Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

TUESDAY, 8 AUGUST 1905

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Adclress in Repl;lj. [ASSEMBLY.] ,_Questions.

TUESDAY, 8 AUGUST, 190fJ.

The SPEAKER (Hon. Sir A. S. Cowley, Hervert) took the chair at l1alf·past 3 o'clock.

PAPER.

The following paper, laid on the table, \\·cui ordered to be printed :-Twenty.first repr<~· ,f the creation, inscri_r:tion, and 1 ue of stock, under the provisions of the Qu,•ensland Stock Inscription Act.

QUESTIONS. IN·PATIENTS, BRISBANE GENERAL HOSPITAL. Mr. TOLMIE (Drayton ctnd Toowoomva) asked the Home Secretary- !. How many in-patients were treated in the Brisbane General Hospital for the year ended 31st December, 1904? 2. (a) From what districts or localities did tbose patients come? (b) How many from each district or locality specified? The HOME SECRETARY (Hon. P. Airey, Flinclers) replied- 1. 3,601. 2. Memorandum showing the localities from which patients treated in the Brisbane Hospital were received, the number from ea~h locality, and their aggregate days in hospital during tbe year 1904. Patients. Days. City of Brisbane 1,230 25,205 South Brisbane 594 12,157 Tow;;_ of Ithaca 301 6,014 Toowong 79 1,7:J3 Sandgate 27 695 Windsor 182 3,372 Hamilton 68 1.409 Shir~ of 'roombul 80 1,400 Kedron 51 1.175 Enoggera ~6 4~1 1'aringa 40 1,13

Patients. Days. PRJWERENCE TO UxiONJSTS, DRY DocK. ~hire of nunda.mba 7 123 ::\Ir. PAGET, in the absence of ::\Ir. ,Jen­ Town or Ipswich 19 788 ;')hire of Purga I 18 kinson, asked the Treasurer- Gooln.an 197 Is preference to 1-:-nionists being given at the South }1utdRpi~ly 1 3 J~risbane Dry Dock: and if so, in what bralJCh of Laidley :J 74 trade: J.~sk 12 289 , 'l'a.rampa 12 37:1 The TREASuRER rPplied- Town of TnO\voomba 12 230 Yes. To shlpwri.~ht'::, tlntt being practien.lly the onl.\' ~hire of Hightields 1 260 tradt> in whi<'ll any question of preferenee ha:-; , Clifton a (;9 oectured. TO\Vn of Allora 19 \Yanvick 4 2~6 ALL[GJW l'El\SRCUTION OF LJCENSE!J Shire of <;Iengallan l 2(} "\r IC'ITALLH:Rt). Inglewood 1 13 , Jor:.daryan 4 314 Mr. LESIKA (Clermont) asked the Home 'fown of' Jlalby 2 213 Secretary- ~anaugo 148 Shire of 4 1. h there any founcbtion for the statements made 11aroom 1 20 by the secretary of the Lit~ensed Victuallers' Association, 'l'ow;; of 41 n.oma l as reported in the Da; "Jfail of the 31st ultimo, as to Shire of Bungil . 2 :a the alleged _per .... ecntion of pnblica.ns of Brisbane and vraroo. 35 other centres by polieeJ acting under instnwtions from Roorenga 81 the Oommissionm·;. _\iurweh 49 'Pown or Chal'leYHle li 537 2. Has he any objection to la,;; upon the table of the Shire of Paroo ll 286 House envies ot" the ac':.nsatwns made by the secretary Bulloo l ll of the Licensed Yictnallers' Association against Con­ Adavale 1 10 stables Harvey and Bennett in this connection; together Barcoo ... 1 14 with the evidenee tal·am in the Uepartmr.ntal inquiry, 132-- 4,560 1\:Ir. Ranking's report thereupon, and all other corres­ Shire of ::.\iaroochy :;8 920 pondence connected 1vith the char~c in ttnestion? , WiTown of Clermont 6 696 AGRICULTURE (Hon, D. F. Denham, Oxley), 1 66 this Bill, introduced in committee, was read a Shir~ of ~~.~~~'~ine ·± 81 first time, and the seC'ond reading made an Order Aramac 1 to of the Day for Thursday next. Longreach 4 133 ,J "Vrinton 2 40 Town of ~Iackay 2 178 ., Townsville 7 91 ADDRESS IN REPLY . Shire of Ra venswood ... 3 175 REHl'MPTION m· DEBATE. 'fow11 of Charters Towers 7 130 Shire of Dalrymple I 91 Mr. TURNER (Rockhampton North) said: I , Hughenden 1 87 would like, with other hon. memLers, to con­ Town of Cairns 2 54 gratulate the Government on the work of Shire of Douglas I 12 1 18 administration which they have performed, and Tow~ of I~~~~~nton 2 43 also on the programme of Bills that are to be laid Croydon 2 I63 before the Home during this session. There c::tn Shir~ of Cloncurry 1 49 be no doubt that thev have, since they took 166-- 5.255 office, brought in and placed on the statute-book New South Wales. cbiefly measures which have been promised for a number Border <)5 1,122 of years ; and there can he no doubt also that 55--- 1,122 their intentions are to bring forward legislation Balance (I•ermitted. Another subject which realised .£6 lO.s. per annun1. Then, again, there the Government pro)JOSe to deal with is the is the cond1tion that within a certain time the accommodation provide-1 for shearers and sugar· lessee has to expend in improvements ten times worker~. I have nevPr been 1nnch in the shear­ the amount of his annual payment.o. I think ing districts, but I hystem here districts, and have looked into the accommoda· would be an excellent thiog, and a step in the tion provi.ied for the employees on some of the right direction. Another subject which lms b~en plantations, and I :-:;ay it \VU::-; Utlt fit tor dogs. touched npon by hon. member,, and which has The straw or gra"s huts built by the kamtkas been very fre• ly discus01"i, more especially by for their own accommodation was infinitely the member tor Uharters Towers, is the establish­ superior to that provided for the worker~. Ulent of State batteries. I hope in our new Ot1e person itt the phmtation said they are not mining rtglllations some such systen1 will be in­ in use now. "\Vhether they are there or not, I do augurated. I am not going· as fully into the not know, but there were blankets ttnd [Jillows subject aH the hon. memiJer fur Charters Towers, and su on for their accomlnodrl'ing to the Government debt, wa~ SJ1lit up into a nurnb r of divi~i~~n.':; to made a comparison between Queenslan>i and the visit the various mines. The party I was other States. It was said that \Vestern "\.ustralia, with were told off to vi,it three mines, but we during the Ja,t five years' period, had spent were nnable to get to more than two. One of £G,OOO,OOO. I might say here tlLtt £2,800,000 of them wa,; the s.,uth Kn'goorlie, the nceipts that was spent in their water supply sc'leme, from which were £16,000 a mQueensland £13,000 per ttJonch wen to the ,hareholders. In bttd been spent in remunerative matters in that another c.1se the manager t• ·ld ns that the returns way, the State would have been in a better P'"i· were !;54,000 per month, £14,000 of which went ti;tmlin thro\\n OJJPll 'vill be lc..t~ed t11 aliens." ':No," say that during- the last fiix or seven ye;;us I said, "I am aware of tha· ; yun have not got the eastern States have c mtribnted to the it yet, but I want to~ know how n1any arn11ng popula1ion 200,000 people, nnd he wus prepared you h>Red land to aliens?" and they said benefit Au,tmlia a; a whole. vVe want to make "Yer,." I said, "Are you prepared to have a onr conditions so rnnch bett8r that it shall be [il!f r. Turner. Address in Repl,IJ. [8 AuGusT. J Address in Repl;lj. 177 beneficial for people to come from other coun­ as one who has had a great deal to do amongst tries and benefit UB without robbing our neigh­ the JJroducers of this Stale, tbat when the J,ours. The next Bill in our programme is a new Land Bill is passed inun~ ,,wck. l certainly praise the Minioter fnr appointnd. If we find that selectors are willing- to [Honourable members: Hear, hear I] I must go and settle up'm the land, every inrluc<,ment compliment thP Government on the improved should be offered to them to do so. \Vhile I am .condition of the State at th8 pres~·nt tiiill', and I willing to \Velcome th1)~e farmPrR who are con1ing certainly think they have dune wonders, con~ from New South \Vales and Victoria to settle in sidering that the previous two or three years we our St ,.te-and there is plenty of room for them­ have had a d<·ficit-in fact, for the last three at t.he same time I know 1nauy young 111en on years the rleficits have anwunted to £1,300,000. the Darling Downs-fine stalw>trt fellows from Now, we find that the Tr'lasurer is able to meet eighteen to twenty-five years of age wh:J have the House with the st-ttement that not been working on their fathers' farms until only has que,•nsland been able to pav its now; but those farms have become too small own way duri11g the last twelve mont.hs­ for them, and they wish to spre"d ont. I maldng revenue and expenditure balance­ say th~t the :\lini,ter for Lands shoul present moment that a liberal Land B,ll is Darling Downs to-day-are what I might call the what the people uf this State are waiting for. I crernn of onr population. \V e should throw our suggested in the House last se;sion to the land open to tl ern and give them every oppor­ Minister for Lands that when he was bringing tunity of getting it on terms that thPy wdl bf forward the new Land Bill he would insert a able to make a succe'" of it. [::\1r. J\IURPHY :: clause which would allow selectore to have a rest 'What about a land tax?] When all rhe Jao,ds in of at least three years after they took up their the State are sold I shall be prepared t" support selections, and I am very pleased that he has a land ttte build those tors under it tn have twenty-ti \'8 yt-.•r·s for the lines if we bad the rnoney f1lr the puqJOf3e ~ but payment of the-ir 'ent·. irHtead nf twenty ~-ears, we haven .t, anti that being sn, I see no reaRnn as it is llO\V, an(] to lll.-ke thl-l _,-\et rLtro-:;:pectiYe. why they should not. be built Ly private enter­ If the Act is ah•2rPd in that way it will be EO pr!.~e. I notice thn.t the Go\'el'nrnent intend also loss of r~-:;v~nue to the Govennnent. Th--y \\ill to bnild n line ftom Riehtnond towa-rd.':) (;-eorge­ get their 5 per cent. juct the so,me, only it tnwn. Tha:· line also will cet·tainly h"'ve my will ::.lluw the selector~ five Yeaes ]onger in suppnrt. Althon,;·h I repn ·Put. a ~.; mthern con­ which to pay for the htnd, f:'ld. H:'"S JHlj'lnents a stitlJPncy, yt•t I ,-hall certninly snpport bo\h year. ~would rtlr-,.) exen1pt tlletn from paying those line<. Tcere are many f•ther lines that it ·their first deposit fur three yco,rs-exactly the would pay the Government well to have con­ same as nnder the new Land Bill. The structed. \Ve have several bmncil lines in this Lands Repurchase Act, in rny oph1ion, ha9 been State which have justified the Government a great succes<. [:Yir. 11URPHY: I· has put a lot in their construction. I should just like to of people on the bnd.] Yes; it has. Some mention the Killarney Railway. That line interesting figures have been published as to the has justified its exiWe situated 0n the in the Cnnningham electorate is that from Hen­ Darling Down~'· Of this vast area of land there don to Ailor.t. [:\fr.• T. I_,EAHY: That has not does not rem,in 20,000 acres unselected. No paid working expeuses for a year or twn.] That less than 1,430 persons have been settlerl during line is a guaranteed line, and it is pc,tying that period on l,GOO brms, the purchasing price working expenses. I hope the Government will of which amounts to the very substantial sum of build other lines of a similar character. An £829,988, and £250,000 has been received by the effort is being made to get the line extended to Government in rents. Sixty farms-!;,ooo acres Goomburra township. Snch an extension would -have been made freehold during that time. pass through good agricultnr:,J land every inch This result, which hes been arrived at during of the way. There is g,,od land for a consider­ the past years of financial famine and drought, able distance on both sides of the route, and the gives a substantial promise of a great fnture for railway would be a great advantage to the the State, and points most decidedly to the fact settlers of the Goombmra Repurchased Estate. that it only requires a few year,; of good seasons Another branch line I should like to see con­ and careful government to bring into the State structed is that from \V arwick to Maryvale. th.at flow of sett! ,rs of the kind that is urgently The length of this line would be 18 miles, and needed. I wonld like to mention that this there is good agricultural land and close settle­ 6,000 acres of freehold was obtained by people ment all the way from Warwick to JYlary­ who are in a better position than those who vale. [Mr. J. LJ<:AHY: Build lines all round have the poorer selections. They were large ·w arwick.] There iK also another branch line farmers, who de,;ired to increase their holdings. that is very necessary, and that is one from And they were no doubt able to pay the balance Clifton to Ellangowan. That district is a of the purchase money and make the land free­ thickly populated one, and comprises some of hold. I trust that the Minister for Lands will the best agricultural land in Australia. On see his way clear to bring in a Bill this seosion both sides of the route the line would take there amending the Agricultuml Lands Purchaee Act are cultivated lands. [Mr. HAWTHORN: Any in such a way as to extend the period of payment more lines?] It is ntterly impossible for the to twenty-five years. This term is given in farmers of this State to compete with those in Ireland, where they have twenty-five years in the southern States if we do not give them which to pay for their holdings, and the system quick and cheap communieation with the is working admirably. I would further snggest markets. Last year we produced 2,000,000 to the :Minister that he shonld insert in an amend­ bushels of wheat, nnd I believe that if we get ing Bill a provision to the effect that after a man an inch of rain this month we sh"ll have has selected his land nnd paid the first deposit 3,000,000 bushels in the coming harvest; but if he should be allowed three years' exemption, and our farmers have to compete with the farmers that the payment of the purchase money should of other States in the markets of the world they be extended over the next twenty.-one years, and must have cheap and reliable communication. that the Act should bP retrospect1ve. If such a vVithont such communication they would he at provision had been inserted in the original Agri­ a disadvantage. I contend that in these thickly cultural Lauds Pnrchase \et there would not populated agricult.uro,l districts branch railways have been a single acre of the repurchased are necessary, and that there is no possibility of estates unselected to.day. I do not know where their being able to pay without that communica­ the 20,000 acres which are nnselected are situ­ tion. vV e need not be in the least afraid of ltted, but I know that out of the 180,000 or over-production in Queeusland, since we have the 200,000 acres repurchased in the Cunningham world for a market, as the followin>; extract will electorate there are not 700 acres unse lected, and show- all the land that is unselected in that district is ridgy land, every acre of which wonld be taken Although the harvei"ts of Enl'ope and the United up within six: 1nonths if \Ve have a good seaf5on. States were comparatively poor, those of Canada, Aus­ traUL, India, and the Argentine came to the rescue of There is a very keen desire on the part of the :European consnrne1·; a.nd it appears probable from many persons to take up land on other estates the latest advice~ that Hl:)5 will show fully as good a whicb might be repurchased. I am very pleased crop of cereals in the Argentine as •1904, leaving an to hear that the G:wernment are going to awple ma-rgin for export. Australlan crop reports are bring in a more vigorous railway policy during also fairly favourable, and it is calculated that from the present session, and that they are nego­ 2,000,00rJ to a,ooo.ooo fJUarters will be available for export next season. rrhus it does not look as though the tiating for the extension of the rail way to Geor·ge­ I>rt,~ent price of \Vheat (32s. to 34s.) is likely to rise for town. That is a line which should be built by some time to come, the tendency being towards cheaper prh ate enterprise, and it is one which I shall mtes. During the eleven months of 1904 the Uniteli. [Mr. Grayson. Arlrlr ss in Reply. [8 AuGUST.] Address in Rtply. 179

