iinistcr could have written thett letter eO hirmelf to bolster up his case. Then' en·(~ no bona fides about it. It has not beC'n la id nn the table of the Chamber. Tlw hou. u·~_,ntlC'Innn did not sa\ \Yhorn it \Yas from ,;r the addrc-<-s on it." The 1\iinisit'r could lmYP written that letter to himself, As a matter of fact. I would not put it past the ingt:nnity of the hon. gentlen1an.

Tbr SEtHET_\RY FOR PuBLic INSTHTTTIOX: \1-ou·d :·ou like me to read the whole thing?

:\Ir. ~1L\HER: I am quite indifferent. The SECRETARY FOR l'uBLJC IxsTRFCTIO~:

\"'"ou \Y{Juld not be for long.

"lr. :\IAHRR: All I am concerned with this afternoon is to establish this point: That the young people who sit for this e.\atnin:~tion year by year should be con~idercd 1n order of their success. That is J ,0und principle which nobocly <an contra-

and if the Secretary for Public In-"·crc to adhere to that principle

\Vhl'l'P ron1pct.itive examinations ,are oon~ cernecl thE' re \voulJ be no difficulty in the so matters at all.

At 4.1 p.rn., }fr. GLEDSOK (lj!swich). one o-f i'tc pancd

of T(·tnnorarv Chajnne11, relieved l\Ir. \V. rT. K1ng· i:~ t hL ·chair.

The, SECRETARY FOR Pl7DLlC INSTRUCTIOl'\ (Hon. F. A. Cooper, l"fr. rncr) [4.1 p.m.]: I always lih to help the penitent ••ho sec, the error of his ways and Jecid(~s to lead a nc\v life. I vrish to cou~ "'·atu:atc ihP hon. member for \Ycst Morefan on turning over a 118\V leaf. He has pi·ofosscd to haYe found out for the first time that there is a way by which boys and girls may enter the Department of Public In truction•s teaching service other than through the Training College. That has been knov\-n for 1nau:v years, because there is a long list of applicants for the position of small schools probationers. That is a legitimate thing the department has recognised for many years. Tho department has otlwr examinations for admission of appoiutees. Take the position o£ typists in a Government department. Certain peop:e sit annually for this exarnination, and it is always expected that those who sit and pass will get preference in the matter of appointmeut. The hon. member for 'West Moreton has been aware of that po>ition for some time, but that knowledge did not prevent. his helping somcbodv to obtain an appointment in the Taxation Department who had noli pas,,oc] the tyr>ists' exan1ination.

::VIr. l'ILHIEH: '\Vhat have you to read out?

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC INSTRCCTIO~ : Miss Agnes Crow registered for employment with the Government on 5th May, 1931. She came from Sydney, where she was engaged by tho B. & G. Indent Company, York street, Sydney. She came to live with her sister in Queensland. and her sister was Mrs. Maher. who, I believe. is the wife of the hon. member for West Moreton. She was appointed to the Taxation Department as a typist on the


25tb A ugu;:,t, 1931. She was not iu ~ueens~ laud at the time of the examination. and so could not sit for the examination. Yet the hou. member for vYest Moreton has no hesitation in signing her application for the position ! I would not for a moment sug,:est that the hon. member went to that department to urge her appointmem. The application by her for the position was signed on the back by the hon. member for Roscwood, at present the hon. member for \Y est ~1oreton.

::Ylr. 11AHER: As a reference only.

The SECRETARY FOR PuBLIC INSTRt'C:TION: Of course. I am not draw· lng any deduction or conclusion. I congratu~ late the hon. member on the fact he has H'<'rJ tL(- Pl't'Ol" of his wavs and that hP ·will not do that again. I had no desire to bring this up. I said to the hon. member the other day, "Let us call a truce," and he knew .d1at I meant. I did not refer to it in my first reply to-da0 but the hon. nwruhcr has been so persistent that I had no option but to congratulate the hon. HH'Inber on se0ing the error of his "·ay8.

i•lr. 1\lAHER: 1\lr. Glcdson--

Tbe TE:Yil'ORARY CHAIRMAN: Order. The hon. member has exhausted the time allowecl him under the Standing Orders.

