Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

TUESDAY, 29 JULY 1913

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Personal Explanation. (29 JULY,j Questions. 67.\$

" But for the same reason which prevents inYestigation by a parliamentary committee the hon. member for Fortitude Valley must undertake not to discla e the facts in any way until the i'Sue raised in the Supreme Court ha•· bee:ct finally dispw.. ,d of." vVith­ out expressing any opinion on the propriety or otherwise of the advice tendered to the Chief Secretary by his solicitors, I must decline to accept any conditional or limited form of inquiry, the re,.ult of which must bo kept secret for an indefinite period. Rather than accept such a proposal, I am prepared to await the reeult of the issue raised in the Supreme Court before making the invectigation on the lines suggested by me previously. OPPOSITION MEMBERS : Hear, hear !

PAPER. The following paper, laid on the tabl<", was ordered to be printed :- Twenty-ninth report on the creation, inscription, and issue of ·;tack. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. QUESTIONS. TrESDAY, 29 JuLY, 1913. PROPOSED RAILWAY FROM J'vlOSS)!AN TO BAILEY'S CREEK.

.The SPBKER (Hon. W. D. Armstrong, Mr. McCORMACK (Ca.irns) asked the Lockyer) took the chair at half-past 3 o'clock. Chief Secretary- " 1. Has any proposal been before the Government for the construction of a \S3ENT TO BILLS. line of railway from Mossman across the Daintree to Bailey's Creek? The SPE_\KER announced the receipt of " 2. If so, by whom was such proposal mcssai'C'' from His Excellency the Go­ brought forward ? >"crnor, !'unve::ing his assrsonal ex­ Secretary- planation? " Is it his intention, in view of the HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! promise given last year to place the Mr. BOWMAN: Mr. Speaker,-On the Police Force of Queensland on an equal 15th instant, the Han. the Chief Secretary, footing with those of other States, to in the cour'" of a personal explanation, introduce at an early date a scheme invited m<' to inve,tigatP certain mattero to whereby members of the force will have which I referred in the course of a speech every second Sunday off duty?" in this House, and he assured the House The HOME SECRETARY (Hon. J. G. that I would be given every a>'i ..,tance in Appel, Albe1·t) replied- any inquiry I might institute. That invita­ tion I readily accepted, as hon. members " I am informed that to allow the con­ ere aware, and propose.d that the investi­ stables stationed at Roma Street Police gation should be made by an impartial Station alone every second Sunday off duty would entail an addition of forty­ committee Sf lected from both sides of the House, whereupon the Chief Secretary four men to the present strength of that nodded his a"ent. Subsequentlo-, howen,r, station, and an additional annual ex· the Chief Secretary, on the 22nd instant, penditure of £6,825 lOs. It will thus be made a further sto.tement to the effect that seen that any such scheme would be a the advice of his f,::JJiciton, whi h he· felt very costly undertaking. There are, bound to accept, was that in the circum­ however, many other obstacles which would render such a scheme impractic­ stances such an invesLi~ation would be most impr::lper, and he further a;ked me to per­ able." sonally make the inquiries and, if necessary, Mr. KIRWAN: Therefore, the promise of ,with the assistance of an auditor, adding : last year is so much bosh. 6i6 Elections Acts [ASSEMBLY.] Amendment Btll.

POLICE S"GPERANNUATION FUND. right of exercising the franchise. If an olcd·or happened to be absent from his elec­ On the motion of Mr. KIRWAN (Bris­ torate on election day, there would be no bane), it was formally resolved- means of recording a vot€ at all. " That there b<' laid on the table of The Ho;;IE SECRETARY: That is not so. the Hous0 a return showing- " 1. The total amount of contributions Mr. WINSTA::"JLEY: The Home Secre­ to thn nension fund bv members of the tary distinctly made the statement that the Police Force under the- 1891 Act. postal vote ·would not he used outside the "2. The amount paid away in pen­ electorate for which it was cast. sions under this Act, exclusive of the The Hm!E SECRETARY : I said that it would' p ..:msion paid ltJ tho cx-Con1n1issioner, be. Y au misunderstood me. liJ r. Pan:y-Ok·den. " 3. ThB amount of contributions from Mr. WINSTANLEY: All the argum<'nts, m~mbers of tho Police Force to the of han. members during this debate had superannuation fund under the 1891 (4 be0n opposed to that very proposal. It was per cont.) Act from the time of its frequently referred to that tho electors inception to dati>. (a) Total for e~ch would ho deprived of the abs"ntee yote, and year; (b) total amount to date. the Home Secretary should ha.-e put mem· bors right when they made that scatem€nt. "4. The payment:> to dat0 of penswns, etc., under the said Act, exclusive of Tho Ilo:YIE SEC.C:ETARY : I s.tid that the the. pension paid to the ex-Commis­ po·-tal vote made <'very provision for that. Bioner, Mr. Parry-Okeden. (a) Total for 'VIr. WI::'IJSTANLEY: The hon, m<:nber each year; (b) total amount paid to date." did not make himself clear, at any rate•. They still thought that it was an undesir­ ab~f: thing to introduce th-· postal vote. ELECTIO?-nt conditions it took from Mr. WINSTANLEY (Quecnton) said ho four to six -months for a person to get his did not think thoro was any qm otion about or her nan1e on tho roll, and sotnetimo",. the desirableness of introducing a Bill to they were not able to get them on then. amend the Electi-ons Acts, but not exactly Some quicker means should be adopted for on the line; forY wore already on a roll they should be doubt some neco,·,ity for a chango in thei~· abl;, to get on to another roll by a simple electoral laws in 'arious directions, ,,uch as transfer without waiting to go through the providing better facilities for people to get who]€ performance of sending in their their names on tho roll. They knew that nmnes, then waiting for a court, then wait­ people had put their names on, the roll and ing for the r was necessary. It was a and he hoped the Home Secretary would be pity that the prhent Bill was not a con­ prepared to receive some amendments which solidotion Bill, because this continual amend­ would make tho Bill much more useful than ment only led to a lot of patching. It was it looked like being at the present time. desirable, v:hen the:~' V>Pre making change-s in their laws, such as those relating to Mr. RYAN (Barcoo) : He was surprised elections, that they should introduce one that tho Home Secretary. in introducing consolidating measurf', and have tho whole the Bill, had not adopted the practice which of the Act within two covers. If this had been usual with Ministers at this stage­ prese-nt Bill "''"'e pas· ,d, it woul

"()n the business-paper. He would like to aee to vote on the polling-day, and whether it how far the Government intended to go would be hedged round with a lot of for­ before discussing much more important legis­ malities that would make it worth nothing. lation later on. Perhaps it would be desir­ If the Home. Secretary was so obstinate, able that the Bill should be amongst the perhaps the Secretary for Public Lands would "13l';tughtered innocents" at the end of the give them some information. Or perhaps the session. Treasurer, who had been away in the North, The HO!>IE SECRETARY: It is going to be a would tell them what the people thought up very live, virile infant. there. Or perhaps the Secretary for Rail­ ways would explain why the GoYernrnent Mr. RYAN: He intenued to as"i't the were inclined to postpone the consideration Homo Secretary to niake it so, because, in of an important matter like the Railways his opinion, there WGh' many more important Bill. subjects that could be dealt with. l\Ir. P .\Y:">E (JI itclz ell) could quite under­ The Ho:uE SECRETARY : IV e do not propose stand the Home Secretary r!'marking that -to allow you to judge of that. this Bill was going to be at the head of the list. Those of them who had taken any Mr. RYAN: He thought the country. or interest at all in politics would know very -the people of Queensland, were of th!l same ;vell that had the late Fed!'ral elections re­ opinion ao hi1mdf. He thought ,also that the sulted differently they would never have had eountry party ought to think as he did­ this measure b1:ought forward at all. That that the Stock and Produce Agents Bill was the only chance the Government had of should be introduced before this measure, and saving thei~ political existence. Now the that the Railways Bill should be gone on with. Home Secr l vote ey·· lern previously, and they The HolliE SI.·"RETARY: I on promise that knew that hon. rne:nbers now supporting this Bill will remain on the top. the Government stuwd, at the time -'measure was in+;·oduced to abolioh the postal vot{l, Mr. RYAN: 'fhat \.as throwing down a that it 'vas a vollnt+'d S""} ~tr-'11, and that i~ challenge. Of late there had been a g·ood was utterly 1mposible for such clcaJ of generalship on the Trc asun- bench, [4 p.m.] a sysk"1 to 1Je oln.n, ::-;ow inej particularly when the Chief Secretary was were told hv the :Y1inister in thBrD: but now the hon. gr·ntleman had taken charge of this mc;nure th,:t th,, Gm·ernment it on him ·elf to say that this mea>ure would propoL<:d to nboli h the ab:ccntce voting remain on the top of the btFirL '3s-paper. svstern, and to n" ''"t h tho polluted system The Horne SecrE>tary v. cts coing to ln·ep it oE Yo hoi1. ''1enl­ would be told later on ihd th~y had pa,sed bers opr nsite \>'O'c > tti-fic d : .> h ·1g c thPv the cbge when certain information asked C· .... uld pnt ,.. cr~f' 4 bintt on th· tJ~ute- 1 >v:oh> t~1 for should have bE>en obtained. so that they prolong th0ir political ex.' i:cncz>. IT r was of ehould insist upon ,-etting i:·formation as -o~;:nion that this 11 t-:UJ'\' ,,~.._: not in t-he to the provi-.'. •ns of the Bill lwfore the il:.~.ter1 ··.ts of tho s:· tte, and he V onld U~blc E,Pthcd h l· •· th:· 1' •oplr o'f v. ero acting within their rights and con­ Qth•ensland t·ww. when the jWOL"r tid1o stitutionall.\·. .\.:;. prcctiPal, comn1un-sense c"rne, that his nart:· ,o·, out for the ;:Joel of men they knew that tho proposed mpasure th0- people and to oppo"'' a nu•asu::. ~; c:lku­ was a vile one, or mig-ht be used in such latr->d Rnd intflnded to r1· nri" e the_;_J.l o:£ haYing a vile wav that it was their duty to seek Pt, full OP''Ortunit,y of ex'.~rc= ~~ing the fran,~hi~c. information with reo.·arc! to its provision at 'The hon.. ~·antleman •.eid the ab·o ,,t vote any and everv shge. If members of the '"-as not to be aboli ~.hcd. Opposition 'YCl'l' of the same oninion as he The Ho·::E SECI:JJTARY: I did not srty that. \Yas with regard to tho por.tal -vo1-'l system, I said provision will be made for those who they would use evu·v constitutional means will be absent from their elsctor::ttes on poll­ to prev0nt the Bill ~'etting one step further ing day. that its present stage. Mr. RYAN: Well, he desired to have Mr. ADAMSON (Rockhm.' pton) hrld that some information as to what that provision there had been m Jre crime in conne0tion would LP.. with the postal yoting systCin than in con­ The Ho;JE SECl1ETARY: You will have it nection with any other svstem of voting in dne course. in Queensland. He was of opinion that if a referendum was taken on the question as ?.Jr. RYAN: He wanted to know, for in­ to whether the postal .-ote should be reintro­ •Stancc, whether it would be to allow them duced in this State, the voting would be Mr. Adamson.] 678 Elections Acts [ASSEMBLY.] Amendment Bill.