Sti.11S,tWO cwt. of wheat, of \Vhich that complaints had been sent in tn the Lands cwt.: Hnssia. :W.80tJ,oon cwt.; tbc Department that prickly pe~r was spre •.ding ewt. · An:-;tralia H.(1JO,OUD ewt.; nYt. rapidl.\ on the .1"\Jlora ttnvn cnrnmon. That report got to the ears of the ~Iini:lt tn the vrd\H~ of _._1\llora To\vn Council heard tl1at tl·e repr)rL bl:ld .Eliili,OOO, whieh the United N·n• "' onpplied been sent to the lllinister they made nn inspec· ':84,000, Australi:·L only .£ii!J,OIIIJ. I think tion of the land >1nd had the prickly pear rradi­ that i::: a xnnrket; WA ought to ·~aptnre. 1\._nd cated at tbc cost-of what'! Of 15,. They tbere i; also the South Arrion market. A few cleared every prickly pear and noxious weed on night;; a,.;.> the hon. tumnber fol' Bnlin1ba, in that common, and the eo .t was 15s. And yet spc~king .;bout the unemployed, Rtated t.hat the the otl:icer of the dep ,rtment sent in a report. that Premier had helroed his own constituency by prickly pear was spreading· rapidly there. I do givjr-_g thern employnH'nt there. I h .ppen to not hlame the :Minister for offering to take action know a little abonto that lnattcr. rrwo years on the re]JOrt of his otf:cdr. I waited on the ago the member for the district where the Mit>ister and pointed the:;e facts out to him, and, pr~ckly vear was RfJreading- received letters to the hon. gentlen•an's credit, he decided that i:rmn the H..~>senthal ~hjr~" Council, 'lncl from the Cdmn1onat;c ,should re1na-in it \Va:::;. several selr:ct,wR on Ro:"<~nthal laud:">, cnrnpL.in~ Amongr;t the hills to be presentee! to the House ing of the rapid grm :th of prickly pear on I notice tbe tShearer:-;' A_ecununnda.tion Bill. Thi.s the \Varwick town CDmllJun, and LhH great Bill does not apph' to any statiom in my electo­ :aenace it was to tbe adj•>inill., frpo}nlders. The rate. 'I,ber'' ::tre only· three fairly large sht~. p rnatt.er waH brought before the \Vanvick T•J\Vn stations within it-Gleugallan a11d tbe two Council, who were a-;ked to take action to ha.\'8 Talgni's--and I c,1n rt"i~nre the House that the prickly p:3ar era(licttt·-;d. I h11 ppc•ned to bd I\Ie~~rs. Slarle, Clark, anr1 Dowling have mavor of \\'arwick :et th<~t tin1e. The council pro\'idt:'d hon:-t going to commit myself in the mean­ \V arwick to clear the town common. 4Jtcr the time, in any shape or form, but will do what I first section had been cleared-about 1,000 acres think right in the interests not only of my own -it was surveyed into allotments and sub· constituents, but in the intere,,ts of the people of r..aitted to anction and selection, ""nd I may state Queensland generally. I also notice there is to that four blockR of that land reali~ed as high as be a lliining Bill. I shall be very pleaeed to see .£14 5s. per acre. EYery acre of the first section such a Bill introduced. I ha Ye a small mining that was offend for selection was applied for, field in my electorate, nnd I haye heard en· except one !1lock of 20 acres. So thftt I think the couraging n'port.s of i t-t.hat is TaJga.i and re;.ult of the sale of that first section justifieo the Thane'o Creek. Ther;, is also to be a l\1etropoli­ Pretnier's :1ction in fH.mtling the BriRba,nH unem· tan HospitaL< Bill. \Ve have heard a great deal played to cle u· priekly pf•ar from the \V >1rwick ab waiting, nni weDlthit,st city in Qneensbl!d-that they cannot I do not thlnk a single ucre. of it will be left snppcn't their own ho8pitaL-<, L ':ipeciall"!'l \V hen they within a n1onth aft~:r it i..;; thrown opr~n for are getting £3,000 a year from the Govermnent selectjon. I mention thi1:1 to .show that had the as a, ba"B ho~pital over aurl ahCJ\'e \vha.t i~ given hon. mem\J"r for llulimba awllre of the to any other hr1:3pital in the State. 'rh A GoYern- fact~ of this p~trticuh,P ense ~. flUld not have ment are co;npelled t,, forward this Bill- accused the. Preruier of f~1vonrh1g his own I C:'l,nnot see that they any other alterna- electomte. [:'>Ir. K;;oGH' \Viwt was the cost tive. r:Phe n'prrsentatin~s uf nt.JH ... r constituencies cf cltarir1g- rh·) Jnnd?] I ::-nn gi1 n to nnder~ c~rtainiy ca.nnot he f~xpec:tf'd to con·. ;nt to their ~tand, on the b~·it anth1Jrity, th, but thev held at C,],irn~ ~01U8 ft:W nwn;lu; ago, a cli'::lCll~­ allu\\' ~d it to lJecon1e a breeding-ground sion arose a3 to the nece.%ity of having' grain fnr noxion,-:: ~.o~·eed rand other pest:-:. I arn plea,ed eleYators erec~ed atPinkenlJa. 2\Ir ..T. M. Hunter, to say that all the commonages in the State who is a gentlen1an wh(J takes n great intc-'TPst in are not so neglpct ed. At Allorn they have agricultural n1atters in the :vr aranoa di::3trict, a corrunonage of 2,500 acrP-.s. The .. \llora. To\vn wa~ Yery .stront.:lY iu favc·nr of baYing elevators Council h·we fenc·,d the land in, conserved water erected therP, and I notice that enbseqnently a upon it, and kept it clear of nuxiuus weeds. I restJlution \Vas agreed to approving of the estab­ regretted very much to hear, about a month ago, lishment of central elevators and graders in Jfr. G'rayson.] 180 Address in Repl,1;. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply. connection with the rail way syHtem of Queens­ * Mr. STODART (Lo[Jan): I should like to land in urner to facilitate and cheapen the cost refer to a few matters dealt with in the Speech, of the storage and shipping of grain. Xow, I but will not detain the House very long. I join consider this is a matter that the Railway with other hon. members in their expressions of Department ought to take in hand very shortly. regret at the lotn im}Jrovement in long time before Queensland will be able to our industries, and that the industrial C'Ut­ capture the flour trade. I rder to the Northern look is very Pncouraging. I ~incerely trust ports. Unfortunately southern firms have been that the exuectations of the Government in this able to capture a large portion of the trade of respect will' all be reali,eo, but I would point Northern Queensland by reason of the cheap water out that the seasons have as much to do freights-which are much lower than railway with that as the Government, and perhaps a freights; but I believe that if we get the harvest great de~tl more. I do not think it is altogether which we anticipate there will be a large quantity a matter for glorification that we are drawing of grain for export thie season. The Secretary people from the other States to settle upon our for Agriculture knows '" well as I do that a lands. I would rather see the land laws so great deal of the grain is nut fit, as it comb liberalised as to enable our own young nwn to direct from the land, for export, and that it settle on the land, and give them better oppor­ requires proper grading before it is fit to ship to tunities than they have at the present time, and I foreign markets. There is always a little foreign wouldsoonersePpeople being bruughtfrornoversea mattLr in it, aml it is wi"e to separate that from than from the other States, which want popula­ the gmin before it is exported. \Vhilot dealing tion as much as we do. l hope that the Go­ with this subject, I may mention that I hal'e vernn1ent will see their way to giving ample been told by one of the leading miller, in assistance to the mining indn;,try, more especially Brisbane during the last few days that Queens­ after the speech nf the hon. member fer Burke land has nothing to fear in regard to export­ thf other evening, when he gave them plenty of that our grain is able to hold its own with wheat food for thought. It is to be hoped that they grown anywhere in the world. It is better than will profit by many of the things which he told the American grain, and is equal to Canadian them. I come now to th:ct portion of the Spee~b wheat. Onr Manitoba wheat is JH·obably not so which says that the financial cnJHlition of the plum!J as Canadi•m shnitoba wheat, but our Brisbane hospitals demands lt>gislative inter­ white wheats are able to hold their own ferenC1", and I think the G-o\·ernment tnight with any other ct January, voluntary sy~tern h:1s given out. I think the 1D05. were as follow :-Cattle, 2, 6Gii,:)l0; :;heep, clwritable irhtincts of the people are just as keen 1l,Hl3,938, or an increa"e of li\0,79:3 cattle and now a<;; ever thty wert-"', and tbe arr1qnnt sub. 2,800,894 slwep as corn]Jared with the total at scribed this bst year has been eq<~al to that the end of Jammrv, 1()04. 'rhese figures show su b.-cri bed in paot ye:trs. [ C.Ir. HA WTHOHN : hou; rapidly our fi.)cks and herds are increasing. \Vhv d·m't the committee hu,tle round and I think the Govermn>,nt :tre to be congratulated collar the subscri]J'ions ?] They lm ,tled round on the wise measures they are introducing this to the hon. rnPrnh~r 'tlld did not get any sub~ session. It seen1~ to n1e, as far as I c:tn hear, scriptinn at all. HE• is very fond of making that not only the supporters of th

variouo times, '' \Vhy don't you collect more bene,·olent and philanthropic agencies. New subscriptions," but a reference to the collector's South \Vales, in addition to the £1 for £1 diary shows that certain people h>td been called grant, gives large sums for buildings to the two upon frequently, but. without :ls-the Prince Aifred Hospital think if a man is desirous of sub,cribing to the and the Svuney Hospital. In the year 1~04 the hospitals, he should send in his "uLscriptions Brisbane Hospital treated 3,587 in· patients, and wiUwut putting the hospital committees to the it received from the State for destitute persons expense of collecting them. [:\Ir. HAWTHORN: £:3,000. The Sydney Hospital treated 4,372 If the admim"tration was good there would be in-patients, and it received from the State for a far better chance of that.] \Veil, the sub­ rkstitute persons £:13,510. The Prince Alfred scribers and the Government have a chance of Hospital treated 3,504 in-patients, and it re­ changing the co•nrnittee every twelve months. ceived from the State for destitute persons [Mr. HAWTHORN: That is what they should £a,o:j7. [Mr. GitA;-(T: Besides that £13,000 they have done.] I am not ashamed of my adminis­ got the endowment as well?] Yes; but they tration, and I ha\~e been on the con1n1ittee of get endowment here. [l\lr. GHANT : Is that the Brisbane Hospital for twenty-one years. It £13,000 all they get?] X o ; they get £1 for £1 as is an honorary position. It is certainly one I well as the £13,000. [.:\Ir. TOLil!m: That £3,000 have been proud of, and in which I have taken is paid in for destitute persons, because it is a great deal nf interest, aud I think I know a regarded as a base hospital. Yes; when the little about the matter. If the hon. member ticket systen1 was in vogue, subscribers and took a little more interest in the institution, and others distdbuted these tickets on which patients ~ad attended the :mnual meetings, he would were admitted, and it became very unsatisf"c­ tlave known more about it, and would have tory. People used to come into my office who assisted the committee instead of carping at had been all round the town trying to get them. [Mr. HA \\'THOHN : How is it the Child­ tickets for admis,ion to the hospital, and it was ren's Hospital can make ends meet?] Some a most pitiful thing to see. (Hear, hear!) We comparisons are odions, and I arn not going ought to do away with that altogether, and per­ to refer to the Children's Hospital. I think that sons should go out to the hospit.al for admission. any G-overnnlent interference in thi~ matter Because ~Olne people were not given something ,hould be devrecated. :For some years Go­ for their subscriptions they wanted to have vernments, in their wisdom, allowr:l us an tickets to give away. \Ve should be able to endowment to the extent of £2 for £1. They tell anybody who desires to go out to the also put up the buildings th •. t were required, institution that tlwy can S"' out there without n1ade free .;tructural re1; tir::-;, gave us estreated tickets. If you spread the allowance of £3,000 ba,,ls f11r inebriety, and we also got 3s. a over the whole of the patients of the Brisbane head per day for (~oYernment patients~ck,ti­ Hospital, it amounts to less than 1f>s. !ld. per tute persons tre~ted in tlw hnspital~which was head, while if you apply the Sydney allowances only two.third~ of th!:}ir average cost. Then in the same manner to the patients of its two can!e along one Colonial Secretary--a gentlernan hospitals, the average per head i, £2 17s. 3d. who is no'' a member of the othet· place~and he 'fhese figure,, are son1ewhat rmnarkable, hub v..-oke up one tine u1nrning with the idea tbab these which follow are snnply omazing. If we legacies \vere not voluntary contributions to the add to the ordinary subsidy of £1, the destitute hospital, and therefore he could not legally endow allowance given--call it collectively a Sta.te sub­ them; conserluent,ly the endowment was taken sidy~and apply it to the voluntary contributions away. :So, on that account the committee formed of the respective hospitals, we stand thm: for a legacy account, and the Government very the Sydney hospitals I have only got the 1903 liberally endowed the intere't on that account. figures. Taking the population of Brisbane as 1 1 he account, I arn sorry to say, dc1es not grow against the population uf 8ydney~the Brisbane -.;.-ery grP:-.t. 'Then structural repairs WPre with~ Ho.-pital during 1004 received in voluntary con­ drawn from ue, and then buildings. Then the tributions £-1,201, on which the subsidy comes to 110spita.l cmnrnittPa thought it advit·mhle to do £2 4s. 10d. to £1 contributed, which we received awa:,? v:ith the ticket f.:ystern, and in dninq so frmn the Goverrnnent-that is, including the son1e trouble arm;e as to what proportion the £3,000 bonus as a base hospital, for every £:1 G-overn1nent sho•Jld pay. I1~ventnally a five voluntarily contributed, the Government con­ y·ear:;;;' average was t:~ken, which \.Vorked out that tributed .£110s. 1\"ow, in l!J04, the Prince Alfred t.he Government allowed the hosuital about Hospital recei,·ed voluntary con·ributions to the £:l 800 a yc·ar for de·83; >trd with tbe destitute allow­ offered us £<,,000 a year. I will show hem. ance and £1 for £1 allowance from the Govern­ members later <•n that this is not such a n1ent, it 'v~)rk~ out that they received for every !)articularly libert1.l allowance a.... sCJnv: people £1 of theit· voluntary contributions the oum of seem to think. [.Mr. GHAI'T: It is more than £3 13s. !\d. The Sydney Hospital for 1903 any other hospital gets.] fi\'ir. TOL}JJE: It is received £3,1H4, and it '\Vorks out in t be ~ame more than on the facts the (}overnrnent were manner at £5 4s. lOd.~that ;,, exclusive of money justified in p>tying last ye;,r.] I do not know allowed for buildingH. I undt.•rstand that son1e that it i.:c, 1:nore than the G-ove.; nn1ent were juRti~ alteration has been made this year, and that some f.ed in paying, bnt it is 110 more than other nf the hcopitals are getting rather more from the hospital:-J are getting el~evd1ere. [ :vrr. GRA~T: Government, but I ha\'enot the exact information. Oh, yei:'i ~ no other hoRpital out \Vest gets as In bot.h ways that shows that Bril s its hospitals to the comparison: CornpareBrisbanewith extent of £1 foe £1. I took the trouble of l"oking other towns in Quf nsland.] [Hon. R. PHI LP: np the reports for Kew 8outh \Yales, and I will There are five hosiJitals in Brisbane.] [Mr. give hon. gent le111en ROITle tigureo;; showing how GHA~T: There are four in Rockhampton.] [Mr. they are Pndowed. The bon. gentleman said PAGET : There are twenty-seven charitable ><>cie­ they got £1 for £1, but it doe~ not end ties in Brisbane altogether.] I think tbat a there. In tbe first place, the Sydney Hospital certain section of the Brisbane people have been is very greatly eased by the State hospital extremelv liberal in their contributions to the for epidemic diseases at Little Bay, and by hospitals. [Opposition members: Hear, hear!} _lf r. Stodart.] 182 Addr, ss in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Repl,y.