Item (State Schools) agreed to.

SCl!OOL FOR THE BLIJ\D AKD DEAF.

The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC INSTRUCTIO:\' (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Bremcr) [4.5 p.m.]: I move-

.. That £5,004 be granted for · School for the Blind and Deaf.' "

The <•stima tee! requirement for 1934-35 pro Yidcs for the salaries and wageo;;; of the i tJstmct,ional staff of the school and also for i Lcanling of th0 <'hildren, HJO.""t of \Ylto~{' homes are outside the rnctropoli-. The '··tinlatP for "alaric"l contains provision for tl.tc; payn1crn of automatic salary increase~. 1lJc estin1atc for \vagcs is higher as <:t l'Cr·mlt of rbc dPci:";ion rnade \Yith tlle appro" ol of the Puhlic Son-ice Commissioner and fm the sake of uniformity to extend the t\~rn1s and conditions of the Diatnanti11a 1-l os pi tal award to tho domestic staff of thi~ iH~titution.

The continued acti\ ity of this department i11 u1~uring that varents contribute. .,."-hen) tlJcir financjal circn1nstances perrnit, 'toy, ards the maiutcnance of their children resident at the imtit:'tion is :·esponsible for keeping t!J,, c;':ltunate tor rn·oYISions, etc. to such .a compa rariveh low figure. It ~an be set id ihat i]w ~d1ool is doing good \\·ork. I rcoT~t that the ilincss of the Chairman of Co~1mittees do"" allow of his presence hen' to-da..-. l1P 1~ cLajrmnn of th0 -cornu1lttee of rh~i~ :-::rlJool and Yf'r!· keenly int(~n:.-.tcd in it and ~~- "_orl~ ::-1.:-; nrl' ~1on. n~e1ubcrs reprC<'nting {llHncr, :-UlTOUJ~dmg thH schooL TlleY <He in a ]lO:--itlon to record the Yerv fiiJC 1vm~k the school does. ~

Mr. GAIR (South Brisbanf) (4.7 p.m.J: It 10 wnh pleasure that I note the increased ,·ote for the school for the Blind and Deaf. That in,titution is one of the special school. under thf' control of the Department of Public Instruction, and I consider that it is one of the best-controlled and mrrnaged. l wish to take thi~ opportunity of congratulatmg the prmc1pal, Mr. Holle and his efficicct staff on the great work' they are

dolug 1n caring for and {'·ducating children sntfcring from the ph0 "ical defects of blindne··s and deafnes". In eYory respect the school is an institution of which the departn1ent has every reason to be proud. I know that the officials arc proud of the institution and dispht0' a practical interest in its work. I refer particulrrrly to the kindly interest of }lr. McKcnna ancl }1r. RiddelL Every a~::-.istanco is affordrcl the stair to carry out the best possible work for tlwse childre11 so heaYily handicapped in life's rac.e. I hPlieve that cvervthing pos~ible is being done to enable work to he donr that will ha 1·e the effect of a"isting them educationally a ne! result in their l1eing equipped to take t h0iT places in tbc "\Yorld in ~orno way or other. The work of the teachers in this scl1ool is alto!!C'ther different from that of teachers in the orclinan, State school or. for that matter, in any o'ther schooL The tcachPl' handling deaf mute pupils has a verv difficult and trving ta~k. Great patience is ;lecessary. }iall:V of the pupils. all of them for that matte,-, enter that school without being able to Pronounce one word. Thc.v are able to n1akp just a sound_ but in the course of tin1P. o\Ying to ~peciali:::ed treatment and t('aehing. thL'~~~ arc able to rnnke "Ound~ and p1·oducc syllable:::. and words sufficientlY well to be understood. On 111anv occasion::::.. I haYe visited the school, ond.~ ns a re:3ult of lllY a""ociation vvith the children. can now clenrh· 1mdcrstand a few ,,f the pupil,.. \Yben I 'visit the institutior, I nutkc it mv busin0ss to entf'r into convc:rsation ''itb the dPaf nmtcs to <'nable me to ha YC' an opportunity of .:.:relng ·whether I call understand \vhat they anqyer in repl;c to .a question that I may put. Of course. rhcy understand n1~.· qt10'·•.tion~ b2· moans of lip n'udicg. A~ l i18Ye ~~<1c1 pn'Yicn_:·-1y, I can clearly nnclcrstancl the replies of seYerrrl of the pupils. and this rtlono shmn t l1c progrf':3S made in that school and tl10 great work th1· teacher:-: cn·e performing.