entirely against the Government. Another thought some information should be given provision in the Elections Act to which he to the Committee regarding the nature of objected was that which preserved a rem­ the postal vote provisions. Member" oppo­ nant of the plural or property vote, which sitt> had no neE'd to get up and protest allowed electors who had property to against the introduction of the measur~e, transfer their votes from one electorate to because they had been taken into the C<)n­ another. Because of that provision cBrtain fidence of the Government and knew what . things had occurred in a certain electorate provisions it contained. But mem?nrs of not very long ago which were not creditable the Opposition diq not know what 1ts :pro­ to our election system. The idua of the vi>ions were and they had a perfect rrght Government seemed to be to foist the postal to protest ~gainst the introduction of. ~he vote upon the people so as to make it more measure. If the Government were of opmwn eas:;· to get a cerbin class of votes. Another that they could go to the country 'ltfely object they had in view was to do away with without any alteration in the electoral law, the absentee vot,~. The Committee were told thcv would not seek to reintroduce the that they were going to have an absentee postal vote, but they wore reintroducing it vot" something like that which was in becauc·e they did not care to face the electors operation in New Zealand; but he held that again without it. He hoped it would not they should endeavour to improve upon the be verv long before they had to face the New Zealand sydtem. The Homo Secretary electors again. should have told them exactly what kind of Mr. MURPHY (Burke) said he did not absente~ vote and what kind of postal vote he proposed to provide for in the Bill. Had agree to the last statement of the hon. the hon. gentleman done so, members of member for Gregory, because he did not the Opposition might have been willing to think that any member of the Assembly was have allowed the motion to nass without particularly anxious to go to the countrY. saying anything; but he proteshd against The HOME SECRETARY: Neithor is the last the reintroduction of the postal vote, which speaker. was corrupt in its working prcriously, and Mr. MURPHY: The Ilome Sccrelarv would, no doubt. b • con·upt in ii'· working and the hon. m:'lmbcr for Gr0gory had safe in the future. There as a desire on the seats but there were a number of m.embers part of the Government to reduce> the who 'were not in that happy [losition, and working-cla<'l vote as much as possibl<'. and they were not in any hurry to go to the to secure as large a vote of the middle countrv. He did not see how anyone could class~s as they could when they went to take a"lly objection to the absentee vote. In the country again. He would "suggecot to the last election for Burke he got most of the Home Secretary that if he would do the absentee votes. He objefn­ to introdure. ment side to talk about not disclosmg Gon,rnment businBss; but why should mem­ The HOME SECRETARY: Isn't he? Make no mistake about that. bers of the Opposition be in a worse position than members sitting behind the Govern­ Mr. HAMILTON: There was a pretty ment? No doubt every member sitting on old general in the Cabinet, and he had no tlv• Government side knew perfectly well doubt suggested certain provisions in the the provisions of the proposed Bill. H_e proposed measure. During the la,,t election quite agreed with the leader of the Opposi­ he (Mr. Hamilton) never heard any wish tion that there were more important matters expresded for the reintroduction of the postal to be dAalt with bv Parliament than tinker­ vote system, but had ,heard satisfactipn ing with the Elections Acts. No doubt there generally expressed over the way in which was some necessity to amend the Elections the absentee voters w<>re able to record their Tribunal Act. The han. member for Mary­ votes on election day. How did the Home borough would quite ag;r~e w~th that, and Seordary know that the reintroduction of members on the Opposrtwn srde had also the postal vote syBtAm would l)ot lead to a had experience of Elections Triburak Wh<>n repetition of the improper practices which a man was returned to Parliament, if his were carried on formerly, when justices of opponent threatened to take him before the th" poac<' wenJc round collecting vatu, <.~nd Rlec7ions Tribun,tl, the best thing ha rould some of them in certain towns made a boast do was to give his opponent the seat. of the number of such votes that they h,,d Mr. E. B. C. CORSER: A very un-British collected? thing to do. The HOME SECRETARY: They won't do that under this measure. Mr. MURPHY ,,aid he remembered read­ ing that on one oc•~asion an eminent British Mr. HAMILTON: The "Missus " col­ lawYer sta'ced that if ,a man came up to lected the postal votes from her servant in him' in the "treet and said to him, " That a great many instances, and in other cases watch you have go~ in your pocket bolongs_to th-A " bo c;s " in a f n.ctury yt•en t round with a me." it would be much cheaper for him justice of the peace or the agent of a certain to hand over the watch than to go to 1,aw. political party and collected postal votes from That was the opinion of a skilled l<>,wyer, the employees. The:y had no guarantee that and one who was no doubt skilled in draw­ that kind of thing would not happen again ing up bills of costs. With regard t~ the if the postal vote was reintroduced, and he Elections Act, as had already been pomted [N ... Adamson. Election,. Acts [29 JULY.] Amendment Bill. 679 out, there had been no demand for an big Labour vote that was recorded at the alteration of that Act. In 1904, the House, Federal election. It would be more decent passed what wah considered to be an ex­ on the part of the Go\·ernment if they cellent Elections _'cct. It was .amended in waited for thD report of the inquiry into 1907, and they were then told that it was the dupliDation and triplication of votes that a perfect Act. Why did they want to start was supposed to have taken place during tinkering with it now? The absentee vote the last F0deral election. Progress reports haJ worked very well, and no one wanted from t'he returning offi'e·'rs ·hawed that the oJ.d postal S\ stem reintroduced. Every­ v·:·ry little duplication had taken place. As one who took part in the election•, of 1907, a matter of fact, it was stated in the and who knew of the iniquities that were "Courier" that in no electorate, where the perpetrated under the postal voting pro­ inquiry had been comp!et0d, had there been visions, should certainly not support it :~gain. more than 100 duplications. The Home They had been told there were going to Se~retury distinctly stiltPd, v:hon dispensed the Act, they would be bound to admit with and that thev would have no power that it was as fair an Act as could be to go round collecting vot<''< as they did passed. There might be one or two small before. But the hon. gentleman said it amendments which would improve it; but was pronosed to have a:,;ents instead, the amendments as suggested by the Home - although he did not explain Secretary would not improve the Act but [ 4.30 p.m.] "i1at those agents were and who mak0 it worse, and for that reason h~ was they were likely to be. If the opposed even to the introduotion of the Hon. the Home Secretary <''.'Jlained who they n1easure. were it would curtail the dis~u~sion that was like!~ to take pl: ce. The Minister was Mr. BOWMAN: Usually the Home Secre­ silent on the question. The}' knew the real tary was very free in giving information reason why they were interfering with the when he introduced a Bill, but on this electoral iaws ~' n the rp:,ult of th3 last occasion he seemed to be very reticent 11bout Federal election. There was a hue and cry giving information which would satisfy the raised bv a scdion of the Pre's and bv Opposition as to what were the real rear,0ns politicians on the other side about the for the amendment of the present Elections double votin;>; which thev said took ploce Act. He thought there were reasons why at the Fedm~I election. These charges were they should have had, if not a comprehensive made, but up to the prE'c~nt nothing had Elections Bill. at least some alterations in been ohown to justify those statements. the pre,ent Act rc;;-arding the time of resi­ dence in the State before a nerson could J\lr. ::VIORG\N: Don't you think you are broome enrolled as an electo;. At the a bit premature? present time, a man or woman must be Mr. BOWNL'\:\': Th• h0n. member wouhi twC'lve months in the State before they admit th:·1t, so far as tho inve•;t'gation l.ad could make appJic;ction to get their rcame hk< ,, place, it had not revealed the a<·.ful on the roll. He thought that six months thin~~·s prophr~~·~·d by hin1self and other Y~ 1 AD1- was a reasonable time for any person to be bers on the othc r side e~' the House. They in the State. The Commonwealth n,a.de rorld like tG kno-:. more of the postal vote provision that no matter what part d the provi.,ions. What "-'1S goin:;- to be the onfe­ Empire they came from, persons were o-uard? It was not the facilities fnr voting entitled to have their names on the rcll bv l)Ost thcv obicdcd to, but tho misuse dter they had been six months in any r;.rt of ti1o~e !aciliti{ '-J- when thev ' 1?erc in onei·a­ of Australia; and they might amend the tion. \Vhen they r,'m(m!w.red the evidence Elt·dions Act in that direction with advan­ t.hev had with rPgard to the postal vo'ns tage to tho