But a gruat many neglect their duty in that w11y re,.lising deficits was larger than that received -(Hear, hear !)-and the trouble, of cour'f', has by the pre.3ent Government. (Hear, hear.) been tu get at these people. I think thongh if J)uring this d<>lmte a good dea.1 has been said they had been left al :] Certainly not. I do not the Treasurer pointed out that this party took no think the lon.l autboritie" W<'re e\·er brought exception to the sale of £ ·>O,OOtJ of bnd when into exi::;tence for the pnruo~e of supporting the :E ...,tima.te" WE-'re bPing h<•ll1t:d, bnt in fair­ Government hoo:pitak [l\Ir. LEK!:\'A: ILwe ne~s to this party I think the 'I'rg~tsurer should you any practic:J s.ugr;"t::>tion to irnpro\ e the >1lso have [H>inted out that the only effective position?] That is not my Lusinos. \Ve all rnanner in which this party could have prote-.~ted know that the t;overrnnent rnade up their n1ind n.gaint thern was to bnve withdrav\n our support. to put forward this pet Mchenle !)f the Treasurer's, from the Gover;:1ment and turneu them out of and they forced this posi tiou on the ho9pital office, and that is just the position which hon. cmnrnittee so that they n1lght use it as an exnuse gentlemen opposite would hase liked to have to bring forward this legblation. That is my seen this party take np. If we did that it private OJJinion about it; whatever anyone el;.;e would have kept back electoral reform for many may think. I base S0lllH other figur~-'); but I dl) yAar::;. and wht'n there \\·aq. a general eLction not want to det:tin thi~ House any· lnnger. ~-\..s friends of the hem. gentlemen on the oppositS. [An bon· votes.] So fa.r as the Lalwur party i"· concerned, ourable mPmher: Sell more land. J [?vir. KEOGH: I think it i::; only fair, cunsidenng tbe amount It is far better to have the voluntary subscrip­ of talk that h:is taken place regarding the tions and give the endowment on them.] I attitude which this party took on the. ]Jolicy would like to say a word about the arrangement' of selling land, that our snpporten m the that have been mode in order to induce the vessels country should thoroughly understand the posi­ of the Orient Corn]Jany to come up here. I think tion in which we found our,celves last ses­ the Premier deRerves great praise for having sion. \Vhen the House met the Government followed that matter up and carried it out found that they were unable to fulfil every successfully. (Hear, hear!) I only wish he had promioe which they had made to the country displayed as nmch energy on the question of the during the electi<;LL : I should not like to speak for you centre it i' eRoential that it should have com­ chB,ps.] Some hon. rr1ernbers oppn.site, referdng munication with the port. I arn \'Pry~ pleased to to t,hat. sreech, sought to make it appear as see that the present Government appear to be though the h(m. Uien1ber for Bnrke wa,a speaking determined to deal justly by Olnncurry. There for this party. So far as the Labonr party are is a bright future in store, not only for Oloncnrry_ concerned, this matter of thr~ Ohillagoe negotia­ but also fol' the lrtrge areaE~ cmnprised within tions has nPver yet bt ·:_ln considered at any of the boundarie3 of Croydon ;md :Et,heridgc Gold­ their meetinr, ,, and, consequently, it cannot for fields. With regard to the Ohillogoe Rail­ a moment \J,., Raid that th''Y haYe gone back on way, a good deal has been said about the their plank regMding syndicate railways. The Government and the company nnt being able leader of the :LHhnur party had a couple of rail­ to come to terms. Personally, I think the ways '"·hich he desired the Government to build, Government have done everything they pos­ and it seems t<> me that nearly every member sibly could tn try to make an arrangement who C~ddresses the House has :1 railway which with the Ohillagoe people for the constrnction of he desir2s to be constructed. I h'1ve no desire a railw"v from Almaden to Georgetown. I do to be out of the fashion. I should like not know what or,her members of this party to see a railway built from Croydon to the think on the question, but I have always thought Etheridge, but until we know the result of that the Ohillagoe people were trying to get thP. the negotiations between the Government and 8tate at their back in order that they might the Ohillagoe people I do not suppose there raise more money to keep themselves afloat. I is much possibility of that being done. But a«ree with the hon. member for Burke that the there is a short line, of between 20 and 30 Chillagoe Railway has been an immense advan­ miles which the Treasurer last session considered tage to Queensland. It has opened up a big it was desirable to construct. In reply to a extent of nnneral country, and :luring a dis­ remark by myself concerning the .£10,000deposit astrous drought has enabled a large number of pairl up hy the Oloncurry r.rilway syndicate, he pe•)ple to find profitable employment by follow­ said he thonttht, considering the b•1rden which ing mining. But I would point out that that the people of the Gulf had undertaken in the does not show that syndicate railways are de•,ir• shape of heavy harbour dn,~s in order to carry able, but that railway facilities were necessary in out the drerlging of the Norman bar, he, at any that district in order that it might be properly rate, favoured the idea of the Pxtension of the opened up. So far as Ohillagoe is concer~,,ed, so Normanton line to deep water. The leader of many people were hard hit by the failurte of the this party, in talking the "'her night, said he Chillagoe mines that it has had a depres,,ing would ask us to oppose the l{,bhit Bill in conse­ effect on I:\orth Queensland mining. Still I quence of the action of the Pastoralists' Associa­ believe that Chillagoe will yet come to the front, tion in prac ioally boycotting some of the and that the shareholders will receive their ·western local shearers. Well, I would ho.rdly money back, or at any rate a govd portion of it. like to join with the leader of the Lahonr party [An honourable member : It is to be hoped so.] in opposing tbe Rabbit Bill, because I consider Yes; it is to be hoped so. I have a few facts that that Bill is necessary in the interests of the here with regard to an attempt made bv the Scate, and it would nDt be right for this party, Chillagoe company to raise more mon~y to because there is a difference between some of the carry on. A prospectus was published in vVestern men and the pasLora!ists, to oppose it. the Courie1· of the 24th of .June last, and there I think the proper place for this party to join are some very significant contracts mentioned issue witb the pastoralists is when the new Land in that prns!Jectus. One is a contract by the Bill come« on. IVe shall have a better opportunity old compan~' with Tolhurst, Keats, and ·cum­ there to make the pastoralists understand that, ming and others, whereby an underwriting com­ if they intend to boycott local unionists, we are mission of 3d. per share is payable hy the new ]Jl"epared to put up a fight on their behalf. Mr. company in respect of the shares offered for sub­ Can1fT<1n, the hon. mt-mbf~r for North Brisbane, scription Another is a contract by the old denied that they had ever boycotted those company with Tolhnr"t, Keats, and Gumming, shearers, but he cannot deny that the Pas­ whereby they are to receive remuneration in tomlists' Association of queensland issued a cash of £3,000 and 10,000 paid-up shares in ube black-list. in which they gave the names of new company for services Tend<,red to old and certain prornlnent unionlMt~ \·. ho should not be new company, and in the event of an extension employed by the members of their as>ociation. of the railway to the Etheridge a further sum in [Mr.. J. LEAHY: He ha< denied it in this House cash of £2.000 for further services. The c,.pital ;•. score of tinv'•,,] The federel member fol' of the con, pany is £350,000 in 700,000 'hares of :\Iaranoe, Mr. Page, r9ad it in the~ Federal 10s. each. Tolburst and friends are therefore to Parliament only a few weeks ago; and more receivs equal to 2~ per cent.) or a sum of £8,025. than :'vir. Page h:we seen it. [Mr. ,J. LEAHY: '.rbey are to get 1.0,000 lO:j. shan ,, eq1.:wl It i .... n1o:re tbai1 I have fl8"~,n.] lt itS more Un.tn to .£5,000, £:1,000 for their service«, and the hon. member wants to S<'e, perhaJ's-that is an additional £:3,000 if the railway comes off. a better way to put it. \Vith regud to the 3[ r. 1liurphy. J 184 Address in Repl,y. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Repl,y. hospital question, we canaot get away from the way as it could possibly have been done, and I fact that many of the outside hospitals are think hon. members on their own side have been struggling. \'Ye have to look that fact fairly in remiss in not giving them credit for wbat they the face. The committees of those hospitals are havesA people have been made to pay up tives-he wants all the g<>od things for himself. theie juRt and lawful debts to the G< ve side will oppose it.] I have no doubt the hon. been saved if the Government had used the tnember for Rose·.vood will, altl1ough a,t one time federal electoral rolls, particularly as women he o,dvocated it. "'1. nnmber of P'eople think a are now to have votes. A great deal of the nw 1sure of that description is entirely in the trouble that has arisen in trying to get those interests of tb•, employees, but that is not so. people on to the S;ate roils would have beefl Hon. member• oppooite have referm1 to a couple prewmted. [Mr. PAGET: It i,, no trouble. It of isolated ~qses in New Soutb \Vales, where is a pleasure.] I have found it a great de::tl of one of the parties declined to sgree to an a ward trouble. They say they do not want to put in of the court. I do not think it is re.o.sonable to an application, as they are still on the roll. It take one case and say the principle of an Act is i;; very difficult to permade them the\ are not on '\Vrong. Because certain individuals could not the State rolls. It wnuld have Leen far better bP cornpelle1 to agree to an award is no reason to have accepted the federal rolls, or allo" ed the why the Act should be condemned. [l'dr. J. police to go IOund 1tnd collect the name,, Of all LEAHY: If that award cnverdi a leading use it the Acts on the statute,book I believe none would bP so.] But the ]Hrticular case quoted by requires more amendment than tbe Elections hon. mernhw.rs opposite was not a le~ding ctse. Act. I would likB to give my views with regard And in New South \Va1es it ha' not hren to w1me parts of that Act which require to sympatbetic.t!ly "dministered. Even the Pre­ be amended. I do not believe in the present mier, Mr. C::trruther.---:, during th~ late election, system of having me m hers of this House oitting went round and said he was oppose::! to arbitra­ on the Elections Tribunal. A[Jpealing to that tion. [Mr.• T. LEAHY: Did not :\1r. \Vise tribunal is an expensive gamP. lt wa~ rr1y Lts:e administer it sympatbetic.1ly ?] Yes; and under not long ago; it may 1Jossibly be that of some his administration there were no difficulties. I other member in the future. He may come will only ~ay, in nonclusion, that I trust the under the same clauses of the Act as I did. I Governrnent will do as well this year as they did certainly have felt it, and I thiuk it would be last yeEtr. advixahle that oniy a judg-e of the Supreme Mr, REOGH (Roec1vood): Since I have had Conrt sbould be the party appointed, and not the honuur of a seat in this House it ha< been membus of th:s House. No matter what way usual for hon. members to say something with you may lonk :-tt ir., it decidfdly b1~comes poli­ regard to their approval or di"approval of tbe tical. On both sirles of the House they have manner in whi·Jh the 1nover and their own ~~upporter::;, and it eventuates, at a.U [5.30 p.m.] seconder of the Address in Reply events, that the man wbo has got tbe most poli­ discharge their task. I cert.ainly tical friends is the man who wim the game. give my meed of praise to the two members who (Laughter.) [Mr. P.'\GE'r: That is not what put did so on this occasion. Thev introduced the you here.] :No; it was 1Iasonry did it, if they motion now before the Hous~ in as forcible a want to know. , That was the party that tried [lvfr. JJ.Iurphy. Address in Reply. [8 AuGusT.] .Address ~n Reply. 185

to make me pay the expenses, and I will have candidates' expenses?] I will not; I think every­ no hesitation in eaving it. It i~ better to have it one should pay his own expenses. I know that out. LMr. MAXWRH: \Vhat's that:] I say Free­ my laBt election cost me £400, and that is quite masonry "as at the bottnm of the whole affair. enough. A Heferendum Bill was shadowed [fvlr. MAXWELL: Y on're a l-iar. You're a forth by the Premier, but at that time I said on damned old liar of the first water.] behalf of my constituents that we we1 e not in The SPEAKER: Order' favour of putting the country to the expense of £20,000 to dtcide whether there should be Yfr. KEOG H : I call your attention, Sir, to a reduction in the number of members or the langu"ge used by the hon. member. not. N <>t only at the last, but at the pre­ The SPEAKER: I must ask the hon. member vious election, certain members intimated their to withdraw the words. jntention of Yoting for a reduction of n:1err1bers, but they were not in favour of a referendum. Mr. MAX\VELL: I expect they will have to At that time I took the same view, because I be withdrawn, Mr. Speaker. thought that £20,000 could be much better spent Mr. KEOGH: You're not game to say it in subsidising hospitals and other institutions outside. which wanted assi•tance very badly. The feel­ The SPEAKER : Order ! ing of the people is in favour of a reduction of members, and why >honld we not follow on the Mr. MAXWELL: Make no mistake about same lines as the other States, in all of which that. they have reduced the number of thPir members :\fr. KEOGH: My opinion with regard to without a referendum, with the exception of this matter is simply this-that all this business New South \Vales, which took that means of should be done away with, and the whole matter ascertaining the wishes of the people. If we go into the hands of a judge. The tribunal took the same basis of representation as the cannot sit except during the time the House is in other States, we would only have thirty-five session, and for the whole of that period it can members, but seeing that this is a 1·ery large only sit from about 10 o'clock up to 1, and the territory, with a growing population, I:ny con ten« greater part of the day is taken up by the judge tion is that forty-five members, at all events, in introducing the matter. Alt<•gether there is would be sufficient for all our requirenwnts. only about three hours a day devoted to the Hon. members on the other side ... ay, "\Vipe work of the Elections Tribunal, and if the out the Upper House," but what have those whole matter was given over to the judge there gentlemen done since they have taken office'! would he more expedition and some finality. They ha1·e nominated no lesi than eight [Mr. PAGET: How many ]'reema~ons were there members to the Legislative Council. Is that on that tribunal?] Anyway those are my views carrying out the plan of the Labour party? in regard to the matter. r:Yir. MUltPH¥ : If l\Ir. \V ere it not for that party the hon. g•·ntlernan Hodge had sat quiet he would have been here wonld not he oittinP," on those Treasury benches to-day.] Another matter I would like to see to-day. ·with regard to the Upper House, I provided for is the handing in of passes lleld by should be vrepared to see that Chamber done members when a diesolntion takes place. They away witb, but an elective Upper Chamuer in shon!rl be handed over to th··railway authorities, its plac·. Then we would be falling into line and memberq should not be allowed to go with the other States. [Mr. 1'.. T. LEAHY: abont the countr:v w;:;ing their free passes ·what? .Franchise on the property qualific.• tion !] and speaking on behalf of c mdidates. Anv man (Laughter.) This, I think, should be done in who wants lo advocate the c.mse of a can~iidate place of wiping it out altogether, as the Labour during the general elections should he compelled party \Vi~hes to do, if you are r1ot prE'J'·lred to to pay his own Axpenr:es. I am, further, n10st allow it to f-itOIJ a:5 it i8. If it i~ tu re111ain as a decidedly of opinion that federal members should nominee Chamber, then I think a minirnnm not be allowfld to 11se the1r pasc;es in this way. number should be fixed. (Mr. LESJ:SA : They In the past it has been the practice of many of should not make any further ap• ointments.] them to come up from J\Ielbourne and speak on Kot make any fnrther appointm.mts than those b8half of L[Lbour candidates, a thing which they which nre already made. [:\fr. P . •T. LRAHY : would not do if they were called upon to put The last appointment is a very good one.] [J'dr. th~ir hands into their own pockets and Jl''Y their LRSINA: l don't know about that.] One of the expenses, r trucd your shctre of the,e very and when it is seen that the Labour party ]Ja':p bnd Secretarv, ::1.r~ I huYe done on former oc :asirms, s:uch ER has been given to other::; outside th~ State. that in thE' electnrate whie:1 I naYe tlw honour to I have no hesitation in sa.;"ing that the same repre::;:ent thrre i ..,. more a;;ricultural land f1)r f;;cilities ha,·e not been extended to those who settlement than there is in any other elec­ are now and have lJec'n tL._ pioneers-men who torat.e in Qne n .]aud, with the evceptinn of have spent tbe best par,. of their li\'t' iD t.bis the ])own··. Bnt. the Down:::. have their rnem­ State, and their sons and rlaughtPrs whc '""ish berR, and all the eggs :-.een1 to have hf'Bn claced to take up land-the same faciliti·cs have not in the one b"sket "ith reg~rd to the Dnwns, been accorded t" them a: to others outside the as all the land that could bP repn1 chased State. I c.:-tn point out several ca:ws. and one in there he.-; ],een pnrchasecl. TIIP- landR I refer particular. A young wmnan t(Jok np :smne land tn are Hidden V.de, !J,OOO ncrer< ; Frankiin at Crow's Ns-t, under the honl ~;b.:>ad ch1,useA of VT a.le, !),:)00 acee~; Norn1anby, 20,-162 acrP·,; the ~A.ct, .,Lt 2~. Hd. an acre. Nhe CtJlD}died with :Mount \Valker, !l,070 acre-;; and :Fa·,sifern, in all the conditions, with thB exePptinn tl1at :<.he the electorate which ii\ repr83entt l by my was three months away frnn1 tlle place. The hon. friend, ?\lr.. fenkin,.m, 42,000 acre•·. conditions ar -· five yp.,rs' residence on the f:_lace, Between thet'e two e1ectont-tes of R· ·sewoori and and the price~:-;. \)d. an acre. 1]_"hi.3 yunn<;~ gir] l<'aRsifern there are betwe.m 1'10,000 and !!0,000 --[An h()nonra.hlt: n1ernber: \Vas ~he under ncres of UR fine la1:1d n,q a crow ever fle\Y O\'er. sixteen?] No; she wa,. over twenty. (Laug-hter.) To show that what I say is Jlf'l'ffctly C mv hon. a'j £1 per acre per year, n.nd, in sorne instances, frien~l the Secretary for LanclR. (Laughter.) £2 an acre. Tluo clearly shows that thes.e are She was absent for three mo!:lth, from the sdec­ valuable htnds. And with regard to the 20,4()2 tion. Tlu: conditions with reg-ard tiJ builrling acres of Xorman by, they have been uffered tu and. fencing were complied \Vit h ; hut during the lat9 Government ar. a price. The vendors the three months she ·was on her honPylnoon, were willing to receiveS acres in the \Vestern one of the detective fellows-or, as I wll them, country in exchange for each acre, so that inform2rs-lodged a plea in the Land Court that therP would not have been one penny • f money ,;he was not residing on the selection. [The spent on the matter. I have no hesitation SECRETARY l''OR PUBLIC LANDS; \Vas it an in saying that, if that land had been repur­ official ?] Yes ; and I may say I was at chased, it would have been taken up and settled your office several times, but it was as hard on to-day by a prosper<> us and industrious pc;pu­ to see you as the Great Mog-ul. (Laug-hter.) lation. Those things ought to be taken mto My impression is that it was never contemplated consideration, anrl the Hon. thA J\finister for by the Act that young women shonid re,ide on Lands himself approved of the l\Iou!l t \V alker their selections for a continuous five land. He went up there and approved of the price [7 p. m.] years, because we are thoroughly and appr,JVed of the land being taken up by the well a ware that many c-irls who Government, but there it remains up to the present have taken np those selections have to take up day. Now, it is stated here that one •>f the service to try to earn as mncb as would pay rent great reasons for taking outside )and is for on the selections. Now, with reg:trd to this the purpose of building lines of railways into particular selection. After this girl was married, these places, but I can point out that the complaint about her not having fulfilled the con­ port.ions of lands which I have referred to ditions of residence was made by the ranger, and are not more th"n 8 miles from railways. The she was given notice to show came why the neareot portion of Normanby is 2 miles from selection should not be forfeited. I mo,y say a railway-Harrisville. :B'assifern is 8 miles that this w~s put into my hands, ,'1nd I instituted from Ro:ewood, and JVlount \Valker-thc Hon. all the necessa,ry work in the matter. I came the J'dinioter for Lands will bear me out-is 6 down to Brisbane on several occasions, but on m;.les from Rosewood Station. Hidden V ale and every occasion it was an utter impossibility to Franklin V ale are only li miles from Grand­ get to see the hon. the Minister for Lands. In chester. Xow, if these lands had been taken fact, he was away on tour, and when you over by tbe Government, there would not have went to his office it was an utter impos,,.ibility been an acre of it that would not hcwe been now to get anything. There was sn much red tape in the l1andR of the agriculturist. Thei'e ar€ that I got cliscrusted a hout the affair, and I cried the lands tLat the Govemrnent ought to take out, "Gnocl God ; \Vould that we had another over at the first instance before they g-o away Paddy Perkins in this department." (Laughter.) into the :l\Tever ~ever, where there is nu pnsRi­ I have no doubt it is the· opinion of the people bility of oettling a thriving population. I have jn my e}ectotate, and in the t-urruunding elec­ had a lot to do with these outside lands of the toratefl, that there were tnore genuine selectors St:tte, and I slty that I would sooner have put on the land through the auspices of that 1 acre of N ormanby than 50 acres of land in the gentleman than there has eYer been since. I outside rlistricts. I trnst that what I have said consider that the san1e conditions are not ex­ here will bear fruit. (Government laughter.) tended to our own people-to the children of our The Hon. the MiniEter laughs, but I would he pioneers-as to outsiders. That" .s very fnrcibiy sorry to laugl; at a statement which I know, and brought home the other evening by t.he hon, he 1imst know, to be thoroughly correct. 'fhis mernber for Lnckyer, who Le a SU!Jpor :.er of the iH the gentlmnan who said yesterday to deputa­ present "'cdministration, and after that what tion that the criticism of the Government in this falls from me, backed up by that hon. deliberative assembly w.ts nothing but a lot of nlf:llnber, ought to receive some credence. larrikini,m. [.Mr. Keogh. Address h~ Reply. [8 AuGusT.] Address m Reply. 187