The blind children nrc bPing taught to 1:ritp and read 1L Braille, and it is rornark" blo to note the speed '"ith which they can pcrforrn these tasks. They· can ''"rite and rl -1.d in Braille ju~t as quickly as the sighted ('hild can read or write. rrhe \~:ark of training- tho·,u chi!dren i.., f'Xccptional \V·Jrk~rcall_y the work of ~pccialif't"- Xo ordinary teacher could do t!tis work at thr outsc•t. I-Ie must he at the school for t\10 ·,ears or more before he is able to adapt him.,·elf to this specialised type of \\'ork: Therefore, the department might giye consideration to the question of making a rertain allowance to tlF'e teachrrs as an inducement to them to· carry on this important work in the interests of the children who hnYe been so seriouslv affiicted. I understand that at the prcser;t tim·e so1nc considr:ration is given, but not nntil a teacher has nttained the 3 IA cla.ss, when an extra e1nolutnent or an increase in salary is paid. I feel thrrt the time that the tcadwr has to wait until he reaches that class is far too long. and the department !night consider giYing that extra allowance aftPr the teacher has been in the service at that institution for, say, a couple of years.

I should like to offer some comment upon the renovation; that have been carried out at the ochooL As the member for the district. I appreciate the attention that the clPpa rtment has given to this very necessary work. The school building has been maintained in a good state of repair. Certain

J11 r. Gair.]


painting jobs have been carried out) and a nov.ol form of fire alarm has been installed communicating direct with the fire brigade. A special t11be or chute fire escape has been installed abo; so that in the case of fire these afflicted children can quickly slide to safety. This is much preferable to running the risk of having blind children scrambling about and running hither and thither when an alarm of fire is given. Now they can be ·~arriod a\\.ly from the danger zone merely by entering the tube or chute. That is an excellent idea in such an institution.

The school committee, of which the hon. lUeinbcr for Buranda ls chainnau. and ot which I have the privilege of being a mombc r, is doing e.-erything possible to make the lot of these children as happ}' as may be \vith the funds available. During the past vcar several hundred pounds were expended in providing playground equipment and ctherwise in improYing the ground. The children have been provided with a considerable amount of enjoyment thereby. 'l'he school grcmnds have been kept in good order, and althongh the children arc serious!:, handicapped in life, I feel that a great tneasurn of happiHcss has been beRtowed uron tht'ffi by the department, acting m co-opt>ration with tho school comrnittec.

I a~-;1 in .;::uggc.st to the J\Iinister that he give con,~ider.Hion to rny suggestion that a special ~LllO\Yance be paiJ to thL.iC teachers to compensate them for what uncloubtodlv i!'l cxtl'a work oyer aEd abo-.:,-e that of ordinar;, tPachPr:5 pcl'fortnecl bv thcru at this schooL Thejr work is a grc~at deal n1ore difficult than thP duties of a teacher in an ordinarv State schooL I ha l'e end ea youred to point out briefly what is required of them, and the re<ult of their work c~,n be seen by any n1c-1nbcr of this Connnittee who is suf-ficiently interested to visit the school and ;.;t•c for hirnsclf \Yhat i:; being done for these childn'n. Last year, at my invitation, several hon. lllf'mbers visitPd the school and I \vas delighted to hear their comment,; after thev had iuspccccd it. met the children ancl ,-ie·c ed the actual \\ark of the tc,acher:s. A" is tho < 1se with all other visitors thev ,yere agreeably surprised at the great \\ Jtk being pcrfonnad.