p<'cches of the Hon. th<> Home Secre­ would be used in the future if the postal vote tary, he might find that, with so~l<:l ,[jOOd \vas re-enactPd. r<'ason, he had changed some of hrs vwws in sev<•n year~. He thought nwmbers of the Mr. KIH,Y.\N contended that members Opposition '·'ere perfectly j u .. tified in oppos­ on th, Opposition side wew perfectly justi­ ing the me1!fm·"· It had not been a~ked for fied in oppming th,, Bill at all stages. They by the people. There was no intimal.ion in had l1ad no evidence that there was any tho Governor'" Spc·<'eh that it was of such desire for the Bill. The Committ0e were ~~Ullrf:~:n of voting, and How·e to drive it through. They wer,· told the GoY<•rnn1C'nt wa-~ furnishing etrnple evid­ that there were o~her important measures pnco thai, they had on th0 Tr8asur~v benches that needed to be passed, ,.uch as the Pure n retrogressiYe Ministry of the "orst possible Seeds Bill and the Produce Agents Bill. type. They were told that these Bills were neces­ '\1r. O'SULLIVAN (Eennedc'): He was sary to give a~sistance to the men on the oppo 't•d to tlw abolition of the absent vote, land, but these two Bills l1ad since been which he thought was tho most de nocratia atic thing for >vc-re not all that the,. might rhave bc·en anybody to haye two votes at the "~•niH still, generally spu: 1cin~~. the .ahsi.\nt('e vot:~ time. Then, he would like to kneY; about 1v..:s an <'Xc,Pnnt one. Th;J I-Ion1e Fcer{'ttrY the Elections Tribunal-whether it was going had UF''Ul\- 1 :llC Cor~L'ni:·tr P that tl.w po~ta'l to be free. I-I0 bclirY·.d that it chould !Jp votto to be introduce·d ould rn;:,ctical1v f:'l11- free. He did not suv th:_,t it 'h .uld h-e bod:7 tb-- rnin-- ipl- of v1"<'1ltf:-- \ Yo1ln!=,.~ Ill• absolutely free, so tha't any pr,·,on 1:it11 " p-·-~·ts of the Tespon.--ibl.e officers-~­ as u~or'3r: Jp, and fiwrefor:· h"' },.,L:, ~,_s lont:.,' offi e:·s who w;·:·e spr •.ially qualified and v ho as Iwn. m-·mbc~s thought that the po'ld vote had J>._, n a;mointed b;~• the lkme Secretary "\vns a lL'rn:cio~.i syste111, th;J.t the Govurn­ to carry out the important duties relating melit should nnt be allowed to r('in; oduce to the elections. Everyone of thns~ omc .. -s. it.. ;~nd -1.~:', .. :i~h one oi thf' bc.::t and :n1c ·t ·withou.t a s0litary e""i:f'C'ption. rec!1mmended cL•n1oc::a.tic •.-etc's thev h&.J 8\'Gi' hu.d. There in then reports that the po:,tal vote oug'1t had b, e_l 2~0 ~~Hlndafe L.·o1n the peorle, Lnd Mr. O'Sullivan.] 682 Elections Acts lASSEMBLY.] Amendment Bill. nobody lJcJievPd in th<' postal vote C'rCept her signature, signed her own name after­ thosD who might be c dllcd very ardent the n ~me of the candidate, , any )J'Wson out;ide the House, to show any. and he \V::t"1 pretty \V<~1l -uro that if it v ..ts thing t '=1at. had occurred under th" absentee reintroduced they wculd have thcn1 agai11. votinrr sv,to'n that at all approach,-d what VVhof~vnr did thv.t, he was ~llT'\ \Vould lr"et ho had just des{'ribcd. While they know that with the condemnation of every hon<:at voter. man""~~ of the rP"'"urning oflk>:-rs \vere very Hu .,~ ~s snl'THi·~·:d to think that the J:Ic~n··-. cana.blP men and that thcv all desire·d to do becrotary, ,.~:ho prit:r cl hin1sr lf on hi:J great th~ir dutv v:ithvut f<:1r or favonr or bias, it deL,:1ocrac_y, w...t~ uphoJdi:ur; su,...h n ~·~ tt·HL mu--t [>,, ·admitt< d th of them showed The IIo·~E SECLETl,RY: I arn iH ~1urd \·ith a wa eli. of knowl, but the returning nicmber 'for QLwenton was speaking, he said om:-'r-a highly-pjd official of thP Home that ho did not say anything of the kind. Secretary's D·']nrtm,•nt ge' tmg £.600 a year Th,·v did not knoy· "here tltov Y· <>n'. r1e --:·2jected ever:· one of those votm,;-pal?ers,, could not understand the idea of bking away beouso th0y were not on the preserthed the absentee vote, bPcause he challenged the printed form. He challenged the Homo Sec· Ron. the Home Secretary to show how in rct•crv to show any def.::cts in the absente& any respect there had L-•c• abu_- c under that votin.g sysi;)m, beyond . the defech in his systen1. If t 11err- had br>"n Inistakf'-.. th v o1vn o:fficr_,rs-the rehun1ng offit:_;rs anrl th9" should be chergcd to the hon. g"ntkm<•n's pre oiding officH"s. He di.d not charge thos& adrniniF-tration \·f his :~_enar 1 Emt-. _\ll ... ,(\ offir·':r'' wich political bia<·, but he contfcnd<>d tronl/o and irr(':~uh.ritie~ th~t had ari--:·n that thron~h want of exercise of business h.1d occnrre.i in Cons---quenc~" o£ the ·want of e.are bv those officers a lot of trouble had C. Stet:. E. C. CoiF'ER: Thtt wn brought out mot distinctly by the Mr. B. Tho··'" ''otes were prof,- erlint:.Ji bet oro tlie I..lcr.·t-ions Trihun.-d not rejcnted. in tho Mar;.·borough c.>,so. In regard to the Mr. LENNON: He was not referring. to­ rostal vot--, all the••, the> Home Secretary :\1nryborou'"h, hut to a place ::;DO mtles had lr:-n good enou~h to icll th•'!ll v·ns th ,t tiW3V. the ju 'ices of •ho peM · shunlcl have no Mr. E. B. C. COP' remarks to the question before. lished mor,, pollin["-plac-'s. It ' •S wdl thn Committee. known that in the Brisl-·ino di•hict thoro :!\Ir. LE:;J::'-f0;:\1': He had only ;efer~·ed. to we< a ins~~ci~·mt polling-places, and in, the the mn,ttor in ordc.:_· to answer .an rnt:•rJectron f'•JU'!1tr. CU· trlP·v ,.._, WaR OVC'll WOT ·r ~,"'1C'ln mort' by a nF·nber on the other oide, '' ho thoro no roadB and where polling-places ~vere qnectionvl his trut•hfulne~s. '\V·JTo not r .tabli;;hed becauq\ it. di.-1 not h.1-' •p·.·n to suit tho hon. 1nmnb._•r' ;., nart:~ Mr. K B. C. CoRSER: No, I did not. [f colon·. That v:as where the evi! aros". von sa'· vou. did not r"for to Mar: borough, With reg.crd h the old, iniquitow 3ystem then r" ,;y I do not know what you were of po·-b 1 voting, he would r0l•cte one instance P"''king about. of '=::hat took j1l> ce unC:er that system-an ~lr. LENNOX: I-Ic ;,vas r{c ding with in>as the nah1re of the safeguanlo the Hous~, by a. majority of ,,]even . vot~s, pwvi·ded. T}wsc who had had experience ,,ffirn,,d that it was desirable that this Bill of thr po-·tal vote system in the city knew ::-hould contain provisions rein~tating~ the Vf .•· wdl the abusPs which took place under po· :al vot0, and likewise, by a majority of th •t sy,;t-'m. So much c-;rruption we21t on tc'l votes, it affirm< d that the provrswns re­ in conncction with posial vdting that there pealing the ab."entee vote might be permitted was no ·desire to hCLV2 the syste n reintro­ to remain. He wished to make it as clear dc.r•'d in .ony slHqJ0 whatevcJ'. The Howe as !.Jc ible that provision was made in the Sect ·tan had informed them thai the attc >­ Bill whcrcb,~ electors Y."ho believed that they tat ion of posh! vote•, lw justic~~ of the .,, auld be abYhich would en",blc them too· s1Y:1re_ '·:'r-j_ocy and pi·event abuses in c_;n- reco'd ::v·ir vat''· He would hko, further- 11 ·,~tion ""',\·ith SPch Yot-( :-. During t1}e- Fedf'ral he, h ·nake it ab olut,!y cle~.r that neither eh-·/·f-ion he ca~·11e across en inf:tanc·:=: "\Yhich the ca.r ,~ich,to, nor the ag,\nt of a candidat:'e" showed hm an omployur might be used nor "' ju ,:-;,-.,, of the pc~e<' codd be a vnt· to i11fiuf'nce his 1 '1lplo_,ec:. in the rnatt=-r of ness so far as any of the poftal votes were volin~. A le•ter wns srnt bv Oil<' high concerned. The \vitnesof'S were specifically official to another hig-h effie; ~I in "'Jnnection named in the measurE', and they were all with th0 Liberel leugur suggesting thut men who hold public positions, such as act­ during the fortnight prior to the election ing sergeant officer::! of .the Police Force, ar;d canvcc.'i·Jl'S should be sent ronnel to the dif. offiC.''r" above them, mght officers and rml­ fe,,ent war? hom•·· to SPP v hat could be done wav slation-maskrs and Stal•J school tea­ with employers in order to 2>-·t them to che.rs~men all holding prominent public induce their employees to vote for the po ,itior :, and "ho, he vcntnr•od to say, could Liberal candida+;'. If carte blanche, was given not he infl 'lenced one way or the other. So to an employer to have his emplovees far '"'''d, fiud tc> either by a doctor or a. certificated t'rat would leacl to a. •·iolaiion of tk srcrecv nurse. oi the ballot. \Ve did not w:c'1t anything of that cart to hitppen in connection v:ith onr Mr. RYAN: Pretty expensive on a poor elections. He did not think th:1t ~•e had n1an's \vife. much to complain about with referPnco to the u: ,,,,ntf'3 vot' in the last State e>lection. The HOME SECRETARY: That might At the very most, not more than 100 votes be. but one member on the other side of the in an electorate containing 30,000 persons Hotuc had stated that those electors who had h<>en foum~ to be in any way imprope··l:c· were unabl·r the absentee votr system, forfeit their votes. 'rhe Bill proposed to 1vil :ch they kno\V tv as effective to sotnet ~ing give to every elector, under proper safe­ which they knrw was diHmetrically opposed g·uards, power to exercise the f~,anchise on to fait· voting, wa> an "hsurditv which coald polling-day, whether they were 11!, whether not be too strongly condc,mned. If the Home they w<::re phvsically incapacitated, or Se-·retary was p;:_-oparod to give hon. rnein­ whether they w~re absent from their elec­ bers the information thev desired as to the torates : and if han. members would only postal vote provisions, they would be Fat's­ permit· him to present the Bill, he would, fied, but tho d+'bate was prolonp;c:1 Lcum'e on the second reading, endeavour to make thev could not got the necessary infort,<.tt:on the whole of the provisions cont:>ined in t_he on that matter. He sincen·ly hoped that the measure as clear as it was possible for him information wonld be .vouchsafc,d to the Com­ to do. He did not propose, on this occa­ mittee, •o t\at thB debat0 mig·ht come to an sion, to deal with any of the matters that end. TheY conJ.d afterwards discuss the had arisen in the course of the debate as whole nw.tt:?r fully in Committee on th Bill. to the corruption that was likely to arise because ju··tices of the peace, on a former The HOME SECRETARY said he did not occasion, did certain things, or because, ri · il for the purpo• '' of permitting him~clf nndcr another measure, certain things had to be drawn into a second-reading spcet•h at happened. What he had to do was to pre· that junc:turp in connection with the pro­ cent the Bill, which he believed was as near posed moasur0. It simply showed, as he perfection as it was possible to be, and h~d 'ta,cd the otl,er night. that howewr which would give every elector who was nL'. h such a dis:''l'•Jion that had taken place entitl<>d to be on the roll, and who was on on H10 mo'ion might be out of order, it was the roll, every facility to exercise the fran· r•· Illy und•Jsirable, beNtu><· the Minist'r in chis c. cl:- tr;\'C of a particnl:,r m<:>.•sure was in this position: How could he give information to Mr. RYAN: He was very pleased that the Connni·'"" b·fore t'ro Bill had been pre­ tht was his porition. As he hac! inad" him (Mr. Ryan) all the mor'" doter­ in:crjodc·cl, he CC"lld not give information mined to vote against tlw propu•;·1L How­ cow·, minv u Bill before that Bill had be0n ever, as th<> han. gentleman S>' id the Bill rc td a fir .t time. and he ventured to sav it tv~s not printed, '"l.nd he require :I somB tinta would he a highh- itll!1roper ti•.mg if he ·drd to have it printed. h" had no doubt it would oo. fie ro.<:;n for thn -purnc·(~ of -t"'ld-?vmu·­ be moved a little furthnr down the business ing to remov~~ a misconc•··ption that app~:tr~ sh£' "t, and very probably t;hc 11011. ~0ntle· ently seemed to haV•" arisen from what he n1an was not scriou~ \vhen he s ...tid it "vault! Mr. Ryan.] 1684 Elections Acts [ASSEMBLY.] Amendment Bill.