The SECRETARY :FOR PuBLIC LANDS: LESINA: Get back on to the prickly pear.] I rise to a point of order. 'fhe hon. rnernbo.r (Laughter.) A.s to the Bills which are fore­ has made the statement that at a deputation shadowed in the Speech, I shall expre's m:; which waited upun the .Pr8lnier ye~terday, and opini~Hl on thc~m when we hase tbP J~tajl~ befc:re at which my colleague the Home Secretary was the House. \Vith regord to the Infant Lrfe also presem, l stated that the criticisrn levelled Protection Bill I an1 not an infant, havi11g against the Governrnent wa~ larrikinism. I beg passed frmll fhat stage fur a consid~rablc to give that •rly impo~;.;ible, and I surrendered to the Govenunent. \V it h regard hope we "h"ll never 'R:· it tritd. \Vi:.h regard to to the lands at Hiddenmle, l"ranklin Vale, th" !:-ihearers Accommodation }~ill, I am of Mount \Valker, and l>'aesifern, I do 11ot know opinion that there should be fit hCcommodation what sum is requirEd for them, but I know that for eve::.'.Yone. .A. n1an nrust have. g.1od n.cconl­ in quality they w1ll bear favourable comparic, m murlalion and be well fed or he < <.tnnot work. with the lands of the Darling Downs. The I shall sup}JOrt anything fea~ible ·in th..tt way. clirr1atic conditi(ms there are n1ore favourable As to the I,and Bill, there are m>tny clau"'eS than those of the DownR, as they have n1ure rain~ in it which I shall he only oo happy to sup­ fall, and the lands are 1unch nearer t.J a n"rket, port; 1 refer to those whicb are calculnted the furthest portion being not more than 8 miles to bring about close setllement. As I have from the present rail way. \V e should n"t trouble aln·Mly intimated, I lwlie,·e that one of the the Government to build line' there, b' ~au'e we best in;~redients in a Land Btll would. be to have already a railway, and the settlement of the uive facilities to our own people~that 1s, the lands would help to pay the intereot on the cost ~hildren of the pioneers of the State-before of the construction of that railway. [An honour­ holding out any inducements to others to come. able member: See what a land tax will do.] I ·while I should like to see Queensland popu­ should be in favour of a land tax when all the lated hy a good agricultural class uf peol?le, lands of this Scale are alienated, hut not before. and, while I believe thme who are now commg \Vith regard to the prickly pear land which has into the State from Victoria and K ew South been cleared by the unemployed, from all I henr \Vales are a very desirable class, "''ill I hold it has not yet been made known to the House that any inducements to settle on the land what amount of money has been eX]Jended on should be first extended to onr """'' people that work, but my impression is thnt those lands rather than to foreigners. [Mr. LESl:\.\: vVhat, will never return the money opent on them. after federation !] There is a Bill ,. i eh regard ·while it may have been a very good thing to to leaoing land to aliens. From_ what I ea? give work to the men employed on those lands, learn the parties who are most to ohtme for th1& still I think the Government would have done are those hvin(( about the district of the hon. better if they had given the land to those mPn member for Cairns. This particular land leased for clearing it, ancl also have given them suffi­ to aliens is the property of the Labour party cient to keep them on thE' land for the first three themselves. I have been mformed-I am not years. If that were drme, I believe that every stating it as a fact-that this ;and leasfjd to acre of that land would be taken up in the very aliens is the property of some very promment near future, and that the expenditure so incurred Labour men in that electorate. \Vith rc•£iard to by the Government would be recouped to them. compensation to workmen, that is a Bill which I understand that in the \Varwick district land deserves to be supported by all _si~es of t~e in the immediate vicinity of prickly p"·ar land House. I believe that if any man 1s m]ured m which has been cleared is worth from £3 to £"1 his work, and if it is the fal1lt of the emrio:y-er per acre. How, then, is it possible to recoup an ex­ or his servants, there shonld be cornprnsatlon penditure of £7 or £San acre for the clearing of the aiven. I cannot Rav anything as to the alnend- prickly pear land? I think the Government 7nent of the ·Factories and Bhops Act until I have not done a very wise thing in this matter. have seen the Bill. I was not in favour of the [Mr. LESINA: It enhances the value of the existin" Act because I thought that not enough prickly pear country alongside.] People who liberty '"'was given to employers under it. I shall understand anything about ap:riculture will not, giye my support to the Brll to prevent the in the initiatory stages, allow the prickly pear to incursion of rabbits, and in suppart of the take deep root on the land. I claim to know pastoralists. In conclusion, I thank \1on. something of agricultural pursuit,, having been members for the patient hearing they have· grven at those pursuits for the last forty ye«rs. In m~ . . conclusion, I should again like to rder to that Mr. PAGET: I desire to ask the pernnsswn matter in which the Chief Secretary ,,till hold' of the HonsB to make a personal explan>ttion. that I was at fault. I am not going to refer to it [Honourable members: Hear, hear!] The hon. further than to say that I charge the Premier with me1nber who has just resn1ned h1s se1t, dnnng con1ing down-- the cour~e of his speech, stftted that whe~e Elec­ The SPEAKER: Order, order! The hon. tions Tribunals were concerned thf decl9l011 was member has alrev..iy dealt with that matter, and always arrived at by political influence; ':'nd he the Chief Secretary has replied. The matter went on to say, referring tu a ea ;e 'l:h1eh he must not be reopened. recently had before that Court-and in which I was a member of the tribunal-that the rc•ason of Mr. KEOG H: Very well, Mr. Speaker; of his having had to bear his coots was owing to the course, if I cannot refer to the matter it must for J<'reemao'ons on the tribunaL I think it is only ever remain in its present condition. [.Mr. just to myJelf and to this House that I should Mr.Paget.J 188 Acld,·ess in Repl;y. [ASSEMBLY.] Acld1·ess in Reply. ri.'e in my place at once :md say that as far as I (c) resumption of land for closer settlement at owr;er·s am concerned-and l believe a~ far as the other valnation for t~-~.xution purposes, plus 10 per cent.; and members of the tribunal are concerned-and I u:\ tenants' ab.~olute right tn their improvements. was closely "ssociated with them for several days In New Z ahtnd they are trying to work both in that case-that the decision we ga\'e was in ,:.;ystems. If we are going to abolish sales of accordance with our Cl)m~cience. [Hononrable Crown lands and the private owner-hip of land, members : Hear, heciet)r, nor an Orangeman. [Honourable a refund of the money that person died, and no members : Hear, hear!] doubt left this mortal coil with a very poor opinion of Queensland justice. (Laughter.) [Hon. i\Ir. JONES (Bvrnctt): i'dost hon. gentlemen R. PHILP : He will see Kidstou by and by.] who have spoken have congmtnl:lrip tha.t h::tve prntestcd against thi~, tary for Rail·• ttyc; on this matter, and I had that as they required the land for clnser settlement. gent!e!llan's assurance that it was his de,sire that In mv opinion, the sale of land a livin~ wage should be paid upon those Iincs. [7.30 p.m.l is a suicidal policy, and those who [The Pmmnm: I told you that I thought 6s. 6d. favonr it have no regard for pos­ should be p~id.] But that has not been done. terity. [~\Ir. 1'-IAXWELL: You Yoted for a rail­ I wish to P"int out to the House that the wage way last year on that principle.] I mig-ht as promised by the Premier has nut been paid. well have a railway constructed. [ fhe PmcMIJlR: The first section of the line from Kilkivan to But you voted for it after I put it to the Huuse Kingv_roy was comrnenced when the hon. n1em­ on that distinct understanding.] If the Govern­ her for J3ulloo w .cJ Secretary for Rail ways. I rnent I nn1 supporting are selling land~:;, I claim made the statement last year in this House that to have a rigt1t to Yote for a railway propmttl. the bon. gentleman issued instruction~ to cur­ [The PRE~!IllR : Yes, but the rail wa!' wa snb­ tail woges, and I have since ~;ut proof of that. l1litted to this House on that principle, and you [i\1r.• J. LEAHY: No.] I hrtve got proof that voted for it.] I protested against the eale of instructions were iosued to ::Vfr. Bernays, the Cruvvn lands tong llefore I entered this t-Iouse. engineer in charge, to reduc,_,< the vvage$ of the I certaio1y spoke in favour of that railway, and men working on the line, and. when the men did not vote against it, and 1 hope the Secretary c.,mplnim,d to ?vir. Bernays about the Wilges, for Railways will extend those railw>tys. The he said : L' That i::; your Labour Govern1nent. con3truct.ion of r.tilways and sales (tf land are That iR the Governmt-nt you put in pov~

The abolition of the salt·~; (Jf Crown huds; {b) Similar case> can be proved, too.] [The PRE­ periodical revaluation of all Cro,vn lauds held on lease ; MIER: The man who made such a Btatement [ivlr.Paget. Address in Repl,y. [8 AUGUST.] Address in Repl,y. 18!1 ought to be sacked. l'rove that he made it.] do you not st>trt them? You have lt majority.] Three months prior to the Co>tlition Government The hon. member for Burke ha• inrroduced a taking office--[Mr.• T. LEAHY: It is a\mJlutely Bill to allow advances to be made to syndicates untrue, You said you could prove it. Prove it and those eng"ged in mining, and I think that now.] vVell, that is the date we got. [:\llr. J. St:1te batteries would not interfere with his LEAHY ! You Raid you could prove it. Prove it manner of ;tssisting the industry. If there is now. I defy yon.] I h" ve not the dates, but a••Y Act that needs ameoding it is the Mining next time I rise in the H.mse I will produce Act, and I hope that clause 42 will be dealt with. them. [Mr. J. LEAHY: There is no such proof It provides for the nninn of goldmining leases, in any department of the State, because it is not and I would ask ;tny hrm. member to compare true.] It is quite trne. The hon. t11ember for that clause with the clause which provides Gympie can bear In8 out that three or four for the amalgamation nf ordinary reef claims. momhs prior to the formation of the Coalition [Mr. J. LEAHY: I thought you were in favour Government instructions were iswed to curtail of unions.] Not the sort of union that pre­ wages by the hon. gentleman opposite. [Mr. J. vents tnen frmn \Vorking. VVe are againRt LEAHY: If instructions "ere issued, they are in long exemptions being granted to goldmining the dep>trtment. I challenge your statement. J leasehnlder•, but this clause is even worse So they >tre. That is where we gain. The hon. than that, because under it exemp•ions can gentleman contradicted me last year, and J pro· be granted for ever. Goldmining leases c>tn mised to prove my statement the first time I rose be united up to an are>t of 50 acres, and in a this session. [Mr .•J. LRAHY: I sayitisnottrue.] payable mine " certain number of men thus The hon. member f<~r B>trcoo •aid he would not fulfil the labour conditions for the whole area, support a Rabbit BilL I do not take that view and a b>tre majority of shareholders in bo· h leases of the question at >tll. In my opinion, the rabbit may h"ve the union effected. In the ca'e of the is going to be a Rerious peRt, and I intend to give amalgamation of an ordinary reef claim, which that measure my hearty sur•port. I quite agree is "working man's cbim, there must be a two· with the hon. member f,,r Barcoo and the thirds majority. Another m:ttter I would likb to seconder of the Address th~t the boy eo< t is used refer to is the board of examiners for managers. in the \Vest, bnt I do not think the refusal to This board, which i"sues certificates of cumpe· pass a Rabbit Bill is the proper way to prevent tency to mine m>tnagers, consists of the Chief that being done. In regard to land settlement, Inspector of lYiines, the district in8pector, and I would point out that people from the other the Government An"hst. Tnere is no 1•ractical States are gaining privilege• at the expen,e of miner among the three. In the United States the native-horn and the pi .. neers of t hb St>tte. the b Jard consists of the inspector of mines, the The hon. members for l'daryborongh introduced district inspector, two mining managerR, and to the Secreca· y for Lands a gentleman from the one practical miner. l~ven therl· the practical southern St>tte•, and I"' ill jns· quote this rara­ miner's ability and knowledge is ree.. grnsed. gr>tph from the Maryboro1rgh Chronicle- I hnJJR an amendment will be effec ed in the Act in that respect. I am very much We published last, week a letter from )Jr. John pleased to see th11t a Workers C. •mpen• Xorman, ~1 r•. A., stating that he and .:\:Ir . .J.litchell, 1\LL.A., had introduced to the )Iinister f r I.Jands Mr. sati· •n ~.\.et is foreshadowed, as it is badly McGrath, representing a group of Victorian farmers, needed. One of our worthy federal representa­ who made applicatlon for a. block of land on Monnt t]vp:,, ~{r. ~"'isher, when in a sad lllinority on Murray platf~au upon \Vllich to settle. It was sta! eel the other side of this Honse. >td vocated that a that a satisfadory offer had been made a..nd accepted, proper Workman'"' CmnpenF:ation A .. ct, .should be but the terms were not given. passed, and I think it, i.s highly desrrable th>tt it should be done. I would just like t<> quote lt J\.1r. XormcJn informs us that the terms are the granting few figureR wi1 h re~ard to ~mch a ffiP,tsme. On of about :il,000 acres on 11urray plateau to be d1vided Charters Tower~ ther·e are, accor.iing to the amongst about a. dozen familit>s. 'l'be price 1s to he Queeng/and J1finin_rf Jotl1"nal, which should be from 35s. to 40s. per acre (wllieh includes the railway authentic, 2,730 Inen employed in 111i11in¥, and bettermcmt value). Payment ls extended OYtl' twenty years. but the applicants have thr~ option uf paying tlJPy produce 104.()8 oz. pPr man, and the dividend cash, and it is believed they will do so. per m:->:-: 8hnuld be given on :NI"lmt Perry there are 42t> men emplo.: ed, to all, and that the native-horn and the and the prod nee per head i" £276 2s. 61. JJeduct pioneers should be allow, d to compete for that the average rate of w~ge p..-~id nn the field and particular block of Lmd. [llfr. LRHINA : They you ha''' the dividend. I s;;eak with some should get the prefPrer,ce. J As a native Queens· sympathy on t hi.3 rna,tter, as I have been a practi­ lander, I muy ""Y thttt l do not think they Hsk C<1l ndn~ r for fi\·u yc->ar .. ~, and if thi~ c'a~s of rnen for prefer•·nce. TI1t·y only a~k for equal chances produce that amnunt ill dividend", thPy sho~ld be of all. This pirce of land wi]r he selected under 811titled to cnn1pent.-ation in the case of acc1dent. the Srwcinl \.gricnltnr:-1l Homesteade Act, an Tho,"e are the flgure~, a.nd bon. n1mnb<:>r'-~ can see amendmtt jonrnal. I arn just sestlion, as .it raised thP n~axinlllHJ to G40 acn ..;, n.:;.ing that as an ar:,·ument '-'-'hy we ... hould hq,ve a A Mining Act Anlendmc-nt Bill is fore· workn1an's compensation ...~.et. It theHe tr en shadowed in the Speeeb. I am well a ware produce that "mount of dividenrJ, for their th"t the returns fell "h"rt bst year hy owners nnd shan"holdPrs. in c q;;r__; of n.ee dent 33,259 oz., and in rny opinion the Govern­ they are entitled to s•lrne Cmnpem;ation. [lVIr. J. ment shonld ''"j,"t the mining industry by I..JEAHY: ThPn the n1an who 11roducP.s n11 divi­ the establi,hment. of Stat~ batteries >tnd metal­ dend' could not get ""Y compensa•ion. That is lurgical works. If that v·ere done, I arn ::;;ure, your a1·gument.] Those who are dRpriverl t1f inste:~d of having a fh~-cn-·aHe in next year's their br<-'ad \V inner sh(\nld a.h;n gt:t cumpenHaiion. retnrn~, therA would be a very great inert a:-: e. In New Zealand compensation is p;id to all If there is >tny conntrv iu the world that would worlnnen. except in the case of suicide, when benefit by the establishm··nt of such b>ttterie8, it the onus of proof is placed upon the employer and is Queensland. In \Vestern An,tralia there >tre not the employee. \Vith regard to the unem­ 260 head of Rtate stamps. and last year's returns ployed, I think th>tt t be Government hai< d"ne were over £1,000,000. [Mr. ,J. LEAHY: Why more to lessen the number of unemployed than Mr. lane~.] 190 AddPess in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Repl.y. an~~ other previous Governn1ent. [U-overnment people can he marle rich, and we make laws to members: Hear, hear!] The late Government protecL tlwir wf,alth; bnt we do not provide could not find them when they were in office, but work nor food for the }Joor people. Under a \ve are finding a few now. I nwy Ray thrtt the ~ysten1 of sociali:-;In \VA would have very little particular class of rotLd work clearing whieh the want and ~;tarvation, n,nd thAt i.s ju:'lit what Axists Ul11.:.tnployed have been eng·a.e;ed npnn is very in (2tH~;:;n:;::land to-d.ay. Then=Jfvre, I am not ,nuch appnt in rna.king da111s tu give To glnt a H1a(1. inordinate lnst for .:::ain. people watLr, it would have been far more bene­ The Socialist is one wll~ hnld::.: the be' t ficial to thosB who are ~ettied in those diHtrict~. Of u.ll God':'. gift.s i~ tnil-the second ru;t. The Governn1ent .-::hould take up the rnatter of He a~•ks that all menle~:trn tlH~ s\veets of' labour, water conservtttion in Ron1e nf those diRtricts .\._nd that no ifller fatten on his ueigllbour­ which are not well watered. People are carting Thnt all men be allowed to share their leisure, :\or gwn:=::.·ctrHh:. ~la-ve that ouc may .~rr·k his pleasure; water for eight or ten miles, and because the dis­ \Yl10 on the Golden TI.nle .-.11all clarc t ist, trict is settled they ,.~n 6Ct very little assistance. Behold in ltim the Socialh:t. To properly ~-rapple with this question we should have a de[Jartment of labour, pre-',ided over by a Tbnt is my opinion of it. You can hardly responsible :\1inister ; I think that would go a object to that. I do not want to take up the long way tow.lrds settling the unemployed ques­ time of the House any further, as I shall have tion. [Mr.• T. LEAH Y: Is the :Minister over an opportunity of :-<.peaking on theRe mt asures there responsible at present?) There are manv when the.v come before the House and are going good measures foreshadowed in the Bill, and through their Jiffercnt stRgf''~, many democratic ones, such as the conciliation and compulsory arbitration, an of which shall The SECRETARY I?OR PUBLIC LANDS have my hearty support. 1'here is one thing I (Hon. ,J. T. Bell, Daluy), who was received with think the Government is worthy of commenda­ "hear, hears !" said: l should like, first of all, to tion for, and that is the cessation of.the borrow­ carry the House back for a few minutes to the ing policy. A correspondent of the He1Yild of speech that preceded one we have just listened Adelaide, South Australia, gives a few tigures to from the hon. member for Burnett, if hem. which I should like to quote. He finds members will pardon me for doing so. It is that in twenty-five years Aust.ralia borrowed difficult at the outset to decide whether the £1,827,H7,000. The actual cash sent out to the observations of the hon. member for Rosewood Governments was £51,91G,OOO, and the actual are the latest echo of the last general election or cash "ent out to private people £84,000,000; a premonitnry rumbling of the next one, but total, £14\916,000. The interest paid by Aus· unquestionably, in my opinion, his observations tralian Governments amounts to £113,858,000; were far less suited to a Chamber of this kind interest paid by private perRons t" absentees, than they would be tc> a congenial platform in £123,637,000; total, £254,495,000. The capitalists the Rosewood electorate. Although the hon. said we owed them at the end of the twenty. five gentle1nan, nominally~ was offering opinions in years £3·1U,68G,OOO. In twenty·five years we the debate upon the Acldres' in Reply to paid £H5,910,000, and the capitalists w>Lnted His Excellency's Speech, in reality he was in the £()04,181,000 to sett.le their claim. I think the.se most palpoble and most disgraceful way attack­ :figures prove to any reasonable business rnan ing as hard as be could thA gentlemen who con­ that t~ ~e,,ation of the borrowing policy is a fc rred upon him the honour of making him a very wise step. I have been through my elec­ member of this Assembly. I should think that torate during the recess a.nd given an account of the representative of the Rosewood electorate my sLwardship, as most members do, and I would have been one of the hst men on this side claim the same rig-ht to eulog-is8 the Government of the R,,nge to have utt•red a. deprecatory word on the rnr'H8nre~ I r1g-rePd with, y,-hile abo dis­ in regard tu the Government's adtninistration. agreeing with any mea~ure which was not in [Government members : Hear, hear!] He has accordance with the prin~iples un which I was att.en1pted-8'\ i'iOtnP hon. n1embFJTS of the leH''.i elected. I also claim the right to uphold nobl.e kind may also feel disposed to do-to show Rociali~rn as ihe SPeretnry for Agricultnre dirl tha~ during 1ny adn1initi~;ration of the Lands to comkmn it. [Mr.• T. J.i'OJ!SYTH: Do you DepartnJent. pref< rence has been shown to men believe in the quee.ns\and objecrjve '!] Yes. [The outside the St •te r.ocialism practised cheer of that sentiment from the bon. member it would be far better for the people of the Ste.te. for Albe1-t. [~Ir. PLu.x:;:ETT: Hear, hear !J 'Yell, Ho\vever, I an1 tL socinlist, and I arr1 uot afraid as the hon. member for Albert is ahn2ys profuse to advocate ir. [Government members: Hear, in his compliments to me on my administration hear!) I have read up the subject, of the Land' Department when be comes to my [8 p.m.] and l know as much about it as the room to ask me for >1 favour-[Government member who interjected and asked members: Ab, ah !)-he might, in a more public me if I understood it. Under our present laws way in this Chamber, give some reawns why he is [Mr. Jones. Address iil Rtplp. [8 AUGUST.] Address in Repl,y. 191