In conelu,ion. I desire to add a personal ror.nplirnent to the principal, matron, and staff genorallv for what the:r arc doing.

Item (School for the Blind and Deaf) agreed to.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND APPREN'l'ICESHIP C01DUTTEES.

The SECRET~\RY FOR PUBLIC IXSTRUCTIO.:\ (Hon. F. A. Cooper, BremuJ ,[4.20 tun.]: I move-

,, That £84,041 be granted for 'Technical Education and Apprenticeship Committees.' "

There aro certain alterations in the vote as iton. rr:cmbers will notice. It provides for an increase of £5.923, due mostly to increases in salaries of the staff. The estimated requirement for· contingencies 1934-35 is £20,315, as against £18,157 appropriated for 1933-34. This ,-ote contains provision for the> recornmissioning, as fl·orn the comn1encen1ent of next school vear. of the Domestic Science and Manual Training Railway Travelling Schools for the vocational instruction of ·children in the remote parts of the State, and for the overhaul, repair, and where

[Mr. Gair.

JJeCC'.':l:-ary, rcplaceu1ent of typc\vritcrs. tools, machinery, etc., incidental to tec-hnical education.

I\lr. :\L£\.liER (West ,)forcton) [4.21 run.]: ohoulcl like to know, Mr. Gledson, whether

I am in order in replying to what the }linistcr ha~ said.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMA~: The lton. member will onlv be in order in dealing \\·ith the vote for "Technical Education and .. -\})j)fGnticeship ConJlllittccs.''

Mr. M.\HER: You permitted the Minister to deal with a taxation matter on the otlter \·otP. Surely I haYe the right to reply.

Tlw 'l'El\IPORARY CHAIR;\L\::\: The l10n. mcmlwr for \Vest ;\loreton will only be in order in dealing with Technical Education cdld Apprenticeship Committees.

JUr. ::YlAliER: You. .:'Ylr. Gledson, did not order the :Ylinister to discontinue his spcf'ch when dealing· ·with a 1nattcr not con~ nected with the other .-ote.

The TEMPOR.'I.RY CI-IAIR:YIAC\: The hrm. member "ill be well advised to get on and ·deal with this vote.

The SECRE'l'.\RY FOH PcBLlC IxsTRUCTTON: Yon will ha Ye an opportunity of dealing with it later. '

:\Ir. l\1AHEH: When' On thi, v-ote'? The S>ocRET\RY FOR PcBLIC IxoTRt:CTION:

~o. the rc:-:;o]utions. I\Tr. l\lAXWELL: You know we will nc\'cr

rcnch then1. The SECRET.\RY FOR Pt:BLIC INSTRt:CTlON :

There arc other opportunities. There i:'; the oppol'lnnitv on the Appropriation Bill, '" \n'll as others.

Mr. :\LUIER: I desire to reply to tlte :\Iinistcr at this ~tage.

T!Je TEMPORARY CIIAIR:YlA:\': The hon. membc;r c,tnnot get away from the subject matter of this vote.

Item (Teclmical Education aud Apprenticeship Con1n1ittecs) agreed to.

ST.\TE COThL\lERCL\L HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLtlGE.

The SECREL\RY FOR PuBLIC INSTH.CCTIO"-; (HoiL F. A. Cooper, Br, m, r) [4.23 p.m.]: I nHJYc-

" That £7.026 be granted for ' State Cornn1ercial :High School and College.) "

This appropriation contains provision for the pa;nncnt of auton1atic salar:v increa~es. T_he estirnatcd requiren1ent for contingnncies includes the prov-ision of £150 for the replacelllCnt of typewriters.

Itcn1 agreed to.

DEPARDJENT OF AGRICULTt:RE AXD STOCK.

CHIEF OFFICE.