remain at the top of the sheet. Perhaps The HOME SECRETARY: That would not the hon. gentleman had not made that state­ matter so long as they knew they would be ment as a challenge. away. Mr. KESSELL : Why waste more time? Mr. PAYNE: The whole thing was rotten, and it was only hon. members like the Ho.me Mr. RYAN said lw was addressing the Secretary, and those sitting ~longside of ~im, Chair, and direct!ng his remarks to the who would bring in legislatiOn of tha.t ln;>d. Home Secretary and not to the hon. member It was like a good deal of other legislatinted. distri~ts. The Government were makmg ~r. KESSELL : I am quite willing. provision for disfranchising 75 per cent. of tho'e engaged in the pastoral industry, more :l'.1r. RYAN : As a rule, he only directed particularly if an election happened to come his remarks to members of the House whom along during the shearing season. . ~he he thought worthy of addressing his remarks Home Secretary intimated that provision to, and he did not think the hon. member would be made in the postal voting systeJ?­ for Port Curtis Wtts one of them. The hon. for an elector who was absent ~rom h;s "member was one of thS> most unpopular mem­ home and he also said that certain public bers on the Government side of the House, serva~ts would witness those votes. There and hon. members s~tting opposite would be might be 200 men iP a shearing shed, and delighted to hear him (Mr. Rvan) devote there might not be one of those officers tw.-nty minutes to the hon. membm;, and, no within 30 miles of the place; and how :nd .. They seen:ed to think they were !egisl>:tmg for Br;sbane. Mr. RYAN: H0 had given a sort of Be would fight the Bill, b.ecaus':' It was undertaking to the Home Secretary, and he brought in with no honest mtentwn. The intended to carry that undertaking out. He Home Secretary said that the sick and th?'l8 did not intend to delay the Int,tion any who were physically incapable of leavm,g further at this stage than he could possibly their homes must produce a doctors help, bm if the motion remained ut the top certifi,cde. of the page, he would have a little time to The Hm.m SECRETARY : Or a certificate devote to the han. member for Port Curtis, and to his action, in the Port Curtis elec­ from a certifi~a ted nurse. tion. Mr. PAYNE: If a man or woman lyin,g ~11r. KESSELL: And I will have a word or ill in Longf€·:tch had to produc~ a doctor s two to say about you. certificate, it would cost a gu"mea. J:k RYAN: The han. member could not The HoME Smcm;rARY : What about the aff<>ct him. He was pJa,"ed there by th€ nur>e? party sitting· on that side of the House, and the han. memb,1r ,-could n<'ver have a chance Mr. PAYNE: Very few country people of being placed on the front Treasury bench who were sick had nurses. by Government members. The HOME SECRETARY: If you want it Mr. KESSELL: ::\'or have you by the elec­ wider, I am prepared to accept any reason­ tocs. able amendment in Committee. The CHAIRMAN : Order ! Mr. PAYNE: It only showed .the ig:>o­ rance of the han. gentleman of a b1g portwn Mr. RYAN: He was prepared to leave of Queensland. Y cry few people in Ce':"tral that matter to the paople of Queensland. He and Northern Queensland could afford either would C•CJrbinly not lose his temper with the to have a doctoi' or a nurse when they were h~n. n<>mbcr, who looked a bil '"'hite. sick in their own home>. Nurse•, wer.- not Th 0HAIRMAN : Onbr ! I would point falling over one another in that part of the tmt that the han. member j, not in order. country looking for a job.. There were _very feF trained nurses outside the hospitals, Mr. RYAN: The han. member had drawn and th people learned to nurse thems<:Ives. him slightly awhy from his subject, but he After the intimation of the Home Sec.retar.y auld deal with the han. memher on some regarding the provisi the strictures of members sitting on the -paper and enab!, han. members to discuss Opposition side. Evidently the han. gentle­ some more important measures. man proposed to open the door wide to all the abuses which had ever taken place at Mr. PAYNE: The explanation of the elections in Queensland. He proposed that Home Secretary made matters worse than every elector might apply for a postal vote, he anticipated. If an election came on at and that the application might be made to shearing time, a very large number of those various people. Evidently there was no engaged in the pastoral industry might be provision requiring secr.ecy. Fan~y electors disiranchised, as they would not have the having to apply to F raih· <•:V •tatwn-mast<>r Blightest idea where they would be on or to a postmasLr ior a postal vote ! A -election day. station-master W< ".1ld be toe bus; ,,·ith his [11fr. Ryan. Electtons Acte Amendment Bill. [29 JULY,) Rabbit Bill. 6815' own affairs to reply to applications for Question put; and tho Committ0e> postal votes from all parts of the electorate, divided:- a,nd suwly it was not intended to inflict AYES, 31. a penalty upon him in the event of his not Mr. Appel l1r. Luke carrying out the dutio" imposed upon him , Barnu, W, H. ,. ~iackay by the BilL Any elector, whether sick or Bell , More:'ln mherwise, would be able to apply for a Booker .. Bou..:hard , 1:~r;~: postal vote, He did not know why a CorsPr, B. H. ., Philp medical cBrtificate should be required. , Corser, :B~. B. C. · Hankin The HoME SECRETARY: If you want to Crawford Hobcrto Cribb .SomorsPt widen it in Committee, I have no wish to Denham ~tevens be unreasonable. , DougJas .. :--;,vaynn Forsvth · Tolmi~ lYh. HARDACRE: After the explanation ., Gra:rit Trout of the Home Secretary, he could not see .. Gunn White why a medical certificate \\a, 'Vauted at , Hodge Williams all, because an elector need not "-PPly for Ke"rll a postal vote on the ground of sickness. Teller.-:: Mr . .Mackay a:ncl _\:r. Douglas~- He could simply say that he would be out­ NoEs, 23. side tho electorate on polling-day, and thereby avoid the expense of pwviding a J.Ir. Adamson ::Ur. Kirwan Barber · Land medical certificate. As one of the mem,>ers Bertram Lar1 •1m be who had served as an as"essor in all the .. Bmvma.n Ll'llllOll cases which came before the Elections ,, Coyne ~i::cOormack Tribunal last SP'''ion, he drew up, on behalf , Foley ., }Iurphy of the other members of the panel, some , Gilday 0'-'ullivan recommendations reg..1rding amendments in , Cil!iea , Pa.ync Hamilton Rvan tho electoral law which had manifested Harc~acre Ti1eodore themselves during the hearing of those Hunt0r , \V insh,nley c~ses. The remarkable thing was that in ,. Ruxh;tm the serie~ of suggestions th0y did not men­ Tellers: }fr. Br-rtram anr1 JlLr. :McCormack. tion an)thing in the way either of abolishing the ab,enLee vot.- or of including the postal PAIRS. vote. AvPs-}fr Blair and 1\Ir. Fox. Th~ Ho'-IE SECRETARY: Your r<•comm--nda• ::x'oes-:!lir, May and Mr. Fihdly. tions \YC'-,e de "cctive in that resp."ct. RBsolved in the .affirmatiY<'. :Hr. HARD \ORE: 'I'ho Home Sccrekn' The HO;\;IE SECRETARY moved that the said during this c:'ebate that tho asSCSF0l~S Chairman lea V<' the chair, and report the had rl'COmmonded this particuJ-tr ching, resolution io the Honse. The IIo::.uE SECRET.\RY: No; I said they Mr. RYAN: Before the Chairman left the had mad<· recomm<'ndations which ],ad ber>n chair he would like to haye some informa­ considered, and "-hich had practicaily been tion whotl1o-r the Govnd to nasc~ this Bill through all its stages tho point he >Yished to make was that thev before any other business was done? had made no recommendations so far a's Tho PRE}f!ER: Oh, no ! It will take its reintroducing the postal vote or the abolition place on the business-paper, (Opposition of the ahscnt-~:,o vvto were concernd. During the hearing of the three petitions last laughter.) se,sion, no fault was discovered with the :Mr. RYAN: He wanted to get that absentee Yote. cleared up, The HoME SECRETARY: That >Yas not stated Question put and pas;;ed. in ihc recommendations. 'I'he House resumed. The CHAIRMAN re­ Mr. liARD}cCRI~: They founti impN­ port<>d tho resolution to the House, and the fections in various other wap, but thev did rc,olntion was agreed to. not find any imperfections so far as the absentee vote was conccrnud - nothing FIRST READIXG. occuncd which warranted the introduction The Bill was then read a first time, and of the postal Yote or the abolition of the the second reading made an Order of tho ab,entcc vote. All that happenPd in con­ Day for· to-morrow. nection with the ''.b:,...::mtco yotc 'Y~L, that one returning officer had forgotir>n to initial the ballot-pape: s. That wa-~ an imperfection, RABBIT BILL. not in the provisions, but in tho adnlini~­ ira+ion of th,. provi&ions of the Act. Tlw RESC~Il'TION OF CO:U}!ITTEE. best snh0mo that could possibly bo de,, i.

that the trapping of the rabbits would only valued at £327,874; making a total for the lead to a further increase in their numbers. export trade of £734,636. For local cDn­ .He did not think that was really the r<.«'·on sumption in New South vV ales, the sum of for the Government's attitudP :S17!) 061 v•,"9 rLalised) n1aking a total valu" [5.30 p.m.] on the matter. He believed for the St,at+· of ::\'ew South Wales alone the right way to eradicate the of :£908,000. This money was dictributcd pest was to get as many people in the an1ong· the p~opl" uf Ne\V South \\. a.Jc;;,_ district intereBted in their destruction as Mr. FoRSYTH: Each year it is getting possible. All that the Government had done bigger. WitS to have a certain staff through the Central Rabbit Board with their officers Mr. ITCNTER: He could show th:n e

Mr. HU::"iTER: The crops were increas­ of doing that in his own affairs. Yet that .iug. He -,, iched to give the quantities a_nd was being done, and hundred3 of thousands value of the rabbits killed during successive oi pounds had been was~ed. and money would years. In Victoria, in 1902, they caught continue to be wasted 1£ 1t was allowed. to 3,213,376, valued at .£158,043; in 1903 .tl_wy go on. Therefor!l he moved the foll~;vmg caught 3,444,077, valued at .£165,000, g1vmg amendment, to omit all the words. after a_ny round numbers; in 1904 they caught 4,045,000 person " in line 4 to the end of hne 11, w1th Tabbits valued at .£125,038; in 1905 they the view of inserting- caught' 5,000,000; in 1906, 4,000,000; in 1907, (' rnay on the pro,\uction of an au­ 3,000 000; and in 1908, 1,700,000; in 1909, thorit:,, if such authority is de~ande.d 1,6ou;ooJ; am! in 1910, 1,300,000. That was by any owner or occupwr,. from tr~ne to only to be _expected_ when tlw,Y were spend­ time enter on any land w1th or _wrtho~t ing ull then· energ1cs m g:ettmg these rab­ assistance, dogs, hor'~es, and vehwles, In bit' and were also well pa1d for 1t. Under or etc r to search whether any rabbits are those cirmlm-,tances, was it likely that rab­ on ~uch land, and to dRstroy and remove bits would be found to he increaoing there? the ~J:nne, and n1ay l',,nH.dn t!Iore as long At am rate, it was quitr contrary to all and do such ~hing) a J 1.~.1ay be nccc::.sary XeasonalJlP b·~lief, and yet, On the other hand, for ihc pnrposA afornaid. For the pur­ the,- had the Government coming down and puse of this section, person includes P7r­ tell~ng them that the rabbits would iD:crease 'Dns, and authority means_ the author1ty if there were more people tlngaged 111 de­ of the Minister or rabb1t board, and stroying them. They were told that a trap­ such authority may be a gonefal au­ per, when he got a rabbit, would carry it thority." .aw~;:v and put it on ::.omebod."-'s property and allow it to breed. Th.e hon. gentleman He thought that if the amendm~nt was might make a o!::tmnent like that, but for adopted, Qnoensland might look fon~ard to everv rabbi' that thai might happfueed to allow trappers to go on "Be,t mixed, 1s. 4d. to 1s. 6d. per pastoral properties was that their doing so dozen. would interf0ro with the man on the land. " Medium mixed, 1s. 2d. to 1s. 3d. per .dozen. ThP bell indicated that the hon. member's " Milky, 9d. to 10d. per dozen. time had expired. "Inferior, 6~d. to Sd. per dozen. Mr. FORSYTH (Jiun umba) said he was "Kittens, 6d. to 7d. per dozen." entireh- :tgainst the .amendment. He He saw that Victoria spent £868,000 in fight­ wondered for what purpose the hon. mem­ ing the rabbit pest since its. inception, but ber for Maranoa thought people spen~ since they turned it into a commercial affair thou;,ands of pounds in fen<.:ing. their r~m&. they had received £1,312,000 from the \Vas it for the purpose of breedmg rabbits? business, and these were people who No, it was for the purpo,,e of killing or onginally believed just as the hon. the pre­ d••stroving rabbits. The hon. m•·mLer said that the number of rabbits in the Common­ sent Minister and the hon. member for Mary­ wealth had been decref•'jng. To show that borough seemed to believe-that by allowing they had not been decreasing, but that on trappers to take the carcasses and the furs the contrary they had been increasing during they would be encouraging the spread of the last few years, he would quote a few rabbits. He was pleased to think that later figur<,,; from page 332 o; the "Official Year on they became reasonable, and began to Book of the Commonwealth of AuJtralia." legislate as he proposed they should do here, There is wets stated tho:tt the numbet" of and the consequence was therP had been a rabbits exportd in 1907 was 10.648,534 pairs; big decrease. He ,-,as told that some people in 1908, 7,604,053 pairs; in 1909, 9.181.312 had been driven off their lands, but that pairs; in 1910, 9.652,127 pairs; and 1911, would have happened in a greater number of 8,362,994 pairs. Between 1908 and 1910 there cases without the rabbitb being destroyed. \cas an incrc·use of over 2.000,000 pairs, and He hoped the House would accBpt the yet the hon. member for Maranoa stated that amendment he proposed to move, because he on the average the number of rabbits in the thought it would not only lead to the reduc­ Commonwealth wac. decreasing. It was· true tiOn of th,, pest, but also give to the State that there were a smaller number exported employment for its people and a large in 1911 than in the previous ;cear, but we amou,;t ,f revenue that othenvise would be had an exceptional year in 1911-we had no wasted. He tho•1ght it was a wrong policy rain for nine or ten month<, and a great to say that a good marketable articl!l should numb'"t' of the r-~bbits died, so that the be destroyed, and he was pm·fectly sure there decrease in that vear had no more to do was no han. g0ntleman sitting on the oppo­ with trappers than it had with the man in site side of the House who would be guilty the moon. With the ex0eption of that one Mr. Forsyth.] 688 Rabbit Bill. [ASSEMBLY.] Rabbit Bill.