dispo,ed to holct auontraryopinion here. The hon. nature being what it is-that my action in con­ member for H.o:;;eworHl has no £!"ronnds whatever nection with the· movement of men from the for nlrlking snch a charge. I h~aS{' Rhown, as it south and thAir settlement upon the land pro­ so happt:--ns, t( the hon. mernber\, elec:toratf' uwre duces r. fleccions of that !dnd from men of the consictemtion of the kind that l am hnlrling ont type of the hon. member for Rosewoud--l will to men frl)rn tlH-~ South than I arn to the electorate not say of the type of t.he hon. member for of rtny rnmuber in tbio Cbamh0r. [:-.Ir. KJ£OGH: i\Jbert, but 11 is Ek-sent to the critiei~m of tbe hon. I DI:-'Ver asked y n tn do ~o.] Of cour.~e tht~ hon. me1nber for Hosewood is extrem,->:1y surprisjng-. rrH::o.Inber never a~ked me. 1 b~-.~ve nevPr :-,ep,n hirn It is irnpn.'··r for Lands, shuulU IH " take place, bL~eause it it~ thP e;:perience ~nd hi~ ni1me hnH llC\"fT been Lt·. ·ught in to me, of nw;-;t 1n-n, whether in pri\at.· life or public I dn noG Hnt;pox~ thPH::· i.-a me11dwr h(•rc~ who is lif,-J that ' hPn y1m take a c Ttain line and do an imparti,tl judge' f JY.linistero, who will think I cert.ain t.hilli;8, no 1natter how bcnr~volPnt your am an inacr~e · ~ible .:\:linister. [IIonoura.blP rnern~ nwtives may be or how con1paLl,(;i\,,·ly successful hero : Hear, hear!] I do not think there iR a yonr actione, yo" will find somebody who will member-bar the hon. member fo1· Hnsewood­ Jnake little in;;innations as to the motives nn either side of this Chamber who "-ill soy that prompting you. The Victorian rnen and the when be goes to the L"nrls Department he has Xew i::\outh \Vales men, thP Victorians especially, not ready access to the Minister·, so far as the ha!•pen to be cowing np here f18 a ro~ult of n1y throngl'l of people waiting to see hi1n vviH allow. visit to the son' h in l1'ebrne1ry hsL Those men [Honourable members: Htar, he . .r !) I as"Ire who took up 5,000 acre·" on tht' Do\vns are 1nen hon. members that. no mfltter whllyfeel atthisinstant. [Mr. ,J. LEAHY: south were permitted to form group~, people in Yon did not contradict rtnything he said.] I (-.lneensland at once began to ask why they were shall controvert something the hon. gentleman not ,tllo\ved to funn groups too. Tbe an1endment h>1s said, which will be much more import.ant. of the Ad under which they were allowed to ftTm The hon. member for Htuse it so happens that the under that Act was the Victorian group; hut the only two groups authoriBed yet from a1nong~t 1n~.nnent other n1en lF"":.an to band t,(,g·ether in Qneenslanders belong to the hon. member's own Queensland, and show a disposition to take up electorate. And I say tbrtt the hon. member has land, I ga,·e them the rc:1dim;t assPnt. l>sidos not had much to do in helping these n1c~n to get the \ 7 ictorian a.nd New South \V u.les groups, upon the land. [GonJrnment members : Oh, there are oth(~r grnup"' in pr( ·::::ess t)f formation, oh!] fMr. KROGH: They never sow me.] Of each of which is as nnn1f-'rouR as either of the course they did not. Instead of wa,ting time by southern groups-a;:; Ltr ._d.; my infonnation goeR­ going to him, they cmne to the only man who a.nd they al'e rec ~iving exactly the ,,arne facilitie,, could help to put them on tbe land, and that was in reg:.."rd to inspecti• lH of the land a1 any une of tbe Minister. Ont of the sixty or se,·enty men the grout from the south. [An honourable who formed these groups-the second group is member: Those are loc~l groups?] Ye", local not quite completed, but it will be in '~ few days groups; und, as I hrnre t,dd, both those groups -I do not think the representatives of either of belong to the electorate of the hon. me m her for these two groupo, who have seen me personally, Hosewood. [:Yir. KROGH : I am very pleased to will echo the reflections of the hon. member in hear it.] Upon my word, it ic very amusing to the shghtest degree; on the other hand, I believe find the1t the hon. member ha.s to get informa­ they will admit the1t I did all tlmt a man tion abont his own electorate on the floor of this could do to help them achieYe their object. House the hon. member has just grasped It so happens-I suppose it is inevitable, hnman the fact that these two groups are in his Hon. J. T. Bell.] 192 Address in Repl,y. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply. own electorate. [Mr. J. LEAHY: \Vhat is many respects, but if he believed that one of the there in that?] The hon. member for Bulloo duties of a Lands Minister was to observe the land occupied I do not know how long the laws-which I thoroughly believe-all I can '"'Y other night in making a epeech, a very large that his was not the ideal that should be held up in )JOrtion of which was disorderly. these better days. Despite the more rigid view The SPEAKER : Order ! I take, and the not ton rigid view taken previously, there is as much bondfide ,;ettlement The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: going on now in proportion to the demand for The hon. member for Bulloo sufficiently indulged land as there probab'y has ever been in Queens­ his propensity for lotid Lands l>epartment, and when she was carrying I shall have to squirm under. I shall have to out the laws of the land in regard to the occmpa­ admit that there is considerable truth in them. tion of an agricultmr~tl homest.ead---[Mr. KEOGH: One of thnse came from the hon. me m her for No, it was not an agricultural homestead.] \V hat Bowen, although it assumed an exagg-erated was it? I venture to think that it was an agri­ forw, and another from the hon. member for cultnral homestead. What. else conld it be? ~1aranoa, in which thA case was etJrrectly stated. [Mr. P. J. LEAHY: It might have been a grazing And th •t is that there b an undue delay some­ homestead.] At 2s. ud. an acre? [Mr. P. J. times in giving the licenses to occupy the laud. LEAHY: No, with personal residence.] I believe In the C«Se of both graziug farms and, mor;; the hon. member's instincts are sufficiently good rarely, perhaps, agricultural farms, that is to guirle him to a right conclusion, and I ho[Je he correct; and after the criticisms that were made will follow his own instincts and not be led away the other night I had a return prepared in by the influence of fraternal instinct,. It is re­ connection with the are~s to which those markable th;ct the hon. member for Rosewood cdticismg referred-at \Vallnmhilla and on should come here championing the cause of a the Proserpine. I also had "' return made with distressed selector, and not re,,lly know what the regard to the criticismg of the Government selection is that he has taken up. The case "Whip," the hon. member for Gat rnistake Ranger Burnett, under urgf.:'nt inRtruetimd::,· to so far as the F'"sibili 'Y of the observance of that insvect timlwr reserve.-,. ~o work could be condition i::; concPrnetJ-that in ninf'. ca;:;:p-. out of done durin1K ~larch owing to wet Wt-'<::~thPr. ten the ... e young won1en arA not selt,cting on I should expbin to the Hou~,e that in thP district their own account, but are dun1n1ying fnr their we rR.rt--1:-r ~'lnpll)y nwre than one ~urveyor. It is brothers or thPir parents. That bas be0n the very much the "ame in regard to the \V:tllnm­ actual expsri~-nce, and it haR been Ro hroughL bill« ca~e, except that in that case the surveyor h«me to the L'"'islatllre that in the Land Act himself seern~ to ha Ye been unduly ::;;ll)w-so ~lovv of 1902 this pr~Jvi-,ion- section 8~-was in­ that the eh id surveyor took the wm k out of his serted- hrLnds, and is':<,Uf-J fre:-.h instrnctions to another survf'yor. In regard to the Bo\Ven DO\\ ns cas12, ..ln unmnrrit l female under the a;;e of twenty-•'~ne year~ shall not be competent to 8eled a.ny land as an the dt"1ay WDS o\ving in a great degree, though agricultural Lnn or agricultnral homestead, not entirely, to the fact tb;tt uuder the L md Act, when the valnP- of th\~ itnprovements is not and so on. Th;tt wal':l pnt in a,, the result of the agreed upon, the Land Court ha:-; to detern1ine experience the Lcmds Department had had in thetr Yalue, and the htte le"ee i" to be P"id for such C1'~t-'R as the one in·,,t·\nced by the hon. thr1n within a Cm'tain time. The delay wa'\ in member for Hn~ewoori. I can on.ly say that having the valuf' of tho.s~ improve1nents.fixed by when people gilt la:1d at 2e. 6d. an 'wre, which is the Land Court, and until they were ;n fixed worth a JTI1F~h greater Rum th~.,n that, the least the lic:f~DRP to occupy conld not i~~ue. J3ut \Ve they ca,n do 's to observe the conditions, and I do are amending that difficulty by making this pro· not think the•e is any member of the House who viso in the ft kind, that the law court subsequently determining· the rea, I vahle­ should be obeyed. I shall continue to do so, we shall i"'"' the license to occupy. That will even though l suffer in cnmp>nison with that very largely, though not completely, get over the Lands J\'l:ini,ter who flourished a number of delay. But there is another cause' for the dday. years "go, and whose attributes, from all I hear The hon. member for Bm;en said we had not about the,n, as the years go on, have become enough snrveyors, and in a magnificent way largely legendary. I know rerfectly well that added, "Put on more surveyors." It rt--rninded me the L>mds Nlini,ter whom the hon. member for of a passag-e in Thnckeray's novel of "The New­ Hosewood referred to was an excellent man in comes," where he describes an Anglo-Indian who [Hon. J. T. Bell. Address in Repl,Y. [8 AUGUST.] Addnss in Repl,y. 10:3

had made a great deal of money in Beng-al advantage (Jf many in ten iews With the hon. and returned home. He had been giving a party, member on land matter"- I du not think 1 have and a; the gue•tH were departing it came on to had more than one. He should not talk in chat r.tin. \Vith his Indian ho, quite recently that there has not been suffi­ Are you advei'sity ?] 1 dv hope the hon. gentle­ cient work hitherto to ju,,tify the engagement of man will learn parliamentry manners. [Mr. ,J. an additional contract surveyor. If we put him LRAHY: I certrrin!y shall not come to you for on, there i" no certainty that he would be con­ them. You were pulled up for being disorderly tinuoutggerating- the po~ition when he says be no misLake about that. that. I know that I have been more lavish in the hon. member'" districc in opening land to }Ir. ,T. LEAHY: I rioH to a point of order. agricnltura,l houie~tPart st~lecLion than I con­ Is thP hon. gentleman in order in saying that I scientiuu,]y beli··ve the conditions warrant. I sit in this House to legio