Question stated-" That £64,635 be granted fm· 'Dq>a rt

rnent of Agriculture and Stock-Chief Office.' "

2\lr. SPARKES (Dalby) [4.25 p.m.]: I wish to bring before the notice of the Minister some items of special imrwrtance in respect of which I hope something will be clone. In his capacity as Ministerial head of thrs department the hon. gentleman muot know that 1nany ccn1plaints are being received in regard to the inoculation agaimt reclwatee bv the Animal Health Station at Yeerongp-~lly. I raise' this matter with the object

Supply. [30 OcTOBER.] Supply. 1061

of trying to help both the department and the people in the business concerned. As an instance of mv earnestness in the matter I want to tell hon. members that the mattet" affe_cts rny pocke,t Yery n1uch, and anything that affect, ?ne s pocket makes ono very earnest. It IS pronded that bulls solcl to persons in tick-infested countrv n1u~t bP inoculat~d. and the inoculation Is genera 11:,: done With serum from the Animal Health Station. Kow, if ihe inoculation is not succecsfnl thoro is a reflection on the person who IS sellmg the hulls to the buvers. If I am the seller I lose business 'on that account. J\Ioreover. a reflection is also cast O'l the department. and I am sure the J\Iinister \Vould lw glad to know the exact po>ition. I have been handed to-day a letter fe:-;In ~Tr. S. Innc.;:. 1Yho, as is well knov:n, has a big stud farrn at Barolin, in whi('h he

"Donbtlcss vou will be sorrv to heer that I lost the champion Hereford bull, Sir .John, fron1 rcdv,ater.''

This bLlll was chan1pion at the Bri::;banc ~ho\v and was a Ycr:y Yaluablo anilual. There art' other ases. I have an insta11re wh0rP two hulls reccutl_~- imported from England han• l"'"ll le et, and I have letters conccrniH,,· other Yahwble cattle that haye been lost. The whole position points to the necessitY nf Ycr~T <:>lose inYestigation being undertake~~ regarding' Hw businCss of inoculation at tlY' ~\nimal Health Station. It has been suggest:d that. the charts are not quite in order. f ':nll net go so far as to allco·c that there 1.- anythlnQ" di bonc~t.-I want ~the :\Iini:.;tol' io undc'rstancl that-hut I do think that from ilh' reports that I haYc bore. which I propo:-'c• to r~ ,d, 111uch roon1 Pxlsts for h11proYt'~•:0nt. In fact. so serjous is the position tl;at a well-known pastoralist. probabl"' orw 01 th0 bi;rgest cattle men in Qnepnsland tocla_,-. has had h\'0 lots of blood from that stetion anrl has asked me personally if I c0uld supplv him with anv blood or· did I know whc1·c· he could get a~ry blood--

The TK\1PORARY CHAIRMA='\: Orrler! Tlw hon. rnemhPr is dcalino· now with n1atters concerning- the _\ni~1al Health Station, '' }u~reas the Yoto under discussion relates to the Chief Oflice.

:'VIr. SPARKES: I know that but is not the officer in charge an offic0r' \vho co1ne.s unrlor the rontnl ot the Chief Office 9

The TE}JPORARY CHAIR:V1AN: The officer in charge of the Animal Health Station. tlre officer responsible for the scrum of which the hon. member speaks, cc1n be rlcalt \nth under the sub-vote.

:VIr. SPARKES: Then nothing to do with cattle crrn come under this vote 9

The TK:'v1PORARY CHAIRl\L~N: The hon. member can deal with the Chief Office.

Mr. SPARKES: I will wait until I can cleal with the Animal Health Station.

l\lr. Yl.UIER: T rise to a point of order Mr. Gledson. Is an hon. member entitled on the Chief Office vote for the department to debate any pha,,e of the activities of the Department of Agriculture and Stock?

ThP TEMPORARY CHAIR:V1AN: The Standing Orders on the matter are perfectly clear. Hon. members nnay debato any matters contained in a vote. The hon. merri!wr was dealing with matters concerning the

Animal Health Station. y,,erong·pilly, which is covL'rcd by a subsequent vote.