year, when their numbers were reduced, was done every day. Almost everybody rabbits had st<>adily increased during the had poison carts going round all the time. last three or four years. Looking now at As e, matter of fact, three or four years ago the export of skins, he found that in 1907 in the Cunnamulla district, and .away down there were exported 100,802 cwt.; in 1903, about Bulloo Downs, there was an enormous. 65,391 cwt. ; in 1909, 62,180 cwt. : in 1910, quantity of rabbits, and a great many of 86,930 cwt.; in 1911, 92,587 cwt.; so that the the holdings to the north coul_d see at a. <>xport jumped up from 62,180 cwt. in 1909 glance that the rabbits were gomg to be a to 92,587 cwt. in 1911. Yet the hon. memoor very great menace, and a number of owners for Maranoa told them that the rabbits were netted in their runs. The hon. memoor for decreasing in numbers. As a matter of fact, Warrego would agree with him in that they had been steadily increasing in numoors. matter, but there wa:s nothing like the Mr. HUNTER: No. quantity of rabbits down there now that there was at that time. :I'Ir. FORSYTH: He said they had been Mr. COYNE: Is it because the rabbit boards steadily increasing, and the figures he had killed them? quoted proved that statement, SAeing that the export of skins had increased from ;Mr. FORSYTH: They killed a few, na 62,180 cwt. in 1909 to 92,587 cwt. in 1911, doubt; but for anyone to say that eYen t~e Would the hon. member explain that? rabbit board men killed millions of rabbrts Mr. HUNTER: I will tell you how that is. ,,,as non,.;e11SC. T\vo ur three years ago there was a disease amongst the rabbits, Mr. FORSYTH: Well, let the hon. mem­ and then there were drv time,, when the ber explain what those incrc ases meant. rabbits could not get water, and they died Turning now to the value of the rabbits in thousands. That account ,d for the and hares expor,ed, he found that in 1907 it decrease, and, as far as he could judge, in was £472,816; in 1908, £336,093; in 1909, the South-•vest they were not nearly as bad £423,679; in 1910, £486,592; and in 1911, as they had been, and thev were no special £407,034. On the whole, instead of there rueaace to QueE'H5lr,.nd. rrhe. great lTI8lla?e being a d·1crease in the value of the rabbits to the pfdtoralists and gr·azmg farmers m. exporttd, there was an increase; <1lld we cEd the f'outh·wf 't at tho present time was not not want to make our lands br€.>ding places rabbits, but dingoes, which l:ad ~ msed for rabbits in order to secure an export enormmH dn,truCl con. The rabbrts drd not trale in them. \Ve were spending money kill the rheep, and the amount of gPas., they consumed was not a great deal. A large with the object of killing the rabbits, and number of grazing farmers in that portron it would be very unwise to allow every of Queensland had found it nece3sary to put Tom, Dick, ,and Harry to go on to any up dingo netting at enor,nous expense, but man's land for the purpose of making a the rabbits weu• easier now than they had profit in connection with rabbits. been for manv years. Suppose they allowed Mr. HUNTER: That is the trouble. men to go on" a holding, say, 50 miles from a rai!v, ay .·tation, how could they send the Mr. FORSYTH : That was the troubl('. c.lrc:tsses of the rabbits to London? ·what What had people fenced in their runs fm ? would be the l"tpense of bringing them in? To keep the rabbits outside, and then to send round poison carts continually to ex­ Mr. COYXE: What about the skins? terminate the rabbits which might have Mr. FORSYTH : There were not too remained within the fenced area, and he manv to kill for the skins. There were a believed that there were fewer rabbits in few" in some portions, but he knew of Queensland at the present time than we had places, even where they had not used poison haJd in Queensland for many years. Accord­ carts at all, where the rabbits were really ing to the "Commonwealth Year Book," at bad three or four years •ago, and to-day page 333, thr,y found that tho value of there were practically no rabbits there at rabbit skins exported from the Common­ all. He could not tell the reason for it; all wealth for last year was £498,037, while in he knew was that they were not there, and 1908 it was £304,990. In 1910 it increased they should not bring in a Bill to allow by over £200,000 in the one year-from any person to go on a n:an's holding, mo.re, £347,244 in 1909 to £566.739 in 1910. If they bpecially on to the holdmg of a pastorahst took 1907-thc year the hon. who had netted in his run at enormous [7 p.m.] member for Marano a wanted exnense to hinuolf. Even if he got assist­ them to take as a basis-they an.co from the Government, it was an enor­ found that the value of rabbit and hare mous exnense to the man. He knew people skins exported that year was £374,882, whil<• in the Western districts, during the l

"·or, dcsirou.- of sc ;ing th•· rabbits destroyed other industry? The amendment was on their holdings-had mede no such request. unfair, and he asked hon. members not to . ::VIr. Hr·KrER: They arc not the onlJ people support it . Intt<::e~ted. Mr. COYNE (lVarrego): After listening The SECRETARY FOH PUBLIC LANDS: to tho .lUinish·r, one could not wrv well The ra~bit nui3 'a~e hacJ. '-"-<'-, iUllKd ery lar.s:~ arrive at any oth>er conclm:ion tha1i that proportro_ ..,, bnr: a1t.. r ·all \Va.s ~:ai.J. ar..d done, th;, Bill was mere fireworh. and was not 1tvhat had uu.•n donJ in \;-ic:oria could not required at all, and that the rabbits were no bo dmw in Qae<·nsland. The· pu.ition in danger to the country, and therefore hon. QurJ;'n~: lYlLi 'i\CB not Hw ~.~. ;::,uppo::-~, for art;uln<~nt there \'\-"as a railway ther-e, there \vas no !"ake, th·~=-~ ·:' .__:ro ph .:_;a1ccl to accept tho danger of anyone destroying rabbits there c:, L... · ·1duL: ~. 1t .'':oul.d not 1;u of ~nu:;h u:- _', for carca··,c< or skins. The destruction becuu ·c tho r~bbit·, In C'w_ -nsland V\.__.r,.., not y;ould bt_). Jeft l J t~1c lc, ~.;E'3. But, if th?rJ­ v.:ithin :'-lalkcLJ->) (r""t "tnc·'. In \-i\·~orL-., wPro rabbit·'! alon{!side a ra,ilway, a.s there the l;Gn~ion ''.:':i quit~ di_,· 21'' :t... If ·, -~ru \;Cl'f' arounrl (;unn ;"nulla, \vithin c•_1e n1ile '"'""' re ra~)_~!:? a.; nc~r to 2:-·\_rt us Stanthorpo of tho r.,ihva:_Y stv.tiun, and v.here tlwrc was :"'US to Dn .vane, thf \voulJ b.::' t:;.JlrH ~h.ing­ a larr;e population, they conld not do better In the :_t.l ~dHi.t.: :. :., ; :Jut r_J;L.:t<;)_ \YC? LuJ7- than ;dlow p opk to d~ The CH \IR;}lAN: Order! I would cJl tho clin. tli con<'iti:··:'s ·c. ore Sl:·~h th ,t it the ,;ttention of hon. members to tho fact would bL i1npc -,~iLlo tf' deal v.~i.~;:~l then1. that th<' ac.rcrulw?nt before th·: CmLtti:s: G .:Yir. RYll':: Ii the amFnC:mcn\ would be a i<:. to insert the Vi"ord " au~hori ·8d" be£ore de 1d lt)tt;~r, a.J .:;ou argue, ·what harm is tl10 "\Vord "'person." I a:J. ~"'·.·~d tho ~1inister there in it? to llL.Jn.' '11 .ex:p}(tL'l~i0,J, hut l WO~lL_ LC~.\' afk he·"· 111. 'nbcr;-;~ to LQ'llln,· their 1~111.· l:~~s Th(· SECRET_\.RY lfCJR PUBLIC L_~NDS: to th0 a1nendL1Gnt b,::for J the Ci):dmit'2c-. There was no u.·e in having a dc:ad l~tter on !he s1atute-book. From another point Nlr, COYI\E: He did not know hvw he of vww. the an•endment \Cas very objection­ could reply to what th·J Minirter said in able, Sm·ely pastoral 1-lsb.:€' er0 entitled that ca '"· The 11inister got a ftee hund to to come consideration in the matter. He roam all over the place. was \Dry cerlain that the hon. member would The SECHE·rAllY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: No; I no7 a-_:l;..a 10 a~y logi ..dahon which \voui

country? Then, again, a n1an \Yho _\vas out all round the Cunnau11illla district. During scratching for a living was not _hkely to the drought time a'' many as 6,00J in a night save the kittens and put t1wm mto new wert> ct.ught in a tctnk. Ail you had to do countrJ ; hi.'. garne was to c:atch as man:\ as was to shut the "attr otf, and ;;ou could he could and se,Jure the ~okns :md carc;;ss<>G catch the rtt.~Jbiis in thousands. l~stea~ of where it was poHible. \Vhen the lnttens L 1rying them in a hole, or destroying t.1.em luJl n :~whcd the ai:,c thaz. tht.; y·ould_ ln~c, by SJP..lC other .illeat:.3, · a·, \Yas no'\V being they could equally as well be roared m the ... ~o.o:.:.';, all tl>~ hon. LlFU.1ber for J\~L .. ranoa .cour... trv they \VG:re 1n r., Hl . new country ; :'.-;ked \, Lq that any person wh:> .'vould go but i~, you killed th':' motp.er of these .and (~·- ,tro 1 the rabbits in that ftnhion , honld lfittnns it was a hun~~·ed cllances to cno Le en it kef to use :he skins and care ,:tsscs for that\; th0 kittens would nie whe:..eYe:.: you put 1<-:; O\\L.. Uo.:.!lL~it, as well as .for the benefit of them. the 8i._;.te. IIe did not know v.Theuher the g-. nt~·!nl,~n u~cd ~1ir. Mor:·;A:'i: At what age? hon. ''ho the arglunent uoti-Jed tr~·tt it ·was the greate: L at~"ardity Mr. COYKE: At the age the mother was i.1 th',' world to say that if you killed 6,000 rearing the1n; at an age \Yhen the mother rr.Lbi.s in a srot, the rabbiJ, •,.·ere gomg to was not l'utring them you had not the chance incre~\se in t:.~.at spJt-tl•--ir argument ;,vas of cat(hing them-after th~y had ,got out. of tht;.t the mo:·e you kilied t!:"l more they. were J.hB nest the time for cdchmg ana removmg e·oing to i:lCTc 't ,.e. As to the eJlcged mter­ ~hem 7:as gone. The _Mini:-cBr asked how fnencJ with the pastorali<.ro, he had heard the hon. member for lVIarccnoa would hke the '•otme cry in con,~.ection with the L.arsu­ anybody to interfere with his business, and pials. >aid that if this amendment were carl'led, Mr. LAXD: We have it to-day '"'·ith the it would 'int.. riere with the business_ of t~e dingo. pastoralic;;tf:.) and ~e d.rew .::-,n alarnu:1g pic­ ture of a man gomg m with a lot ?f dogs .:'dr. CO"l J'\E: It was said that a man to kill rctbllih, and the dogs chasmg the wo :ld go on the run and interfere wi'h ~he cattle. If he had spoken about sheE>p he sheen. There was some ar~:;•:ment With ,,)uld have und!'rstood the argument of the rega1·d to shcc)', b·1t none with regard to hon. gentleman. He had seen a numbe~ of cattle, and i he JVlinistx:r \Yas very unfortunat-e these rabbit dogs, and they were so tired in his rcfcnnc<'. Som~ safeguard should be that they would not bother about chasing given to the n1-an V;iho \Vas rearing sheep, cattle; the cattle were too fast altogether. and \\·here a trapper went or: the r~n, t_he le,see should have some st.cunty agamst m­ The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: Don't terference with his sh,•ep; but they could do vou know it is not necessary to do it? The what the hon. m<, mber for Maranoa wished, cattle will run for miles when there are and still give that security to thB owner. strange dogs about-you ought to know. As a matter of fact, dogs were very little nso in catching rabbits. rud the trappe, could Mr. COYNE : He did not know what the do a thousand times better with yard,, and owners of cattle would do to save them run­ by other means. Dogs were about the most nino- about because there were scores of primitiv!l method in the world of killing dingoes aro,',_nd all the time, and the dingoes rabbit·;. The hon. member for Murrumba were so much like a rabbit dog that a bul­ wanted to kno,v" ho'v it was that, since trap­ lock would not know the difference between pers had been .allowed to catch rabbits in them. (Laughter.) That argument, there­ New South \Yak", in some years there were fore, went to the wall. But it did not increase'.l and in other years decreases in the matter whether the hon. member for Maranoa number of rabbits exp;rted. and flucbations obiHJted to certain persons interfering with in the value of skins, but that could be ex­ his business. If there wns anything in his plained in a few words. The re,,sons for the bu,,.incss that was a menace to the country, Llisparity in the value of the skins .and the the State could step in, dp,cpite the objec­ number of rabbits exported in different years tion of the hon. member for Maranoa ; ,an~ from Nev: South Wales and Victoria was that was what should be ,done in this case because of industrial depression at ono time if they were going to regard the rabbits as as comvared with another. a national menace. The bell indicated that portion of tL