The SPEAKER: Order: The hnn. member virtues of our predeceBROrs that we have enjoyed has appealed to tbe Chnir, and I hope that he any RUC('2SR at all tbiR last year. [Mr. ,T. him8elf will eonfonn to the practiu of ohe LB:,\HY: Quite so,] The hon. gentleman says it, House. bnt does he think for a nwrnent anybody is going :1\Ir. J, LEAHY: I would remind you that you to believe it? But the hon. gentlernan ass(J­ took £200 for election pnrpose '• from a certain ciatecl hirnself with a far more outr3geons state­ par~y. ment than that. This is what he 8aicl, and I n1ad~:' an interjection :J.,t the IWJment BXf-'ressive The :SPEAKER: Order, order: of mv bc·lief that he conld not think there was The SltCJlETARY :FOR PGBI,IC LAXDS: anyborly sn cn:dnlon-;;, a~ to attach any credence I desire to' all thc attention of the Hou.- e to the to what be was saying. He ,·,id··- lntf,rjection of the hon. 1nrn1 ber h>r l~nllon. l The llon. gentleman is losing lantl 1·eveuue becanse believe th ~the ha:::; enongh ne' "UCV in him-I am he h:-ts trightcnect peopie away from the Yrestern sure he has enou"'{h dect>ncy in' him, \\-hen in country, and leaving it to be overrun with rabbits and calmer mood he reflects upon it-to think tlutt he dingoC'"l, 'l'hcre are 80,000 sqnare mllt-: of country in should in some degree, perhaps, not feel proud the far \rc"itern dhitricts ·which are de-:eru at the of that interjection. [Mr. ,J. LEAHY: Don't present time. make charges.] The hon. gentleman has just interjected that I received £200 from the pas­ l\'Ie"ning, of course, 80,000 miles of abandoned toralisi.s in order to advocate their intere,ts. I country. He intended to convey tbat owing to think the senior member fu1' Brisbane i\orth the administration of the Government the;·e was himeelf contradicted that statel11ent and said 80,000 square miles of country lying vacant in that he as a p .. storalist snbscribed to that fnnd, the \l-est, and he wanted to make out that the I repeat now, as I ,ssured the House then, that I presence of the present occupants of the Trea­ had no idea whatever until that moment that that Rury benches created a S( tre <:tmong- the tin1id rnoney can1e frorn a pastoralist source. It carne inhabitants of IV estern Queensland ; and that from a pastoralist, as I s>tid then, but I had no that scare was so great th>tt they incontinently intirnation that it ca.me fron1 u pastoralist fund. fled at their appe:uance. [~\lr. J. LEAHY: You Let there be no mistake about it. That assi,t­ read what I said.] I have rPad what the hon. ance I got-and I believe a large nn1nber of rnen mew her said. \Vas there ever a more ridiculous do get assistance when carrying on their elections statement ut.tered by an intelligent partizan in -was given without the slightest condition. It hi" frantic endeavour to manufacture argnments wa' given withouo any hampering c mdition, and against his opponents'! [l\'lr. J. LEAHY: You are let me say that if I had known that it did come dridng them off every day.] There is not a from a pastoralist source I should ha Ye been just scintilla of proof of that. [Mr. ,J. LEAHY: Abso­ as ready to take it as from any other honourable lutely true.] :First of all there are not 80,000 source. Jt is as fairfor the Pa,;toralisb' Associa­ square miles that have been abandoned during tion to help a man into Parliament as for a labour the last five years. [Mr. .T. LEAHY: How association or any other association, and at the mnch then?] Speaking from memory, about next general election if the pastoralists or labour GO,OOO or (15,000, and not one square mile of association, or any legitimate body of men, offer country has been abandoned owing to the to assist me into Parliament. as I am not a presence in power of this Government. That wealthy man, all I c-01n say is that I shall con­ country has been forfeited for causes over which sider myself perfectly open to take that ass;st­ this Government and no human beings whatever ance. [Honourable members : Hear, hear !] have any power. LMr. J. LEAHY: You do not deny And in taking that assistance no man can say it?] It has been forfeited simply because the with the slightest justification that it has e\'er men who formerly held it now find they have hampered my parliamentary action. So, there­ not got any stock to depasture on the country. fore, I repeat that I am sure the hon. member for [Mr. J. LEAHY: Because they have not any con­ Bulloo in calmer moments will not feel proud of fidence in the Government of the country. You his interjection. [Mr. J. LEAHY: Do not make have destroyed their confidence. No one will charge·' against me then.] The hon. member is lend them money.] It is an extraordinary thing one of the hardest speaker,, and yet when he that an intelligent member like the hon. member gets a little bit of a prick he sqnirms like a shonld associate himself with snch a statement. schoolboy. The hon. member during the course I appeal to the senior member for Brisbane of his remarks made this statement- North whether the main cause of the abandon­ ment of that country in the \Vest is not owing to \Vhere will he be next yea.r if there is another the lack of stock to depasture upon it? The drought? The opening of large areas of land, the building of railways, and the settling of the veople on hon. member for Bulloo has said that we are the land, and the growing- of wheat-that is what ~aved driving the people off the land indirectly owing the novernment this year. to what he terms a lack of confidence-those are beautifully vague words-in the way we administer I frankly admit it ; but, surely, that coming the affairs of the country. [Mr. J. LEAHY : from the h

Tecollect a large f.:eries of mnendments which yea.rs.] I have no douht the hon. member pre­ the hon. gentlenw,n rnoved in nearly every clause ferred three or six months, but I mu,t say that relating to the pa,toralisu" Plr. OAI>IERON : gene1 Ally the condition w ·" accept:tble. Then It wa~ not a gP-neral condemna0i1JTI.] 0£ coursE· there is ,noLber amendment, the absence of which I shall takt> the hon. gentleman'.:-; statement; was deplored from the Act pas'''d bythehon. mem­ but I muKt frankly admit tJm• ruy recollec­ ber and hi.-; colleagues, and th<1t wns that there tion it< tl -,t. it wa' that the hon. gentleman wa no provision limi~,ing the ine;rease of rent on spuke in a di~tincUy pcs~imi~tic Wc1y abnut the reasse:-->n1ent. \Ve vnt that inro the Bill, and, provision,, of that. n1ea~tue tM L1r a.-; regard~ as I "ay, it i" still in the Hill tbat is now before the pa~tor !lists. [:\lr-. c~\}IE!{()_:'\'" : To a. great the Ho<"e. [Mr. FoRSY'fH: 2~> per cent.] Yee. extent that was tr.>e.J Tl>:tt was in 1002; but I have bt:>en 1aLouring dw fh)int, but what I last December I mov8d th.- secoud rertding of a want to come to is this: That the attitude of Bill which was ""amendment of that and other this Government with regard top and., of the there were in the 1:!02 Act. \Ve met their representative of the pas'oralists in this Chamber, demand' in regard to two in,portant particulnxs the senior member for Brisbane North, than the in the Bill of last December, and they are now measure that the hon. gentleman was assnciated contained in the Bill, the second reading of with. And although that b our attitude in which will be moved directlv. \V e met their regard to this l• giLilt 'particular [iYir. n1an, driyen to look round for smne arv;nment C.nrERON: Partially.] \\'ell, partinih, if ynu with which to confuse credulous people, ac-tually like to strain it ; but lll the Act of 1902 those says that our action is driving people off the provisi\lnt'l were eonspicuun~-. h7 their complete land. [Mr. ,T. LEAHY: I repeat it.] [:Mr. absence. [.\Ir. OA}IEHOX: Time is right.] [Mr. 0AlHERO:\": Hear, hear~] [11r. ,J. LllAHY: Thf' .J. Lr•:AHY: I n _ver attached any value to it.] hon. gentlernan f,,,Jys ''Hear, hear!"] _Of course Now, one of the serious omi.s-:;ions of the 1H02 the hon. gen,lemnn will admit it. When you Act iu the eyes of the hon. gentleman and get into a position like that, the only thing to do financial institutions was that there was no is to try and brnzen it out. Of course the hon. power to break the l!'ase. [l\Ir. C.\Mt:HOX : To gentleman will repeat it. I have explamed to surrender.] To break the law; tbe two expre~­ the Houiat disHcttisfaction expressed rents have been placed on a lower basis than by the hon. gent:eman and those whom he repre­ they have ever been since the 1884 Act. [Mr. sented-·not so nn:.ch that there \vas no prPvision OA;IIllROX: Resumption" have been increased for preventing an increase of rent on reassess­ from 25 tu :lO per cent.] You can explain it as you ment for the second or third periods; but the like, but since thi., Government took office, the :first omission was a serious one-there was no rent-I will admit it is no credit to this Govern­ provision to enable nervous financial inl'titutions ment-(laugnter)--as a matter of fact since to surrender their leases if they fuund the lessees they took office the rents pastoral lessees have they were assuciated with were unproductive. been paying ar,elower than thev ever have been fMr. 0AMEROX : The trustees.] I mean gene­ ;,incc the 1884 Act. l Mr. 0Aii!EHON: ·what rally, of course. I am bound to say this, ancl I about the Minister's power under the 1!:102 Act have publicly s"id it before: that I do not think with the resumed areas-25 to 30 per cent. of an that nervousness existed on the pn,rt of the lessees increase?] Yes; and I can tell the hon. gentle­ themselves, even the lessees who were not finan­ man that it would be better and faiTer to the cially hampered; but it was di,tinctly admittecl people who own the lands of this country if the that that was connected with banks and finan­ whole fixing of the rents was in the hands of the cial institutions. [l\Ir. FonsYTH: To a ,-ery Minister and not the Land Court. [Government large extent.] Snch a provision, lot me remwd memLers: Hear, hear!] [Mr. J. LEAHY: You this House, the absence of which the bon. mem­ would have tl.e experience of New South \Vales.] ber for Brislune .:\ orth deplored from the Lqnd I wish the hon. gentleman would learn some Act of 1()02, hod never been in a Land Act in parlinrnentary manners. (Laughter.) Since I Queensland; it wa.s a new thing to Jjnt in. But h,t\-e seen the rent, fhed by the Land Ouurt in that Bill of last December we put it in. [:\Ir. ant \Vest recently, it has been a grave question C.HIEIWN: \Vith two ye>trs' notice.] Y os : we with me whether I should not. discharge this put it in exactly ns the hon. grmtlPman wished Land Bill from the paper, nnd withdraw our it. [:VIr. O.HIE!tON: No ; I Rairl one year's proposals for bringing the adu.itional runs that notice.] I beg your p>rdon. I know that, at all ha,-e not C'lme under the 1902 Act under that events, we put it b-fcre thJ'3 hon. gentlt~man or Act, nnd whether it would not be better for the other leeoeeQ, and my recollection is that they country at large to allow tbos8 le~ Be-; to run out, expressed approval of it. [Mr. 0 \MEROX: I did and then let ttll' rent he a Flatter of nf'._gotiation not, neither on he half of myself nor others.] But between the :\Iini-ter ,;nd the leosee. Upon my other le"ees did \V hen they heard the condition word, it io a distinctly debatable point, and I was put in that 1neasure-that either on giYing will ~-ive one nr twn instancf':3 in regard to this two years' notice and paying up all arrears of nmtkr before I sit down. I say that though we rent, and on forfeiture of inlJH'o\·ements:, they pay .£1,000 each a year to thrrce men to sit on the could break their le:tse. I say I certainly heard hen eh and adjuso the pa,.toral rents in this State, :tpprqval expre~.sed in more than one qn.trter, my belief is that instead of by the community and at all e,·ents the hon. member is libe.ral generally ynu had these run.< held hy private enough to approve-, as l believe he '>'ill, when he perf.ions, there \\'ould be an increase of rent pajd calls to mind the large nnmber of run' unrler that by the occupiers of that land from anything up Act that are now surrendered. [:'.Ir. OA}JElWN: In to .)0 per cent., becan8" the people-tt ren1ote expressing disapproval, I 'poke for nine-tenths of entity in matters of that kind-own the land, the pastoralist' of Queensla.ncl.] In expreqsing and you haye a judic:al tribunal assessing it. disapproval of what? [:\lr. CAi11ERON : The two [Mr. OA"!ERON: A good tribunal.] Of course lfon. J. T. Bet!.} 196 Address ~n Repl_y. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Repl_y.

the hon. gentleman says it is a good tribunal. and the Land Court reduced the rent 4s., so that He would be very ungrateful if he did uot think it was brought down to lSs. per square mile. it was a good tribunal. They reduce the rents Now, we will see what were the rents of the to, say, 21"> to 50 per cent. lower tlmn the hon. adjoining runs at the commencement of their member for Bulloo, for example, would make lm.g lea"es. Adjoining this rem which I just the occupiers pay if he happenefl to be the land­ referred to, on three sides was a run of similar lord him>elf. [Mr.• T. LEAHY: \Vhy don't. you character, the rent of which was fixed by nego­ get rid of some of that unoceupied country if the tiation betwe"n the Minister and lessee at £110s. rent is so very low?] The moment that the per square mile, and accepted by the latter. stock come along the country will be occupied. Yet, with exactly similar country and a long Now let me give, as an example of what I was lease, the Land Court fixes the rent at 18s. [Mr. saying in reg"rcl to the rates that are being paid, CAli!EHON : Has not the Crown appealed against the case of a run out vVest that was the:se particular cases?] [Mr. J. LK\HY: \V »it [9 p.m.] quite recently assessed. [Mr. P. until the Supreme Court has clc·.•lt with the J-. LEAHY : Ar~ those cases not facts.] Now, I should like to refer to the bon. sub judice .1l Which cases? [Mr. P. J. LEAHY : member for Brisbane North. In his annual The appeal cases to which you refer.] I am not address to the Pastoralists' As&ociation the hon. at all sure that the hon. gentleman is not to a member, in the part of the address relating to certain extent right, and perhaps I ought to be "land legislation," says-· more careful. I shall, however, give the 'rhis naturally brings us to the question of land example, but I shall not give the actu •l figures. Iegislntion. During last session the .:\linister for I do not want to make public the name of the Lands-- place, but I shall give the figures in t··eir actual pro[JOrtion to the correct figures. There is a [Mr. CAMERON: Don't go twisting about. Read run out W 8.-jt, which was reassessed, we will s:-ty, it all.] [Mr. J. LEAHY: Yes, read the lot; it at £2 per "quare mile. These are nut the correct will be instruction to you.] The hon. member figures. The dividingcommissiuner rec,mmended says- the rent at 10s. less--namely, £1 10s. He LA.ND LEGTSLA'l'ION. had a conference with the manager of that This naturally bring\, us to the question or land legis­ large station, who, on bPhalf of the repre­ lation. During last se~swn the Min1ster tor Lands sentatives of the run, expressed his concurrence introduced an amending Land Act in which a number with the rent, and he amwunced that he did not of matters of interest 1o lessees were dealt with. The intend to conte.st the commis~ioner's recom­ main purpose of the measure seemed to be the giving of mendation. However, when he went intn the g:·eater admn1i:-trative powers to the :\Tinister and the removal of som· of the anomalif's which had been found court "here the case< were being heard the to exist in the Land Act of 1902. As a mPa~ure of manager changed his opinion. I do not know relief to gT;.tziers it was of little value, and did not in whether it was bAcause he saw the hon. member any WHY liberalise the conditions under which land is for Bulloo representing the pastoralists that he held from the C1 O\Vn. succumbed to the temptati"n of having such an advocate that would acc.mnt for the manager's I will halt there for a moment to say that the ch"nge of front, or whet her he thought that out hon. gentleman, when he was reading that, was of loyalty to the other le,sees he should contest s1-eaking more as a political rmrLi~ m than "s the the case. At any rate, he contested it in ren, in the IIH'asure which you know anything about this'?] 1 know a great he conch·mned, he Rncc...,eded in W"tting in~erted deal more about it than the hon. member important atnenrhnents in regard to rent and does, and I am now giving yoa the ctctual the right of breaking a lease? I re;.;ret that the facts. [Mr. ,J. Lr: 1HY : How can you pledge hon. memb- r has noc ye~ become contrite. [ ~ir. yonr word on that·~] The Land Court g 've a CAii!EROX: He is not contrtte.] 1 think he will reduction of 8.,. after the Je,sees, through their bee· m1e con trite. I am q nitP: una hl~ to see how n1anager, ha~ expre~sed themselves in fct vour of the hon. m' mber could make a criticism of that what they con,idend was a fair rent, and that kind. wh· n we had taken a step forward in th.tt m• ant a total loss nf revenue to this State of over measure by including amendments which the £1, 100. [:\Ir .•J. LEAHY: They threw up half of hon. !nember asked fllr, and onP tnost important it last week and sunenlered it to you. Thry one-the right of breaking a leas9. The hon. surrendered it at that rent.] If I may nee the member further said- expres,ion, the hon. member is onlY hlutllng. In this respect it prcsentf'•l a great contrast to the He dnes not know to which ran I am alludiug, lan(t legislation of ~e\v Sontil 'Vale~ and t3onth Aus­ and I am not ~;oing to say anything to make the tralia. One "'Ould have thought that the experienee name of the run public. [Mr. J. LK\HY: They of these States. \vhere the policy of tbe ha.rus..,ment of have snrrendered hundreds of miles to the les~ees had been tr1e<1 and found to bring- nothing but lo,~s to the St<1te, wonlfl have acted as a warning to the Crown.] I will g·ive anothd' e:x>ttnple. There is autlwritii-S in Qu~·ens.hmd. Dul'ing the va:-t few a run in the \Vest; the rent for the previous months attc11tiou has. been drawn to the fact tbat larg-ii­ prriod~I a1n not g .. ]ng to give the exnct fignrE>R ar. as. in Queen~:"~!and have been. and al'e ~till bcin'g, -was, we will say, £1 12s. jJer square mile. The abandoned in consequr•ncP ot' the impossible conditions, commi.:5Ednner red ne~ d the rettt by 33 per cent. and yet. with these facts before then1, Wf~ find attempts being m:tLlc by the authorities of the Lands Dep~trt­ The Land Cnur: reduced it more than one-half. ment to extort from the tenants. rent.als higher than As a uratter or fact, t hP actual reduction was !k the charaetcr of the country warrant~. and even to per squct:re rnilt>. ThHt W3S in the L':t~~~ of a rcson to a system wh1ch I cu.n only de::;cribe as run which had a long lease utrder the l!l02 "\et, extremely improper and unfair. unrlf'r the new Act, wt~ich waR expe<. ·, d to bring in an increaHt" of rents. ThiM wag for a [Yrr. CAMEROX: T say that again; I say it now.] run, the 1e~:-;ees of whlch wPre perfectly willing It is not :;;urprising tha.t the hon. 1nmnber sh·~uld to pay a rent of 12s. 4d. per square mile fo·· a a~sociate himself with those ut-terances which he short period, rwd yet for a long- perinrl of le·1se rr1n..de only four or five da.yR ago, but. th..,. extra­ the c"urt asse,sed it at 3s. less. [J'.ir ..J. LRAHY: ordinary thing is that a rnem ber of Parliament, That is ,,u bunkum. I will tell yon all about it wh(j f~els such f'xtranrdinary in·1ignatinn that he next v·eek. I will teil yon what you sairl.] deliberatdy char"cterities the conduct of a mem­ Th ... re j,. >~nother run ~ituatt--d dose to a wes1 ern b~:--r of the Govern1nent a-; improper and unfair, to .. n. The rent was £1 2". per square mile. The Rhould hav" S'tt nn that corner bench and only commif.;sioner recornrnended an inCiease of ls., three days ago have delivered an address on the [Hon. J. T. Bell. Address in Repl,y. [8 AUGUST.] Addre-ss in Reply;. 197