:\Ir. SPARKES: I was merely g·oing to point out to the J\Iinistcr that things -were !IOc going well with his department. The stcck that I am referring to have been inoculated at the Animal Health Station. This let,ter goes on to say-

'· I had him inoculated at the ~Animal Health Station, Yeerongpilly, and at the time I impre5'ed upon the director, J\lr_ Rudd. to spare no expense and to hold this hull at the station as long as he thcught fit.''

Tire TE~lPORAR Y CIL\IH~1X'': Order! Tht' hon. n1ernbcr is uot in order in discuss· ing t1:o"e rnatter:-:;.

Mr-. SPARKES: Therefore it seems to ~~~'-' tlwt if oue bring~ up a 1natter vitally affecting the country it cannot be dealt \vitb on thi:'i vote.

The TE:\IPORARY CHAIRJ\IA::\": Order! Tia' lwn. rncndJer rnust HOt make rcnu1rks ,. hich C<bt a reflection upon the Chair and the Standiug Order~. :\obody desires in any wa.~ to curtail discu'3sion, but hon. 1nen1ber.o; mn-l cl<,al with the YOte before the CornInittee.

::Vfr. C\ICKi,l:'\ {.llurnun/m) [4.31 p.m.J: I n tli.~P that this vote for the Departrnent c.f ~\~;rir-nlrur,; j..., onP of the 111ost iu1portant thilt ·mw before this Chamber. The departlllPI:t dc'al...; \Vith that srction of the cornJlllillity wl1ich proYidcs the real \vealth of tl1e ~tatr:. n.Jld. therefore. it is a deparbnent tiut --llould 1'' t'l~iYc E'YPry possible encourage· llH'llt and assi ··i:ancP and ;;;hould not be hamperPd in its operations by lack of finance. ~un~t~rOLb n1easur~';; hase Lecn introduced Hl with Yarious rural inclustrie:-;

:;;c~~ion) and one of the very irnportar.t rncasures vvas the Dairy Cattle Improvement Act which prm-ided for fac1litie~ to a~~ist the fflrrncrs of this State to control the Yarious disca~c;:; that inv.ade their stock. I \Yish to bring before the notiee of the ~Iinistcr two types of disease \Yhich are ('lU~ing ~erious cconorr1ic loss to tlw dairyin~· indu~try. I r0fer to tho incidence of Yaginjtis and of contagious Dhortion iu the dairv herds of this State. The checking of tho5e disease~ with a view· to their PraJication should receiYc the serious and careful consideration of the df'partn1cnt because the~· are causing considcra.blf• damagf'. and it i~ clifficult to gauge the economic loss that v.-ill result to the S-tates if they arc not checked. I sug-gest tha1- additional Yetcrinary surgeons be appointed and stationed in the <:ountry dis~ tricb where their services will be more rpadih- availabh'. I understand it is the intent~on of the ~Iinistcr to 1nake tvYo new appointn1cnt~ to the :3taff of ycterinary 'urg-cons. and if he does so I trust that one of thclll will lw stationed on the ::\"orth Coast. where he will ha,·c ample oppm·tunity to a"i't and advise dairv farmers in tl1e methods employed in the treatment and eradication of disease in their herds. I tn:st the problem of the treatment of vaginitis and contagious abortion will be tacklPd in a practical manner. I was informed of a case where the veterinarv officer \·isitecl a dairvnJa,n in mv e1ectorate ·in con~ noction with ~-aginitis in' his herd. and the instruction:;; which he gaYe to that dair.vrnan in connection with milking treatment were

Mr. Nicklin.]

1062 S1tpply. [ASSEMBLY.] Sttpply.

such that they could not be carried out if he devoted twcntv-four hours in the dav to

the carrying out· of that function. Aclvice such as that is of no use.

The TEMPORARY CHAIR:Y1A0<: I hope the hon. member will confine his remarks to the vote under discussion.

::\Ir. NICKLI~: I trust the Minister \vill give the matters I have mentioned hio sympathetic consideration.