all he had to do v.a' to ride round once a to perpetuate the commercial value of that v. ek. There was very little industry. Human nature was alwa.ys hurnan [7.30 p.nl.J d:mge: af~er the first three 11ature. whether in the bosom of the poli­ mont!J·. \Vhen the fence was tician looking after the intere ·ts of his con­ fir3t creckd there was no doubt that the ctituents, or in the bosom of the man with Jmngaroos would bump into it, as thsey were cornn1ercial instincts. It ·wa:; a noto~ious not acoc .tstomcd to the fence, and the cattle fact in the Southern States, \\here the rabbit .and hor~er.; 111ight also do that, but there \Vas ,, as connneTcialised, that \Yhcn the <.:o-o carne not tho same trouble when the fences got tn tho rabbit fence, if she was in young, <•lder. The cost of tho fence would repay the t-l1e was not de•,troyed by the rabbiter. The I;a '-toraliFt in tirne. I-Ie "\Vas on the san1.e rabbiter with commercial instincts saw thnt plar:o as the grazing :farmer with regard to there W&.. a continuous profit to be made by the rep .•. yment to the Crown, and his stock k eping the doe, and he was careful not to ,,·as secure inside th · fcnc.;, while he was exterminate it. If the rabbits get to the relieved from a,"''' ssment by the rabbit board. netting fence thc:r eat out all the pa· ture 'I'he an,endment might be· modified so far as outside the fence, and then they get poor. dot;.3 .... 't'"ere con;,ernt d, but if it vvere not ac­ On the other side of the fence is th" fine <:ep1rd, then he hoped no ''"ember from the pasture belonging to the pastor:1l lessee. Is Gov' rm.;ent sic~e of the House would get the rabbiter going to deny himself the right up and say that the rabbiis Wf're a danger to get in,ide that pasture? They knew very to the co.mtry, because the public would see well that there were 100 per cent. of the actions of membec·s of the House were rabbiters who would put the doe over into only a sham in saying that the rabbits were tho good pasture, and by that means they " danger and menace while th.'v would not \Yould perpetuate the rabbit industry. Any accept the amendment. .• member who attempted to foster the rabbit industry as a coinrne.t;cial industry \vas not Mr. BOOKER IW:de P.!t) ;,id they were patriotic to Queensland, and he was not {l~ :~ linz 1Yi:h a 'mo·.t i;apor:· .'tnt qucs~ion. casting his vote in the interests of the 1nen lle \vas oppo .. C'd t'1 t 11e .:nnrndment u.Ito­ ,, ho to-day were his friends. The shear<'rs, gethf'l'. r_rhe R!)CPCh of thr· ho··~. !ll('li1bPr for who, with the wharf Jumper, were the \Jarm t'\ ap·p fl 1(•d to hi·n. as a c~c;e of ari,·toerats of the industrial workers of Aus­ trc:tHa to-day, W€re not goi21g to be fr.rced '5pe~ial1 plead~_n:.r for a. c Juntry storekf'cpor, aL:.u 1-v:.. l-tJt'·~ ch of tl1!~ hon. 1· '0mb2r for out of their occupations t'7'J becon1e raLLit \V:~rrego ,. J.S nw ..:i~ 1 P10adi_;g for his con­ trappers. He did not think they wne, and stitn~'nt:;, \vho \- on 1 d bo rab1)it t:-apppr:;::. it \Yes just as ·well to let the.ie n1-en under, shnd the position. The hon. member for ;•. 1r. I-Ie~-."'1'.:..·... _: )~nd vours is Bp(~cial plead­ Maranc>?. to.lked about allowing men to go ing for the squatters. on to the holdings after rabbits, and said they would do no more harm than the "'Ir. BOOKER: It was either on<' thing kangaroo and marsupial scalpers. It was ·<:L' the other they had to decide-for either all very well when there were a few kan· tho survival of the sheep or the develop­ garoos on -a holding, and tbey went near the '' :·nt of the ,.,,bbit industrv. Tho hon. water. The owner or manager of the hold­ :memb.or for \Van·ego said thU:t thF- carrying ing could keep an eye on these men then, ev pac1ty of th ._t country vi.Ta.s not interfered but it would be different with the rabbiter. with by the inv:• sian of rabbi~'; but he (Mr. The country would probably be poor, and Rooker) could give cJncrete t nses which it would be impossible to watch the rab· f'OVt<· ·d hundrc:>dA of simi~ ar C8 'L'~ throug-h­ hitcrs and keep an eye on them. The DUG Aush'?Jia. \Yhen the rabbit invasron rabbiter was altogether different to the -stmck the districts of New South \Vales !lC' kangaroo or marsupial shooter or opossum happen<'d to live in New South Wales, 'and snarer. The more contiguous the property he"d a . good deal to do with the pastoral was to a railwav the greater damage could mdustrwo. There was a property in thP be done bv the" rabbiters, because the rab­ Cob:~r district which carried 3o;ooo sheep in bits would' not be worth so much from a a nor~:nal season, ,and in the SF!cond year commercia! value point of vi<;w when they following that invacion of rabbits that "pro­ were farther nway from a rarlway. If the })'lrty co.rrit)d only 3,000 sheep. amendment were accepted-and he did not Mr. COYNE: \.Vhat year was that? think it would be-they would find that the volume of rabbits adjacent to r11.ilways would :Mr. BOOKER: Twenh-four or twenty­ not be in any comparison to what they five years ago, when rabbits first struck the would be in the course of a Y<'ll.l' or two. Cobar district. The endeavour of the State, They would find th:tt the rabbits close to and the endeavour of this Bill, w.as to the railways would become a very big factor, -suppress the rabbit, .and, if possible, to wipe because the closer to the railw·O::vs the n1ore him out, but the intention of the amendment valuable they would be. The figures that was to perpetuate the rabbit. So soon as had been quoted by the hon. member for t.hey commercialised the rabbit, then so soon l\1aranoa and the han. member for Mnr­ did they set up vested inter0sts, which had rumba did not count for anything. He took vccurred in New South Wales and Victoria. the view that the figures, so far as thev The rab.bit trapping industry was a big concerned the flnctuatiom in the value o'f 'Commermal factor there, and it was becom­ the exports, stood for nothing. In a good ing a big political factor. Their friends season in the Southern States rabbits were ·opposite were anxious to establish a vested fat, and the fluctuations very largely were intf>rest which had become a commercial due to the seasons, more particularly in and political interest in other States. That Victoria. The Government there graded was a great danger in dealing with the rabbits as in Queensland they graded their 1·abbit question. If they were going to butter, and if the rabbit was not of a -establish the rabbit as a commercial circum­ ·stance, they were going to carry the rabbit cm-tain weight it was passed out and not all over the State right into the Eastern exported. Consequently, in a bad year the ·coast, and into tile Eastern areas. The reduction in the export of rabbits ran into [email protected]<:mdment would give the rabbiter a chance an enormous number. He hoped that the Mr. Booker.] 692 Rabbit Bill. [ASSEMBLY.] Rabbtt Bill.

House was not going to be bull-dozed into The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : H& accepting an amendment that perhaps was haR, in this VBry clau,e. going to be the biggest menace to their Mr. HCNTER: Then why not accept this country of anything that so far had hap­ amendn,ent? perwd. Ho did not know that since he had been in that House there lnd been a pro­ Mr. IIAJ'diLTOX: He did not think suffi~ pos~! more damaging a:Jd far-r<-oching than ciont st-eps were being taken_ by rabbit th_• anwnd1~::.ent n1oYcd by the hon. 1nmnber bo,n·ds or b-- the lessees. He drd not thmk for :Maranoa. anything hU:d bc.en so successful in the des­ truction of rabbits as tho poison carts. Mr. H~\MILTOK : It was a remarkable Hon. R. PHlLP: ·who dropped the poison thing that hon. membei':J on the other side carts? al iVaJ.'::. :a \V ;:,Olnething poli!·icul in a~y n1ove made by membero on the Opposition side of ::\ir. HAMILTO::'.f: I think the Central the HousP. Political ghosts seemed to be Board did thai. ju,nping up before hon. gentkmon opposite .at ev .· ry turn. To listen to omo speechea Hon. R. PHILP: It was the Govprnment that had hr9n delivered on the other side of that you supported. tlw House in connection with the amend. Mr. HA:ii!IILTOX: Someiirncs when they ment, they might think that it was a Bill for the prot?ction of the rabbit instoad of were supporting a. party they had to do for his destruction. Tho same arguments things that they dHl not ap12rovc ::;[ a_Jr.n· p;ether, in order to keep them m power, JUSt that had h2on used were used when the as th., han. momb .r sat there to kee.> the Marsupial Bill was introduced, and provision other party out. He thought some JI!e.ans was made to give scalpers permi,sion to should bP acloptcd whereby those who wl'hed go on to holdings. There was an old ,-a ing 0 to go on to holdings for the sake of ~he that where there was a will there was a wa.y. vVhilst he did not say that the amend­ raboit skins should be able to do so, with nv•nt v ::ts all that could he desired, or proper precaution•, that it 1>'ould give sufficient protection, yet, Mr. ::VIORGAK (Mmilla) thought the Min­ considF ring th11 arnount of 1nonov that the ister could claim the vote of the hon. mem­ country fH)Hrt in this connPction each ;rc~:.r, ber for Gr·"~·ory agai?st. th,, am~ ndment, be­ he thought sonw meuns should be tak0n canso tlw l~ill practiCally provrded . for all to rnake sonre lessees tako gre~d r~r steps to thai he , tated the Bill sh•mld provide _for. dc,"ro:· the rabbits on their holdings than Clause 51, which the hon. member. desired thev did ,,,t pre3ent. Under tlte :il.larsupial to anwnd. pmctic::Jlv t,c>ve the bowd )lO\;'O'' Act s<'a.lpers were allo\\ ed onlv on holdings to allow rabbit trapping or the des~r'-!ctwn, whr re tho lPsse<>s were not taking any Ehops of rub bits to take place. The clause distmctly 1 for th~ des~ruct;on of th~ rnarsupia c: thenr­ '·.,cid that tho• 0 things co·lld not take place ~nlvci, and a sinrilar proviF:on could be ·without the liccn'e of the J\Iinioter. They ma,dc in the Bill be foro the Hcl'''e. The could k:' ·>!aee 'Vith the lir- ·nc.· of the p,{1lll0 lJl'OVision could be made t~rat th{~V J\1inistor. So f ho E.i 1 l !H'rtt;HC"L:lly provid•'d should not be .allowed to camp n•'ar or on for everything for which the hon. nw-nber water, and that they should have permits, for Gregory there in millions, ancl Mr. BowMAN : Didn't the Minister say he the hol-ders wm·e only too pl<'n,sed to have men come on their holdinp;s to destroy them_ objected to that? He did not kno·.y of holdings where they kq1t a man to destroy rabbits, and me>reow·r Mr. JI.IORGAN: The pr,~ent :Minister might object to it, bpt a f;turc J'vlinister thPf' v P"O very few ],oards doing it. It was no good g-oing in for Ta,hbit-proof fencing might not object, ana the c,ause gave the Minister nower to allow trappers to sell the· un1PS'3 SDine step;. '7. ere takf'n to (lc'troy H1e carcasses "and skins of rabbits. The hon. rab1·its on the ho~ding iHsidP the fencE'S. member for IV arrego argued that Que ms­ The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : Th<:» land might eventually obtain a revenue of Bill <'ontains provision for that: The Min­ £500 000 from the sale of the furs and car­ ister may authorise the destruction of rabbits, casse~ of rabbits. He (Mr. Morgan) hoped· in holdings. the day would never arrive when Queens­ land would receive £500,000 a year Mr. E. B. C. COR~ER : The same as i1:., from the sale of rabbit carcas"es, because New South vVales. that would b<> a bad thing for the State, as it wonld mo~n that some millions of Mr. HAMILTON : Then, the Minister­ acres of our Western country would be should have power to give people permis­ practic~ llv abandoned by the ca+tle owner sion to destroy them for their commercial in order to make way for the rabbit trapper. value. The figures quoted by the hon. member for [JIr. Boolcer. Rai.JW Bill. (29 JULY.] Rabbit Bill. 693