Address in Heply, and yet never have made a the senior member for Brisbane K orth was under single allusion to that fact. [Mr. CAoiERON : I the impression that what he was saying were told the House I was too ill to speak.] I did not facts, but that when to-morrow he comes to hear the hon. member make that statement, and nndergo that process of salutary rdlection that I I can assure him that I would be the last man in hope the hLid for those rights of accordance with the 17th se0tion of the 19D~ Land depasture he ought to do it, and it is a perfectly Act. In many instances, an nttempL has been made to legitimate argument to use before the Land Court. double the rent for the~e portions of country. As the resumed areas can only be held on a yearl.v tenanry, [Mr. J. LEAIH: He h"s always done it whenever some lesset'" have agreerl t.o the 3-:Iinister's tf'rms know­ I saw him.] I prefer this statement of facts i1"2.' that when they hnd no further use for the country to the memorv of the hon. member for Bnlloo the·· could relieve themselves of the rental burdei1 or the hon. member for Brisbane l\ orth. [Mr. which its occupancy imposed. The rc;;;nlt has been CA1IEIW~: I do not think the hon. gentleman that. they tlud the department has used this acceptance of its terms as a reason WhJ the rental for the l! rtschold has any right to impugn my veracity.] I am vorti'ln should also be largely increased. In some not doing so. He is one of the last men that instances. it has led to thn, rental of the leasehold would say any thin~ in which be did not believe. portion bt.ing raised 2;) per eent. 1\o doubt tbh;; may Wbat I do say is th>Lt he wa•·. told certain bt reg•Hded by the department ted people like the pastoralists and talk like a number of good points in it. The chief point is that. [Mr, CAMERON: They are good people.] this: 'That the main parts of that Bill, dealing Of couroe they are good people. I belong to the with pastoral lessees, were in the Bill that I race of pastoralists myself; but they are human introduced last Deceml1er. I wr,nt to repeat beings. It is all very well to st.1tions are that the pastoral rents have been determined unvder the Act, of presence of those two amendments will bring them 1902, and I say that T lJaYe not in a single case a"ked in. [Mr. CAliiEIW~ : It will lllake no difference.] for an increase of rent on the lerLsehold on the ground My recollection of our conference with the hon. of accept~J nee of rents for rights of depasturing fixed by thP .:\[ini~ter under section 17. In fact, I ha\'c only member and other pastoralists was that they referr.::.d to the matter in one case, and that '\Ya~ wllen a expressed their satisfaction with the amend­ lessee called the attention of the court to the rent ments, and s:.tid they would brine; a lot of runs tixed, and I pointed out th:it, in the case mentionrd, a under the Bill. [Mr. 0AilfERON : I think the considerable reduction on the former rent had been hon. gentleman is \vrong.] I dn not say h•5 did, made. but certainly others did in connection with the \V hat has the hon. member to say to that? [Mr. Pastoralists' Association. I have taken an undue CAMERON: I say just the same still.] The hpendence. The merchants that this Government were driving people off the of Brisbnne are now hnnclling over £2,000,000 land, was the mere fiction uf a desperate politician worth of nJerchanclise less in the year tinn they striving hard to find arguments with which to wero doing prior to £,,,deration; nnd the mer­ belabour his opponents, and nothing ebe. And chnnts of a city cannot handle so mnch less when you apply to the statement the touch­ rrioney-for that is what it amounts to-without stone of fact it wither,; aw.cy at once. I shall the St.ate losing in some way. \Vhat has federc<­ not say any more on this matter beyond, in con­ tion <1oue for Queensland ; Tt has closed our clusion, that this Government, when its cnnrse is boot factorieH and our jarn fHctories, and has run, will be a" distinguished for its success in increase,! the number of unemployed. Every­ promoting the wdf!tre of the pastoral lessee as it where we bear the same cry. Hon. members undoubtedly is going to be in inducing settle­ opposite ought. to be very ple; sight to me as a know whether he wants me to make an apology, Qneenslander to see our ::VIinisters begging for but I will say at once that I claim a righo to crumbs from the t.ore useful measures in it is mainly owing to hon. members on the other the whole of the Government programme. The side that we owe the desperate condition to which Bill of which the Secretary for Pnblic Instruction the State was reduced. Federation was the has charge is a very good one, and I hope it will chief factor which brought about that result, and soon become law, althongh I think it might be they were the most ardent ad vacates of federation. more stringent. But the Land Bill is the one oJ' The present members of the Opposition, by most importance to me. Out of the seventy-two their abuse of their position as trnstees for the members who were selected in 1888 only four State of Qneensland, and allowing the State to have seats in this House. They are you, Mr. faJl into the hands of the southern States, com- Speaker, the leader of the Opposit,ion, the Hon. mitted a crime which is the cause the Premier, and myself. :From then until now I [9.30 p.m.] of the whole of the present tronble. have never ceased doing my b>-st to get men to [Mr. BAI\NES: Manv members on settle on the land, and to get successive Govern­ yonr own side voted for federation.] That is ments to do their share in promoting snch settle­ the argument used by the hon. member for ment. Bnt no Government has so far done its Bulloo the other nig·ht·-that because the present best to carry ont that object. The words uttered Premier was a snpporter of the late Government by the hon. men1ber for Brisbane North strongly at one time, he was responsible for all their imptesed thenbelves on my memory when he said misdeeds. Referring again to the speech of the that previons Governments always looked upon bon. member, I do not think it had the slightest the man who settled npon the land as a rogue. effect npon the position of the Government, and I say here, as I have said elsewhere, that that tha.t it might as well have been delivered in the has been the fault of successive Governments. moon. I contend that tbe principal cause of From 1808 to 187G we had liberal Land Acts; our trouble is federation. 'fhe action of the late bnt what the leading men in those nays chiefly Government in handing this State over body objected to was giving people homesteads at and son] to the southern States has had the 2s. 6d. an acre. I S>ty, however, that the great effect of reducing our revenue by no less than charm of tho"e Acts was that it gave men a £1,340,000 per annum. Those gentlemen were chance to get homesteads of ](JO ncres at 2s. Gd. told at the time what would be the results of an acre, and that that has done more to settle federation, bnt what did they care? [Hon. R. people on the land than any other htws we have PHJLP: You are imputing motives now.] I ever passed. Successive Governments have [Hon. J. T. Bell. Address in Repl;y. [8 AL'G"GST.] .Address in Reply. 199

wanted this land to be settled by other means, upon when men are available for making homes and were content so lung >tS it was occupied and upon it. I hope that wlmt I ""Y will not go to the men emplo) erl on it consii'ted of a few waste upon the Mini,ter, hecrtmr~ I do not believe shearers and sheep-washers. That is all the that the present policy is a wise one. He says he settlement they wanted, and all the settlement is very anxious to open up l:wd.. l believe he they have got. But, let any man travel from has opened np a lot, but there 1' st!l~ a great deal Nerang to the Lockyer and the D.1wno<, and more to be done. ~"-mong other thmgs the hon. seek out the home,;teader, and see wh>tt l1e has gentlmrw.n told us to· night was that he h.,d never dam: for him;;elf and the country. Hundreds of yet refused to see a member of Parliament. 111en in East and \V est JYioretnn and tbe I belien: that is qnite true so far as his office is Darling Downs bavt:, under the Hornestead concerned, but I hctve been very anxious to see Act, settled on the land, and, thoug-h they hi1n, and b:.ve not .succeeded nwre than once out may have had a hard struggle at the start, of four times. [The SECHETARY FOR PUBLIC they had the determination to succeed, and LAKllS: The only re;1son ;, that other people have gone on and on until to-da~r Southern were in thPre.] No ; the only reason was that Queenshnd is populated by as happy and the hon. gPntlen1an wa':l not in there himf'elL prosperous a people as you will find on "\Ve ban' had a dissertation on socialism this God's earth. This H.tion. \Vhy not and \Vest C\1oreton districts who are anxious to treat people in the future as well as we make homes for themselves if they could only have treated them in the past? I do not get the chance. There are many of them who sav that the Bill which the Secretary for "ant to man·v, and who cannot ask a wife to go Lands has introduced is an illiberal measure; with them when tlwy have no home. l\>Iany of but I do not think it is as liberal as it mig·ht be these people get cc casual job now and again, made. There is a lot of talk abont socialism, spend their money, and then loo~< for another, and what is going to happen when it is brought and what will you see to-day 1f you go to about. I say distinctly, and without hesitation, any of out• milway camps or mining centres? that paRt Governments, by their inactivity, or Strong men, able men-men who would be thE~ rather with the full intention of not allowing pillars of the State if they bad a possible chance. peopletosettleontheland, have been the cause of They go on year after year, till at last they cease socialism to-day. No man, whoever he is, who to exist, and are no good either to themselves or is anxious to make a home for himself, can walk their families. The principal gainer is the past these big cattle and sheep runs and notice public-house, and if anything can be done to the conditions under which the country is occu­ stop that it sbould be done. This is my idea of pied without becoming imbued with socialistic what ought to be done to prevent socialism in, idea". 1'he action of past Governments has future, w hi eh is better than anything I can driven people into the towns and made them possibly say- useless and discontented, and unfit for anythinl\' I do not belieYe in -::.he forebodings of some that there under heaven, and all the time here in Queens­ is an effon being made f;n• class distinction, or. of land, where we have so much splendid land, it others, that we are drifting toward anarchy. I have ought to be our aim and object to induce people gone much among the workingmen, and I know that to settle on it, rear families, and become the the intelligence of these workingmen makes such a backbone of the country. That has not been menace 1mpo~sible. done. I do not think even the present Govern­ Two thing~ arc needed. mo::~t for the "'elution of our ment are doing it to the extent they should. I problems. 'rl1ey arc 1ntelligenee and sympathy for one have over and over aga.in asked for land to be another. This is the lesson-that a man is a man. and the rmmhood in him demands respect. It is no Crime thrown open in my electorate-timber reserves t.o be poor, and no erime to be rich. Property is to be which I wanted thrown open to homestead respected, because property h. the very lifeblood of the selection-and I have been met with the cry individual. But we must know that it js our God-given every time, "\Ve want this land for cedar," or dn.ty to bnilil up the whole, nnd not a part merely of "\Ve want this land for pine." The Secretary the socinl structure. No country is safe 1vhere there is for Lands has repeatedly said that re,erves not a liYelihood for all. IApplause.) must be kept for timber, but what is timber If there is some danger of thh; 1vild socialism it comp~red with settlement? and are there no comes from tho;o;e who are not inclusLl'ious and who do not rr.::pect tht-rnselvcs. It i~ tlle duty ot the richer places in the whole of QueenRl.,nd where timber anU more po\\, rful element of society to reduce the reserves may be made except in the settled dis­ number of tho~e who ha.ve no stake in the country, to tricts with their magnificent land and good rain­ ~tndy in evc·y way to giYe eYvrJ' willing man the 1neans fall ? [The SECRETARY FOR Pcnr,JU LAKns: of earning with honoHl' an hones:t livelihood. As a matter of fact I have been throwing open more thnber reser\·es than any n1an who has I think that ought to be written in go id; it gone before me for years.] \Veli, I will give the would lJe a g1;ocl thing if we pllid a.ttcntion to it, hon. gentleman credit for what he lms done, but and we :;honld do more than we have done to what has been c great curee in times pa>t is the settle peclple on the land. The Premier in his locking up of some of these fine reserves which manifesto ut tl!t, last election g.we a promise 'chat are suitable for settlement. \Vben application he would try to induce seitlement something on i' made for them to be thrown open, the Crown the lin·s of the c~uadi,,n method. I know ,ery lands ranger is sent to report, and if he reports well that the hon. gentleman i.s carrying out his that there are u. fe\V ceda.r or pine trPe8 browin'' word, and thr.t it has l ,,en the means of his there, the land ie reserved for forestry. \V hat getting \'otes; because settling on the land we \vant is a forest of 1nen, wmnen, and children. rneans hmnp;:, and nten in the paHt have not had We do not want to keep land for growing timber the chance of getting homes. I will give you an Mr. Plunkett.] 200 Add;·ess in Repl,y, [ASSEMBLY.] Aclcl?·ess in Repl,y. instance, I say that they are asking for land, as grazing farms, grazing homesteads, or, in a few cases, which is just as natural to a man as it is to as nncond'itional selections; bnt, in anv c~se, every breathe; and with the millions of acres we have acre selcctecl has been primarily selectecl fm· grazing 8\'erything should be done for the purpose of purvoscs. settling people on the land and making homes for They certainly do not want them selected; they themselv0s. The ::\Iinister for L.mds says he is wanted them tn go into the hands of the lessors, willing that this should come off, ancl {believe The owners of the runs are perfectly justified the Premier will give effect to it, but he is in gettint;' those concf,~sions, if the law or the heavily handicapped at the present time. ·when Minister gives that power. I believe we have the 1D02 Bill, which hon. members opposite said given that power, which was against rny view, was not libera I, bnt which I considered a and at the express desire of the hon. gentlemen very liberal Bill, was going through, I sitting in opposition; that is, that the Land rlid my best to have the power of determining Court should have the power to determine the lPases in settled districts taken ont of the Land extensions of lease that should be given in settled Board and placed in the hands of the Minister, districts. Mr. Phillips continues- I was glad to hPar the hon. gentleman say the The only farming settlement I saw is in t11e vicinity same thing to·ni"bt. The same thing has been of l~ich vold, and r:m the right haul\: of tbe Burnett occurring ont \V est, but I do not know sufficient "River, on the road from Eidsvol<'l. to Gayndah, at n, >tbout that, and do not want to do any injury to place called Grosvenor Flat.. In all, I saw fvur or five any part of the country, because we are all farms. 'Yith this exception, I did not see the home of a selector (other than grazin~ farmer~) in the whole dependent one on another ; but I believe the cour.se of my journey between ~:Iount Perry and Land Board wants wiring out altogether, or the Gayndah~l,375 miles. rrhe yeoman settler is con­ power they have of determining leases taken spicuous by his absence, and the labouring population away, In speaking in 1D02 and saving that it is only represented by the few hands employed and was a wrong thing that the Land Court should housed at stations, and, perhaps, u dozen trappers and scalpers engaged in shooting marsupials for their have power to determine leases in settled fur. districts, the hon. member for Bu!loo interjected The absence of clo~er settlement is not due to nny and asked me if I thought the Land Court was want, of fertilitv in the soil. or to insufficietlt rainfall, not doing right, and I csaid I considered that in for at even· station I visited I found more or le"s cuiti­ the past they had not. I consider that allowing vation-m;Lize, oats, lucerne, vegetables, fruit, etc. the Land Conrt to have the power of determining The district should, and no doubt will yet, support a lc'lg"n"al, "md 10 p.m. Haw belle, runs situated in the Northern Burnett Here comes the point- district. I hope the hon. member for Bnrnett According to the map supplied to me by the depart­ will not think I ~m encroaching on his province ment. the present lease expires on the 30th Jnne, l90R; in this matter. It is not aHogether for the people but I understand that whilst I was engaMed on the of the Bnrm'tt I am speakin15 now, but it is the examjnation of tl e country the Land Court decided to oPe case I knuw of in the Central districts "'here extend the leas1J for a further period of ten years-that farmers' sons will hrwc an opportunity of me,king is to say, nntil 30th June, 1918. a home for them