Another matter which I desire to bring before the notice of the Minister is the agricultural or soil survey of this State. I understand that a few years ago a survey was commenced, and I hope it will be rhctn::ed and brought to a successful conclusion. That action is Yery Hecessary cspecial!y in connection with t'he establish: 1nent of new industries, \.Yhen it i.-=. jn1portant that the suitability of a district for a particct!ar industry should be known before that industry is E'·tahlishecl in that area, That information will be available if a proper .agnculturnl survey of tho various lands in this State is carried out. In connection with such a survev it js nccossarv that \Ye should haYe accurat~o agricultural 'i'cturn::;;. I know these returns are collected bv the police, but they are furnished to the- Depanmcnt of Agriculture. There is no doubt. as lion. member realise, that the returns are b,- no rnea:1s. <_Lt.curate, and if we are to gaugB the pos,Jbihtle'• of the State corrcctlv it is c,;sential that the returns bP cm:r'cd. I suggest that the form be s;mplifiecl.

The SECRETARY FOR AGRICCT.'l'l'RE: The hem. member should take the matter up "·ith the Department of Justice.

:'llr. NICKLI.:"J: 'The agricultural returns ~on.ccrn the Dopa rtrncnt of Agricultnre. a.nd 1t 1.'3 very ncL'CssaTy that thov bt· au:urat.e.

I . now wish to deal with ,:arious aspects of the fruit industry. First and foremost I dcs1rc to cougratulate the .!\1inister on his action . in despatching the recently appomtecl D1rector of Fruit Culture to the Se utlwrn Stat s. He will tlms be able to in,~( ~tigate various matters conccrnincr the industry.~. It \\'as a verv \Yisc action o~l the part of the ::\Iinistcr, Und the results will be of great Yalue to the fruitgrowers.

The SECHETAUY FOH AGRICULT1:RE: \\"hat is ~·our opinion rcgnrdi11g ~ending tl1e ofllcial to California?

::\Ir. l\ICKLIN: My opmwn 1s that it would be quite a good moYe. I am of opinion that we cannot haYe too much infonnation fron1 outside sources if ·wo desire to benefit our industries. Tl1o Director of Fruit Culture shculd haYe eYery opportunity to obtain the bc'st l<nO\Ykdgo from the rest of the ,,·orld for the benefit of the fruitgTo\n~rs of Queensland. . I should also like to add my congratnla

tJons upon tho action taken in connection with impro,-ing the quality of the citms trees sold m Q11eensland. ·cndoubtedly much of the trouble facing that industry ~t tho present moment is clue to the plantmg of. b~dly selected trees in the past. \Vhen It IS real"ed that citrus trees o-iye no indication as to their value for a p?~iocl of Jive or six years after planting one mmt reahse the <wonomic loss that occurs whPn after that period, it is discoYeiw! that th~ trees are not of the right type. It is for this reason that I desire to congratulate the Director of F;ruit Culture on his efforts

[Jl11·. Nicklin.

in improving the quality of the stocks of citrus trees being sold in Queensland at present. In this connection I would suggest to the Minister that he tighten up the regulations governing the introduction of Southern fruit tree;. Past experience has been that Southern nur~erymen, 1vhen overstocked with trees, quote prices for delivery in this State that are 'cry attractive to orcharclists.

The SECRETAHY FOH Aomct:LT1:RE: You mean that until recently they did?

At 4.38 p.m., :\lr. iY. T. KIXG (Jlarcr:) resumed tho

chair.

Mr. l\ICKLIK: Unfortunately, it 1vas found \vhen the trees arriYed in Queensland that they were of a poor t.V]le and practic.dlv of no Yalue. I brought under the notice of the department recently a consignment of trees ,,·hich came to my district but were absolutely usoles'. 1J nfortunately, tho man responsible for their introduction could not be dealt with, but I understand thP depa.rtrnent has since tightened up the regulations. I trust the :Minister \Yill use his efforts to prevent sirnilar consignments from slipping into the State.