Maranoa to show that rabbit trapping was the fur, he held that it would be better to the means of reducing the number of rabbits lose those few thousands than to obtain in New South 'Wales proved absolutely the money by establishing an industry which nothing as far as either the increa"e or would be injurious to Queon··land. If the decrease of rabbits was concerned. He rabbits ever increaeed to the extent that it knew the conditions under which rabbit would be advisable to allow trappers to trappers worked in Victoria. Some years, trap them for the sake of their fur, then wht>n work was scarce, many men and lads the clause proYided that the Minister might we ,t out rabbit tmpping, but they did not issue a license and allow men to trap rabbits umally follow that occupation, which was and sell their furs. not the most elevrJ;ing occupation a man could adopt. The Bill W1rs not introduNld :\lr. LAND (Bulunnt): E\i·r sinc1• he had for the purpose of encouraging the breeding Lcen a mem:wr of thr House he had always of rabbite, but rather to prevent tho spread advocated that the ttkins and c;:~rcass..-·A of of rabbits in this Btate. He know from r·abbits r-hould be made use of. But he had ,experience that if they allowed the rabbit­ ncvc>r ad,, .~,,t.od the breeding of trapping industry to spring up in Queens­ LS p.m.] rabbit, inst,·ad of &beep. Th.> land it "' ould cause thE greaif,,,t injury that principal peopl-e h·· relHL~ented 1at for men but he eould not g'ct th< ',1. It had only from a fur point of Yiew could a be<'n ar'ngaroo t.~looters, .or dog an 1 ·ol'tcd rabbit speciallv prepaned and b·appcr.s · or 11erhaps a ·-·elector nug.ht em­ looked after durinc; the journPy, but dwy l;loy me~ at' ;o 111u~c l{ pe-r •Neck, ~·nd allow could n')t bring rnbhit cni·. of I\Ir. ~tOR.G--..':..X: \Yith rE"~r~ -::::.~a~-i'.:-r cars the> klnd was :.:.._·. ,_ ary to '(_ naOle n..;_on . to they cmld do it, ~>ut thor·· no State 1Yiake usc· of the fur and c:trca' es of ral1b1ts. :in Anstra lia ·y., hich ran rcfri.\:erat~ng cars He had lmo\\ n many rabbits to be sent to 5QQ G'~ 6Ql lllilc.J, :u1(} he "!~·.~-~ quite cr·rtain Brisb·m<> in the cool wec.\t:1er. they '.\'ould not be run that disbn'''' ·in Mr. MORGAN : By the mail train, you must Queew!:nd in ordm to carry r'-lbbits. While remember. he admit:cd that a few thous.••2dJ of pounds -'·Cr . .L \ND : That was so. But if people might be made annually from the sale of could legally catch r:J,bbits and 'end their Mr. Land.] 694 RabW Bill. [ ASSEl\IBLY.] Rac)it Bill. carca,ses to Brisbane, why could th· y not Hox. R PHILP: Ho had no objection tcome an article of commercial for ~,larar~oa "tl\·as spcv.ki~1g ia sup~1ort of tL ~ export, or they would never get rid of them. .:u ·lC --,_dmr -.:_t, Ln hon. g(•' l 'ln~::n intorjc"~ ·d. There were not really as many rabbits in "\Yonld =· ou do aY:ay ,., ~~h fw \vl_,_o 1 ·~ of th:1 Queensland 110W .as there were ten years ago. T~_b'>it_ £PIH . )' T~1•~ han . .::ne. -~or :-:, Tly; ~"op:c cf they could get .:1s many as they wanted. Qur•cn·-12and V.•TO tP.x•d to k-t"-'P un ~~:.v- 1-:ouJ.~­ Mr. RYAN: It is an offence under this (tary fenc--·~ ?f the P0-~_tJr-~ li.~ts (:nd £T- ...~ing clause. fa1_n;f:r . J_ \\ hy_ sh('u.11.1 t.!".'"' 1 f -Jl)le, aL ~r bru1'.111.__: the·:~ fence-s, ha~.- to 1·-ourh.. :ct:!. ~·-.rirl ~ HoN. R. PHILP: They did not al'ow any person to kill marsupials. A man had to tlL-il .~·nd k{•, l) t~ .. 'J. in. 0:.1-:i-"? If tb; t;;et ,a lice:nse -fron1 . t2w Ol•-nf'-r of a rnn RJ"!1·-ftdFC"~t Vi.'('l'C' p~ <:., it \-Y<.__,uld 0·i1. · C·· p!oyment to a numbor of Ir,en in t:w \Ve,Jnn beforf' he could shoot LHH'~upialr:;, but hA p(·:.·t io~1 ol tb~_- E ;, tc. l\:=uc=J. conJd L:: i tid ~-l did n-ot kr... uw of any ca(,e whore a Lce-n~e favour of the :\:1101 d:11 ·l.lt, .ancl hr- v a . uTf\ had been refused to '' man of r<,pnte. In as far as I}le b,_.~,:-rds \' ··re conc•~rn.•-d, ih< 1 Korth Queen-.:land a ~ ood duti of rnone) th- people b-,-·1 :·ally \-V· rJ FiL~{ of :_}h::"'1, and 'vas 1uade by killing Inarsnpia~_c;, r nd the had bc-n1 f:O for a lodiJ' tin1e. The L:.' ~~·f~.; shooters wc~e welcomed by the owners of ..,.~-e ... ,, lx:p'--~lsi-;-o and e -;·-·av:->&;ant, and had the runs. Tho sheep industry wa.J much :;(.J_t <~')n•~ 1nud1 t0 d --<·1·oy r::bb't.:L A.. D\'­ more important to Queensland than the , ._r::r w, s llrCfi.'rabl-~ to the 1 -~bbil., bo""tr~":."' rabbit industry, and their methods had proved much more successful than the Hox. R. PHILP said it ,, as a que ion n ·1 methods adopted in the Southern States. ~0 hr_- ~1Lr ~hey shov~.ld have sheen or rablJits In Queensland they had not lost a single m this country. He did not prof, .s to be sheep during the lasl three years, although a_n expert on f}_ C'p or on rJ}--bi~.;, l, tt he enormeus numbers had been lost in all listened to what he h d heard in ·~he othnr the other St•1tos through the rabbits. Sta·~.~- l'•TPw South \;... :-·.Je,; at. w··e time c'urwcl 66:000,00v sheep, and b t year th•v Mr. HUNTER: Through a big drought. only r rr1Nl 3il,OOO,OOU. Ire h ,d · be0n ;>}. HoN. R. PHILP: There was a very fcrn1ecl by jJeople y-ho kP<; .,. best that th.-ct fcrious drou:;-ht in Queensland last year \Vas the rc.."ult of tho rabbit 1nvasion of NE' ;Y Sc:uth W:'les. It provc·d that th. method until rain I ell in June, but they had prc,C· aa.•;>ted uy Quoem:and to keep out r.·.bbits tically lost no stock. It was quite the reverse in every other State in Australia. Queens­ w_v~ brt!~',.r /h 111 the ;-wt~~od adopt€d by I\,:_ w So11th y, a,eo.. \Ve had been fighcing tho land had stopped tho great wave of rabbits r:'bh>t for t'·:cnt~-five or thirt:' yc.krs, The by the border fence; but the whole of the Govt nunent had ~10nt h:, If r. million of expense of coping with the per r::ssfuJ, as th _-_r·e \verr-- fcw~r rabbih i:1 9ue<>n:land than in New South Wales or in to disturb the present method of destroying '\ Ictona. In the C'omwonw<-~l!h : ,st "' n rabbits. ~-11-;·:~·./-hing EJ~.o nin0 and a-l.!.alf 1nillio·L_ 9 < { Mr. HARDACRE: It was contended on ~h'-·niJ Yv·- lost, a;;d the k.' s tv as ; ~1o lo\· .p t the other side that the amendment was 1 111 Ou 5~H~l:nnd, bc 1 ' U· tho rrhbit9 had n0 t unneoec-sary, because th'l clause alrectdy pro­ '- ''lt~_:.:., ;'" tfrs c·n1nt·_o;,· in" fuch grf'at nurnl- rs vided for permis·oion being given. He did a~ In ~_,r; BolFh \VaL"~. N,:'W South \VaJes not read the ciause that way at all. It ha;, tn J ~·ot 0:1Iy f, "".:.,~in :J, but. r,·;, b;t 1 seemed to him that it was a prohibitive (',• ~~ ..1- r. os \Vc.:.l_, '':hil0 in QuPen'"L;,nd clause, which was put in for the purpose of ht:d trwd fencmc:· nnd the cn"•lov:;:e .t stopping peep!.~ from C•Jing the very thing poz~:)n (,:_1-._ _ _p· :l, nrc·en{ ~-i 1 1"' ll!'' 1 which the amendment propoeod to permit. )Jinic.· --1: had a·np J PO\Y·.·r to ~OJ;1l,;el a If the amendment were au?epted, permission p.·_::..,·~r~di·-t to -:"?nC(~ i1_1 his holdi'lg- Lnd C">uld bo given not merely b;v .the M·inister dc:--;tJ oy tht• :.·a ~...,1t , nn<: hP had ,_lso DO\Vi r but abo by the rabbit beards. The objec­ t.:; gr~_n: lic.:"ns0s fJ mon !o c-:..i:r-h r--·b:1it~. tion to the ame:eccment aprc",red to him to .1_hP c, J.','ad: " \ny I- -rsr n \. ho, wi~ 1 1- be absolutely value]p;s. Hen. mmnbers out tho H-::e-L~e of i:ho !-..finister." - " assumed that rabbit trappers would throw l\f1: ..E-'--Rf?AC'R<.: ':rhc-re is no "'>',ay pr-oposed does or young re.bbits over a fence in order of ,!!lYm~ lu·n.n~ :;, that some other trappers at some remote Hm1. R. PHILP: u,, presu .·cJ the Go­ time might come and kill the progeny of vcrn_;_;,el~t ·would r:ixe lir",}n-ses. those rabbih; but he did not think it was probable that anyone would go to that r l\1r. ~--~ND: \"f7C!u1d th-::y give a 2-:.·an a he< 11se 1f he .:' rn!J,,d? trouble for the purpose of finding remun0ro­ tive employment for other people at some T~~~ s~;n: l'T_~~~y ~OR Pcnr.lc. L!.XDS: It clc­ remote time. That was not humqn nature. P•'!lch on the man. They did not find oposssum snarers or mar- [2!1 r. Land. Rabl it Bill. (29 JULY.] RabW Bill. CJ5