According to the map supplied to me by the depart~ He then gives a table showing that the total n1ent, the lease expires on the :30th June. 19 8; but area of these runs is :188, G44 acn~s, and con­ whilst I v.as engaged iu the exnmination of the country "\Vith a view to ascertain its t'Uitahleness for close settle­ tinue;:- ment,, the LanCl Court decided to extend the lease for a 'Whilst it is neither my duty nor my desire to animad~ furtlHn· perioc'l of t·wenty years-that is to say, until the vert upon the action of the l,and nourt, it devolve~ npon 30tb June, 1928. me to point out that the elfect will be to put a bralw CANT A. upon the wheels of progrt.ss in the Xorthern Bn"!"nett According to the map supplied to me by the depart­ for the next t·wenty years, if not, incleed, to stop the mPnt. the lease expires on the 30th June. 1908; but wheels altogether, ~Yhilst something like £56,021· in wllilst I ·was engaged in t.he ex~mination of the ronntry enhanced capital value of the extended leases only has with a view tn a~certain its suitableness for close settle­ been lost to the State for that period (~.de ~chedule No. ment, the Land Court extended the lt.Lse for a fnrtllct' 18, page 35). period of twenty years-that is, until the 30th June, rrh8 Old lu ..1St'S haYe still about fOUl' years to l'Ull. 1928. That would ha Ye allowed ample time for the railway to I may say howeYer, that in the cmwse of a long ride be extended as far ah Dalgan;.;nl. and for the department from the head ~tation on Clonmel, T''tZ Spring-, :nonal, to map out and survey the availal)le !Hncl witb~n, say, Pine 1Ionntain, l\:J:nhomn, and Three }loon Creeks to the iO miles of the railway. leaving the leii'sces of other Ca.nia Diggings, of whieh 54 miles was on Cania, I did Crown land in possession by occur'1tion license until not see an acre of bad land. the raihvay could be further extenLled and additional Yet the Land Board, in its nnwisdom, gave an land made available for close settlement. extemion of twenty years. [Mr. HA}!ILTOX : If ii.uch policy as I have 8ketched in the last lJre­ That was pointed ont when the Bill was gomg ceding paragraph we1'f' now possiblf', I \10Ulfi ba::;e my calculations on the t:lpital value of lHnd antilable for through.] Yes; bnt unfortunately we were close settlement, with nnll 1vahont railway extension. sitting on that side of the House at that time, It is obvious that s.neh a basis of calculat,ion would not and the members then sitting on this side had no'TI' apply to the areas covered by the extended lease:-: the power to c"rry every one of these things, and granted by the Land Court. whkh, iu the aggregate, they gave the Land Board power to extend the amount to 375,42~ acres, and comprising, as they do, a leases. Mr. Phillips's report goes on to say- laro-e proportion of t.lle best land in the district, the eff~ct of locking up these lands mnst. inevitahly be tu retard the settlement :tnd development of the resumed Classij;cution rlf Cania. areas that are now available, and whieh are not con­ Lt1.ving the Cania and 31onal Goldfield:-) out of tenninous, bnt are sn.ttercd here and there tllrongh­ account, I would cla;.;sify the Cania countr: comprising ont the distril't. .Por f'Xample, suppose that the policy the lease, the one~ fourth resumptiOn, and the rer-umed. of the State in tnc past had been to grant long leases part as follows :·- at small rentals of alternate blocks on eithm~ side of ·waste, and unavailable at present 24.300 acres Queen st1·eet tor some subsidiary purpose such as fud Scrub Xil dLpUt.-;, poultr;y~Ja~·ds., etc., and that, in :::::pite of protests :5rd class pa "toral 1 i.~OO acres to the contrary, the leases had been renewed and ex­ 2nd , 17,500 tended from time to time, on the grounds that the 1st :n.ooo snhsidiary intensts so maintained and fo:;:tered. were in danger. 1s it to be expected that nn:lcr such conditions Total area 90,300 acres the main !'treet of this city wonlrl. present the appcat·­

Culth:abl(! la;ur _-o; 3,000 acres. anee it does to-day, anrl would not the Yalue of other The present rental of the leased p!{rt part of Dania frontages to the street, held for snperior purposes, be deteriorated 2 is £t~2 2s. 7d.; aC{'Ol'diug to my cla• -~Hicl'i.tion, it should be £250. 'rake the case of tlle Darling Downs. ?\-o reasonable X~-:w C_\l\.NfNDAn. man will now deny that the development of that fine distrint w:ts materially retarded Ior half a century ..:.\._ecormid, the policy of export. fLnvever, the Premit>r i:-> entitled to a the Local Authorities ,\et wa, to commit the large an1ount of credit for ind ncing the Orient adn1inistration and nL,'wgement of the internal Company to send their boats to Brisbane. \V hat affair,; of a local ""uchority to the aldermen. [Mr. I most

I submit th<>t the hon. gentleman had no power anrl for the purpo~e of showing that thm·e is whatever to decide the u ·1tter in the w<>y he did. no attempt ·whatever by the other \Val'ds to "get He had power to confirm the opinion of the at " or to increase the burdens of No. 3 ward, I council if he thought tit, but I do not think he may mention that the debit baL,uce in Nn. 1 had any power to decide that the cost of the work ward on 31st December, 1904, was £11,120 17s. should be borne by the whole local authority. lld. ; in l'< o. 2 ward. £lij,-fGO 13s. lld.; in He b<>sed his deci,ion on section 2G5 of the Act. J:\fo. 3 ward, £18,14\) 4s. lld.; and in Xo. 4 ward, No,v, section 2G;) proddes that- £H,02() 7s. l!1 ron1 ~~huse figures it is quite ·when a work is of ::~nch importance to the ·whole of clear that Ko. 3 ward has been very liberally the area that the cost of 1t:-:; con:-;trnetion aud main­ dealt with by the other wards in the past, tenance may l'P:t~"-onahly 1)e a charg'~ upon toe geueral and the attempt by the representatives of revenue or the local authority the lrJr'll antlwrity 11 ay I\ o. 3 ward to get the whole of Snuth Brisbane to from time to time, by rcsolntiun passed at a tneetin:.; specially summoned for the pnrpose. der:lare such work bear the cost of eonst ruction of tt drain within to be·· H. general work." ana direct that the eost of 1ts its own limits to carry away its own drainage is constru<'tion and maintenance :-b tll he deh\\_ Ye cl out of entirely unfair <>nd absolutely unwarrantable the general rerenncs. and shall not lJf debited to tl1e under the circumstances. There is just one other separate aceount of any divi:::iou, and such expenditure reference to this matter, pplied to the at a mectmg specially summoned for the purpose, Treasurer for a loan, and he, I think very pro· declare such work to be a" general work." perly, refused to grant it because the South Bris. bane Council had authority, under their Special Thrd. There Then there is a proviso whereby any twenty is a schedule to the Loan Act of 1901 specifying ratepayers of an area may appeal agnthorised t.o resolution. That clearly show' that where a be borrower\ shall be expended. In it there ap­ loc<>l ny partic,lar work for ward No. 2, £7,000 for drainage for ward must be charged to the wl n''olution, Kingfisher Creek is sittmted, and in which this declare that the work may be a charge upon the sewer is to be constructed. ];'urther, the council whole of the municipality, and then <>ny twenty knew of the neee-sity for the construction of ratepayers in the other wards can appeal to the this particular sewer, and when the schedule was .:\Iinister against such resolution. Thse in which the Minister, I submit, has ing of <>n extra £3,000, for construction. 'When power to interfere, and I think the Home Secre­ the Treasurer refused to grant them the loan, and tary has reacl the section wrongly. Before threw them back on their own Act, the council leaving this matter, I would like to say that I passed a resolution-it was the only one they think the Home Secretary has shown in dend he he3 done nothing whatever to harass the Council. I think it is onlv due to the The contention of the council, and it is my con· hon. gentleman to day that. In referring to the tention too, is that they, ha nng· been thrown back Speech which is now undbr consideration, I, in upon this Act, could only borrow under the pro­ common with other members, think it ie very visions of that Act, l Retrenchment Act, of it~ own affain-<. 'To -.:how how· thP. vflrim.1!3 which was rAnAWP,d 1~.st veP~r. t,h

indeed, the other night, to hear the Premier of the reduction in the rate of endowment. [Mr. declare >t;ain't any taxation of that kind 1\IuRPHY: The same with the Tnwnsville and in the future. I fully agreP with hin1 that eYery other ho"pital.] [Hon. R. PHILI': It will it is class tax2,tion, nnd that no taxation should soon close up if it gets no more money.] [1\Ir. J.,e imposed upon any cbss, but that it shonld be BURROWS: The Charters Towers Hospital is general in its application. I was pleased also to treating patients from Havenswood.] I am not he ,r that a new Go.-ernor has been appointed. satisfied that the voluntary system has broken I fully recognisA the merit of onr Lieutenant· down. [The PREMIER: The Bri -hane Hospital {~overnor, Sir Hugh X elson, but I believe the Committee say it has.] [Mr. !.VIURPHY: 'What appointment of a gentleman from Great Britain did the committee resign for'!] I think they did as Governor of this State has its aclvantao-es. so in order to force the hands of the G,,·ernment, \Ve have hitherto been very fortunate in the r7wn and I think the Government have made a mis­ who have been nppointecl to govern Queensland, take in allowing them to force tbeir hands. I and I believe tlmt some of them have clone good think when they resigned they should have work for the Soate, not only during their term accepted the resignations and appointed another of office but also after their return to the old committer, for I believe there are other pe"'ons country. 1\Ien such as the late Sir Henry in the community who would haYe undertaken i'\orma~, Lord La?nington, and Sir Herbe;t the duty of reorganising the inscituti.] \Ve have a very valuable association resources, were able while here and on their in the Hospitals' Aiel A•sociation. [The return t,1 give vttluable inf<>rmtttion to those PREMIER : The hospital committee said the in Great Britain concerning those resources, Hospitals' Aiel Association was a hindrance and such information would be acccepted as rather than a help.] I do not think the Premier being disinterested and quite unprejudiced. thinks so. l The PREMIER : No ; that is what The next matter I desire to rder to is the hospi­ they said.] Now, if the measure which has tal,. All of us are agreed that the Geneml beon introclncecl weru passed, it means putting Hospital should be maintained, and in order to further burdens upon the local 1,ut horitie,, which maintain it a certain income is necessary. There I contend have already as much as they can is no doubt whatever that voluntary sub,crip­ bear. There is a tennency on the part of Parlia­ tions h;we fallen off during the past two years, ment to put too much upon the local authorities. and I think the rl'ason is ohvious. The incomes Their burdens are increasing, and they are not uf 11!-'-',t people lu \'8 been considerably diminished afforded any assistance whateYer to bear their chmng the pa,st few years, and, if one's income incre,,,~ed responsibilities. When originally -i::> diminished, it i;:.; a natural consequence that cnatecl the local authmities were created with a on• ·, charity must be curtailet pay rent?] No ; they do not. A Hospital, Ambulance Brigade, and charitable lodger may ptty 12s. or 15s. a week, and when he organisations in e\'ery suburban di~trict. [Mr. is ··ick he is sent to this institution. [.\Ir. PAUET: Twenty.seven of them.] Everyone of BmtHO\'. ~ : Does be nvt pay the k·iging-house the:Je.are. maintained largely by the voluntary ke,oper's rent ?] Twelve shillings a week­ contribut·wns of the people of Brisbane. [:Wr. what prcportion of that would go as rent? .T. LEAHY: The same 400 or i>OO people.] I do If it is impossible to make people pay for the not think a comparison of the Brisbttne hospitals hospitals, then the best thing to do is to nation­ with country hnspitals is a f:tir comparison. In aliose the hospitals. I am afraid if we do that ?Jrj~bane there is always a floating populati0n ; the effect will be to kill charity. It will also m the metropolis the population is much lart;er, kill the honornry medical man. I do not wish c"ettlernent is closer, nnd the health conditions as to labour this matter. I hope the Govern­ as a rule are not so good as in sparRely popu­ ment ·will withdraw the Bill and give the lated c •untry districts. Conseq nently, there is present vohmtar} sy,tem a further trial for a much larger demttnd upon th~ benefits aff .. rded one year. I feel satisfied that if a fresh com­ by these institntic.ns. ll\Ir.• JACKSOX: Country lnittee were appointed, and it were intimated people bring a lot of money to Brisbane.] But that the svstern v;as to be given a further trial they do not put it into the hospitals. They for anoth~r ye~r, we would hMe no difticnltv at cometinws meet with acciclen•, or fall sick and all. In connection with this rn~tter, the Pre­ go to the hospital. I contend that the Brisbane mier, in the final speech he made last se'"ion, hospital is entitled to receive differential treat· when referring to the Elections Bill which had ment. [The Ho:IJE 1SIWRB:l'ARY: It has had it.] just been passed, said that, if it harl not been for I quite agree with the hon. gentleman; but at an amendment which had been insisted on in tbe same tirne thn,t has been rninin1ised by reason another place, the money which would be ex- [Mr. Bo'llchard. Address 2n Reply. [8 AuGUST.] Adjournment. 205 pended for advertising voters' rolls would have humiliating position of havin>! to accept State been devoted to the hosr,itals. I think a large rations. He said to me, "\Von't the Govern· saving could he effected there. Let us p.tss a ment givf' tT•8 a piece of good land where I can short Act, and apvly the money so saved to the go with my family atJd settle down, and let thelil maintenance of the hospitals. [l\lr. J. LEAHY: supply me with the same rationH there as they He is not printing rolls ; he has given in­ are gTving n1e here. I have a couple of sons who structions not to print them.) I am glad to hear are well able to help me, and they are thinking that, because it is an unnecessary expense. [Mr. of going ahroad to see whether they can do any J. LEAHY : It should go the hospital-he said better. They are young yet, and we desirE> so] I am glad to hnd in the Speech that the to keep them at home as long as we can.'' Government intend to bring forward a railw.1y I think that when we find deserving people who policy which, if carried out, will he the rr:em1s of are anxiuus to go upon the land we opening up a considerable amount of country [11 p.m.] should give them a piece ,,f land, and promoting settlement, and it is pleasant to reserving the title until, say, three note that the railways will be constructed with­ or four year,, and see that they do certain out borrowing any more m .. ney. I, in company improvements. And I think it is only fair that with a good rnany other m•·mbers. think that our the Government should assist them also by giving interest bill, amounting to £1,500,000 sterling them rations, ju,t the same as when they were per year, is quite sufliciet•t at the present getting relief if they remained in town. 1f they time, and that we cannot, and must not, go on were not deserving cases, it could soon be found borrowing any more money until the revenue is out and the relief stopped. I have no intention at considerably largAr than it i,, and exi,ting condi­ this late hour of referring to the various matters tions materially alter. [Mr .•T. LEAHY: He venue mentioned in the Sp• ech ; I shall have an oppor­ is decreasing; it was £40,000 less last year than tunity of doing that later on, when these mea­ the year heforn.] I have always held that the sures come before the House. There is just one House should, if at all possible, con,truct and other matter to which I would like to refer. and own its own railways, but I have also helrl the that is with regard tu the Supreme Court opinion that if there are districts which would bench. Hon. members are aware that my busi­ soon be settled and developed if railway com­ ness lies in connection with the courtB, and munication with them were est"blished, and if for that reaRon I think I am qualified to we have uot got the money to build the lines our­ express an opinion as to the snffici~ncy of the selveR, and a corporation cnmt-s along and makes judges of the Supreme Court bench. I must an offer to construct them on fair anrl reasonable say fmm rny knowledge that there should be terms to the State, we should embrace the offer. another judge a!Jpuinted .. I think the Attorney­ I think it i., a dog-in-the-manger policy to say: General or the Govec nment might see that it is "Yes, we ktt<>W there is a district there which impos,ible to carry on 'Aith two judges. [The will be settled and developed and improved A1"l'OR1\"EY-GENERAT.: Two judges? There arc for the welfare of the State generally, but if we four judges.] Tttere are only two in Brisbane. cannot build the milway, as we have not got the There is one in the Central division, and one in money, we won't let :my body else build it nor the ]:\11rth. I can hssure hon. gentl~:-n1en that, as will we borrow the money to build it." Of there are only two jud:!eR, litigants are pnt to course, a provision could always be n1ade for considerable expense in being kept waidng about the purchase by the (;overnment at any time to hnience of promised ''" bnd Bill which has for its object the hem. members on both >ides, that tlwr· shall be encourag-etrH•nt of settlement upon the public no Ritting to-rrwrrow, ;;:o t.hat they sh~~u have an esc ate. C:1nada ha' very frequently been referred opportnnity of attending the ,,]tow d the National to a--; an illut'\Lrati~m of "'hat 111a.y be done in the A_R;:.ociation, \Vhich ram vnry please I to be nhle way of offering inducern,.,nts and a/tractior K to to f'tate is a Yl-ry Hl:cc'-s:-;fnl one. I h"PP men1· people to settle upon the land. In Canada they hers will go on>: to the show and swell the crowd offer any per.son who dFsin~s to go on the L.tnd which we exr ·et to see there. 160 acreH, and if he has on,_, or uwre ~on~ over the HoN. R PHILP: TherH shall certainly be age uf eighteen, each of them al-o is entitled to IlO ovpokition to that frnnl this f'ide oft hP H· nse. an area of luO acres. fMr. MuLCAHY: How br J<'or years past we h oyp adjonrn~o·.l on the rlny of from the line ?J \Vithin n reasonable distance; the holiday 'et apart for the show, and perhaps between tO ami 50 mi]e,. How ITJ1-'t dHy in underthal, systetn they are r(:-'quired to reside on Brisbane, awl after ll1E'nlber.:; ha,vc~ v1sittd the the land ; they do not get a title for three years, show all day 1 he.y feel tired nnrl weary, and do but during those three yettrs they have to resirle not feel so keen "bout cloing business here in the on the land for t-ix 111oT1ths in ect,ch yt>ar. In evening. For that r ason I think we might 190:i there was no l• ss than 32,000 homesteads of adjourn till Thursday. 160 acres each given to settlers. A man came t:l Qut-stion put and passed. me recently, "h<> had a wife and seven or eight children. He informed me that he had been 'The PREMIER: I move that the House flo born in Queensland and his children were all now adjourn. born here. He had not been able to get any Question put and pnssed; and the House work, except casually, and he was in the adjourned at eleven minutes past 11 o'clock. Hon. R. Philp.]