Grape fruit is very popular in all parts of the world, including the Southern States of Australia. Unfortunatelv. the sales of this fruit arc not as gre~tt i;o· Queensland as thcv ,JJou:c! bP. and this is owing to the fact that the pt1blic arc not being sold the 1·cal grape fruit. There are regulations which prevent fruit being marketed under the name of grape fruit unless it is of .the correct type, but there are no regulatwns pn:vcnting the rctatl dealer fron1 forsttng on tho public as grccpe fruit fruit which is not uTapc fl·uit at all. I do uot know how that call b<' dealt \Yith. I look to the Secretary for Arrriculture to sec v:hethcr soute lllC~tns rt1nu~t he di:-:roYcred to prr'\?ent thic: lH:>ing ·dOllP. 1~~ndouLted1_:- it i~ causi1~$' . a, very heavy falling-off in the ',ale of frun ltl

tlJio State.

I cL -ire to refer to the great possibilities that exist in connection with the 1narkcting of papa' s. At. the p1·cscnt time there i.s a keen demand in the Southern States for Quecnsland-gTO\Yll papaws . of the righr t:cpc, but. unfortunately, this demand has i>cen killed to some ext"nt bv the export of fruit in an immature cond;tion and fruit that will not travel the distance. I suggest that thr department should carry out experilnonts, with a vie1.v to eYolYing n type of papaw acceptable to the Sou~hern .market. There are son1o excellent Yancbes 111 close proximity to Brisbane. principally in the Brookfield district and I feel certain that if the se types were' carefully selected o stmin could be evolved to supply the market in th<' Soc;th. which I am satisfied col].ld be materially· increased by these means. I am conGrmecl in that belid bv the fact that at the prc-:cnt time Br~okfteld grower.;; receive 2s. a case above top market price, and the fruit does not even reach the selling agents' floors. The fruit is of such excellent type and carries so well that it is sold befm·€· it reaches them. I hope !.hat the Minister \vill request his officers to cany out experiments for the testing and selecting of a good carrying type of papaw-one that will arrive in the Southern market in an excellent condition.

Supply. [31 OcTOBER.]

The Commonwealth Government made ,nailable a grant of £10,000 to assist the rnandarin-growers of Australia.. The grower~ in Queensland are able to produce a type of mandarin superior to that produced in the i:louth-onc that is regarded as the best in .Anstralia; and that opinion vvas confirrnerl lw a iudge at !he recent Brisbane Exhibition. One "of the fruit expertc, from New South \Yales "tiel that the Queensland mandarin undoubtodh stood out on its own. Now, in connection . with the distribution of Qucens-

nd's sbnrc of the mtl.ndarin grant, arnount-to abont £900, I suggest that the Minis

t• r should decide that it be utilised for the rcbudding of mandarin trees to replace nnsuitable tvpes, in ordor to provide fruit ccceptablo to the Southern market. I suggc•.;;t, a1~o, thnt care should bo taken to sec that this money is not utilised by the growers t'1 cxrt•Ecl their present areas. 'rhere are .. dr ady suf!ioicnt trees to supply the available market. It is true that much more of lhi' fruit could be 'marketed if a number of the- inferior yaricties of trees v. er0 Pliminatod from the orchards. However, I :-lip-gcst- thHt the grant be utilised in the wa:v I haYe outlined.

Iu conclueion. I should like to coniTratul::tc the editor of the "Queensland Agricultural .Journal" upon the prr--( nt attractiYeJ>C·' of that publication. Its cover. its brightIH 'S generally. and its get-up have added to i1:-:. value. '"hj}st the vcrv excellent inforn1ahon ('C ntaiued vvithin ~ its cov"rs is of nncloubtc·•l lwn~fit to all primary producers. 1 mu nn1nz:•d. that n1nre prin1ar~' pro-ducers r!o no~ a Y<l!] themselves of this journal. It u; aYaJlab1c at a very rcasonablo ftgure. and i;_ :-houlcl he found in tho hon1u of evcrv' rnan 01 the land. ~

Tho House resumed. The TnrPORARY GHAIR)L\N roportc'd pro

grc~s alid askccl leave to sit again. Resumption of Committee made an Order

of the Day for to-monow.

The Home a·djournecl at 4.50 p.m.

Supply. 1063

legislative assembly tuesday october ·

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