supial shooters doing that sort of thing, and be quit•.•. prepared to accept the deletion of the suggestion was quite ridiculous. The the clause, whereas he might not be prepared discussion had shown that there was some to acnmt what the hon. member for Maranoa necessity for an amendment giving the ha·1 J"10v..::d in its :>laL.'. 'I\1e clause enacted Minist<.-r and t.he rabbit boards power to th :. t a man might-not buy a rabbit without permit c0loctors or pastoral lessees to deal a liccncD from the Minister, subject to a with the rabbits on their own holdings and pt nalt.,~ not exct,Bding £50, which anyone sell the skins and carcasses. ' might proc: lU against him for, which meant The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: \Ye 5ive tlut he w.ts not entitkd to buy a rabbit in permits by the hundred now. Brisban...tbjcct to the ;cer.e~lty of ct50. Upon given, that there was not an exr1ort tr.cde what b.uis of rz:ousoning hrHl the 1Iini~ter in r.:tbbits in Queensland. com-, to tho conccusion ihat a man should The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : Skins no~ be ab~e to b~lV a rabbit or a rabbit skin are going away now. without his licens~'; upon what rea· uning a ,,.jp ·tor uig·ht not sell a rabbit or a rabbit Mr. HARDACRE: The syscem of grant­ skin -;,i! hout his license; or upon \vhat rea~ ing permits in connection with the destruc­ soning a c ·:0ctor might not say to a rabbit tion of n1arsupials was surrounded with safe­ tl>~ppcr, "'You n1ay come in .£\nd trJ.p rabbits guards, and rabbit boards might be permitted on d:y land, and ,c!-:11 the rabbit and the skin to give permits under similar safeguards. to 1 )a,. you1 ,c']f? '' At present he could not They might give peLnits to roputahle do that wit:lout a license from the Minister. persons, and the_,~ might have po\Ver t-o ·what objc. 'ion was there to '~>' dd~tion of cancel a permit a·' any time. If a person the c':lll''' preventing the scle? Did the were found throwin!J,· a doe over a fen0u, a Minioter think it was a good thing that a board would refu··e to give a permit to so,rall sC: -~l·Jr with a 6i0-acre &-1. ction near swch a man. Tho system in operation in t~w r 1ihvay, \Yho s_:)ent a certnin amount of connection with the destruction of opossums tirnc' in keeping do·,~-n the pest, shonld not was so sur•::ecsful that opossums were almost l0 a~Jlc to r<'·nun·_,rate hirn~~lf by selling the annihilated in some parts of Qu~en.-land, .,kin, or ihcc it wa· not a good thing to and th0 Secretary for Agriculture had had n.llo·· · tra'1pPr'· ty L,)Inc in and r0mnnerate to smpcnd pennits until tho opocsums had t~1· 1 •h in tlL'~, v.ay Y J-:e could ELe a ci.lauc,~ to bre~d up again. Son1o two or r o e rgmr -.• ' g; .inst tlc0 deletion of the three y(- a.rs ago, .the ope1·ations of the opos­ elL~ f n· it :·Jod. But the hon. member for Slbl snare·:·s and marsupial shooterJ had )1a1 :noa ·1t 1 no" only to delete that, been so dcstructiYc to that kind of life that . .3 to go on various hold­ animal life, would it not be equally success­ s in Dl··'nr to trap rabbits and remove ful ,,·ith regard to rabbits? It was a wry ''"· '""iih : ' ..' ui· I rna' 0 ohj<>ot of selling 1_:nod argument that they should give the t Q, PJ. T~._n J' Iini•.tcr might not be prepared same chances of E":po; t, a;, far as rabbit·\ to 1 th •,t Lr. But upon calm reflection v.rere concerned, by granting permits to ' ',o.;H .•:r·· ,1:at thr"e as nothing out of k· se.:s on their own holdingr,, so th.;,t they --Y 1:n t't€' ~ lQ'' -~.ion of tho han. mem- might make ;•n atLmr;t to dtstroy tho ., 'or ·'"' Thcv h·1d the same prin- rabbits. He int3nded to move an amend­ ciple in Min', g c.a ~PrivaLe Pro!F'rty Act ment with thc1-t qualification. :lL(~ '-o \V~ h l'f' 'IL'~ f-J Ll~T'U :iJ;-- Hi3 P'- 1 Mr. RYAX: It had bee" admihcd by hon. ~ i': ~ d t _; i r~:~ ~~~~~ 1:'cn. /!~-£ ~~~i~ _.rJ:·£i~~·.?t~~:-:~~a-~~;~; mo'11b~rs oppositB that the amendment of ,;:}: ;,}t '1~ he -, OP~d . Y ~D.t n-_·;~ lie( ;_.l 01' DQT, the 1-o·."· member for lYiaraaoa was a very C 9. ic ~ 1.-,. i-~.c- j\p~:i ,t~r. good c;tw, and there hcd bp· 1 an extraordi­ ·~l.··.. ·',,~~. tc. ··_1 l -,d nna to <.c~- nary amount of activity shown by them with n:·T r .b . · ·p r· .., n , ilPr <.~id no:~ do it, rer:ard to fle effect ci the am€nd1nent; in .~ ,--o 1 -) , r to . ll ~~e _ra:·:b~ts.: it fac-~, it "i·.s the first time during the· cession a·.~p H -~nt or ac ·on ) t'w .,;_lnhtf'r 1 that he h.,d hEard a :\1inisl··0r ,,;n· that he t~) • ~'( ) '- ·· i .!f' rnd clW""",·· rg~.in~ l, t~e 'vish,~d hon. Llmnbers to re~c-,~t tile an1end­ o .~·neT. :uf' h PX'1 nrncn 1n rne:~t. l-ie 1Fua1ly heard i1linhters saying Victr ··ia, ,,-:. · -~1 , t'o'· r·.~ .·rrp(.l_ ttJ bv the that ! hn· did not a,·,ept amendments, but lu.Yl. L'" l·,•::_· for ~,h1ri!la. TL_•y h·ri this 1 left it to tho House to h to · .!I a p •:-: t''c•t they rc1igh! destroy the cl '"''' might be delet<'cl, and it would u:.-m their 'a d wirLout roing can in l1and not go so far as the hon. m0mher for JI,Iara­ 'o the- "\{iri-ter, Pnd sa,y1ng-, "l<[ay I sell noa wanted it to go. The Minister might t: {~J rrc0:_iL~ or ihese r:::b1,it skit:'1?" \Vas Mr. Ryan.l 695 Rabbit Bilt. [ASSEMBLY.~ Ra&Lit Bill. h!l to go to the Minister and ask him, '' May Mr. RYAN: The han. gentleman was I buy a rabbit for my lunch 'i " (Laughter.) actuated in the interests of the squatter. He That was the position as tho clause stood. said that he spoke in the interest of the The selector would be quite safeguarded by 6lO~acre n1an near the railway lines because the fact that the Minister would be suffi­ if he did not say that, he would not get their ciently intelligent and circumspect not to votes. If they dealt with the question on give lic0nses except in proper cases. He its merits, the question would be carried. could see no argument against the amend­ ment. The argumer,is of the Minister and Mr. E. B. C. CORSER (Ma,·yborough) said the hon. members for Murrumba, Murilla, he was not addre<,ging the Committee in the and Townsville summarised came to this­ intBrests of the squatter or of any section of tho law in New South Wales is what you the community, but in the interests of w'mt to make it, and so it was. Section 42 Queensland as a whole. of the New South Wales Act provided some­ Mr. RYAN: That is what I was doing. thing similar to the amendment moved by the hon. member for Maranoa. But the Mr. E. B. C. CORSER : He was address· Minister said that in Queensland, rabbits ing the Committee in the light of the experi· were hundreds of miles away and you could ence he had gained on his recent visit to not get them to the market, and that in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales they were close to the and Tasmania. It would be nothing short market, su that while it was a good law in of criminal for the Government to relax the New South Wales it would be no good in regulations that now existed in Queensland. Queensland. If that was so, why need he There was no comparison bet\.;een rabbits be afraid of the law in Queensland? If the and marsupials as far as their brf'eding thing was going to be useless, and a man capacity went. T1wre was no compal·i"on '"t could not sell rabbits because he was hun­ all as to the damage done by r.atrve bearH, dreds of miles away from railway communi­ kangaroos, and opossums, and that done !Jy c:ttion, then "hat argument wab there against rabbits. Thev all knew that rabbits multi placing this pov.er in the hands of the Min­ r>licd enormo'us1y, aYld 'vhen it was r_._utde a ister-because he could not bring rabbits 'IJlllLl0 rrial product they 'vould :--·ontinue hJ ~1ultipl~. \\hen a 1n::n had the rigl~t t.o within an eas:;· di~tance of the metropolis or t .... ,J.p LLbLit _. or do'-'"- i2l ki+t,-n, he ,,.-ould net any other centr-, wher<' they might be sold? to,)ch tlw kitt••·lS, but wotc.J l(•f th ·m vo for IIe would like the Ministrr to approach the lwo or thrPe n.ontL. The·, v,-un!d h:t:-:<' th" question from two aspDcts; firstly, the dele­ right to catch the rabbits' !at' r on, aF no tiun of the claus,• ; and, secondly, the inser­ one could go into their di•-trict un,d inter­ tion of the proposed amendment. The Minis­ fere 1vi~h thern; having ~.~cureJ the rig-hts t•'r might intimate how. far he would go <;>n ov~;: certain areas, they would b., able to this non-party question. His d~sire was to liberat,, the r1o~s ac.d th<:> kittens. Tiw find out ho" nenr they could come to each fal'lner, and graziPrs in the Or an~ 'J, B1a: :-~f>v. other on what was a matter of and lhthurst dictric•>·here employr:-·ent 'vas in~:_:l·:-'r~lY, Yh('v eou1d no~ afford to inttc.'l·fer8 slack. Why not give tlv'm permission to wich it.· ' ratch rabbits and sell them? Would it not '\L_·. Hl ~x: ::\'ft>ul1;ers C'f Parl~.1n1ent .arP !: • a O'ood thi·w for th' who] ' ln1lT" ni+,y ': nnt iTt-ere -tt:>:l in that '\ ay. The "'n" ndmcnt wns not for members sitting on th7 Opposition benctt!lS. Did hon. mem­ Mr. R n. COIU,mendment was \VLJP-· d ":~ 01 , ne: <·l·· vh-P '•· and .J.·py moved with a viev: to subsidise thP members cc U.J J, • 1 t 1 ·• 1 1nber o: Vt. t! ) tha:_· •,;f" te siLtih,::( on the Oppo!'ition bPtcches? It wt• s li .c-l~T c._ }· "'u ~ t~·L1. OnF ~~ling _:L;~ \\..LS I~;ovPd in tht> inter<'sts of Queendand-in the not:r~ .. J :f. , ..... t~ t~ ;· ~t 't -' ing 1 i- \er!t r · ·, a;1d 1' th -( ;t I'"' im'd in the Soqchern btc! 0-', ' h01'0 thP prG­ a'.\ a ~ ·, rv n l' '· - ·-·~-' -.,. rt.: nG. :-t-ill ; ?'1t Queensland S\'Stem was in force and had tht ,· '- I't ,.,ing. 1_0n to be got rid of and 3 system substituted on laurhi'r.) To hi., Co_ •r' ) k u ;lcd:":o tho liw-·s moved b.1· thA hon. member for t~dt ~vrt of thi :f£ htd 1--e: n -~cing ~:n1 fc fcUr Marcmoa. He '':ould like to know how far ,\ c?c~-. , arvl ·-rill tlH, Y n no ·,·-- t},:': t}l 3 l\Iini ter "\Yould go in the accBptance of 1''1~.-)j-;- d:· ['::1_•" -~1):" Th ~Hr. f ,· th,; th'' amendment, a' thev 'vere am:ious to find ar1l'.>L of £ -~ tr c a ',my out. They had the squatting- interest ldq,: Ptoof fp· , t_ \-'el·.,:. 1L·g 1 pmdominant on the Government side of the r J ku' · c .on . ·H r._}wr House. All their ar~umen•s were for the n_ ;+ of tL·J sqn<~.Her when he rose frU,'rcl J1(· intc·r ~-·{ o.:. e~ -·1:.- :~t\ d (:i::- so keenly to follow the han. m<"nbcr fol:' tri_:fi in Qu ·n·Jc._nt; -. ·.! ~hL 1.~1:- bb:t M-·t.ranr<1. (1-·rs Iot .

would soon ha -., the rabbits all over Queens­ of the subject which it would be foolish for land, bec.mse the trappers would bring thorn 'mybody to dispute. The hon. member had nearer to the 1"1a1·kvt~ as soon as they bccarne put the thing in a nutshell. He had given a nw1:;. table product. a most straightforward and legal aspect of Mr. RYAN: \Vho tole! you the-e things ihe whole questiorr. He (Mr. May) did not in l'\e-..'1 South \Vales-the squatters? think tho Queensland Government had ever :!\1r. E. D. C. CORSER: Th9 squatters, made a really honest and serious attempt farll!(TE, ~ 11rl g'l'azing furtucrs. 1Io spoke to destroy the rabbit. Had the"' done so th,y could have takerr one idea-he forgot t0 ul~ thL·e. . . sts. of p ct .ont~, ~t~d, lrorn 1 1 the profe6sor's name-under which all the v hat' .l ··• tr lu ''• rt ···:owd be notmng short of c•·i'-linnl to r"- 1D:.'-: f.:c' !'egnL:tions 1n con~ bucks were allowed to live and the does ncctic 'l '?;,rj-~.d the rabb1 :· indu~trY v:hich ,,~0rP killed. 111 YC:._. lW at tL,· 1_>n =-nt tint'_·. " The SECRLHRY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: The ~ir. H,YAX: That i~ Yery strong languag·e. Rodier system. J\k S. B. C. COUSER: It was strong :VIr. :::viA Y : He did not wish to go into language, but lL-. lTih'1nt it. the details of that sy.tem, but if they had adopted it they would have much few8l· Mr. MAY (F/inrlrr·) wished to support rabbits in tiueensland than they had at the am.:ndme•lt mon-d by the hon. men,bor the present time. He thought rabbits should for Marano a. He did not agree with one of be made a commercial article for their fur the rcmarb rr,,cde by the hon. member for and food. They knew that rabbit was one Murilla, in \1 l;ich he stated that it was of the nicest eating things you c;mld have. n1~rely a storcke( per's an1eudment. They were more tender than chwken, and Mr. 1\IoRG\X: I did not make that remark. although some persons compared them to Mr. MAY: He begged the han. member's cats, it was because they did not know· pardon. It was some other hon. member. them-they ,,·ere prejudiced. He hoped he He did not think the Queensland Govern­ would be able to ,,at more whrn he could ment hrrd ever gone thoroughly iato the legally obbin them. (Laughter.) 'vVhere question of the extinction of the rabbit. In did the rabbits come from that ;- c:·e hang­ ~he first. instan~c. tlwy had the poison carts ing up in thB shops in Qul'c n street? l-le rn certarn dr,tnc "') but they had not proYf'd would like to ask the Minisb'r that. Had effincious. those pc·,Jple pormieoion to sell them? How Hem. R. PHILP : The}· killed a lot. the diok0ns could the men '·ell them? Another man was fin,,d for buJ ing a rabbit, Mr. JYL\. Y: They killed a good many, but and vet these men could ,~]] them­ they had not proved efficacious. {laughter)-but that was a matter of detail, Mr. COYNE: Ac; mding to the hon. mem­ and he supposed it would be explvined later be:r: for Marsboconc;h, the more you kill on. He "auld support the arm·<1dment. the more there are left. (Laughter.) Mr. GUNN (Camarvon): Ao the House Mr. MAY: That wa' a mo~t peculiar know perfectly well, he did not thirrk the statement to make. Since rabbits were rabbit boards in the patt had cffe:tcd as there and permits were granted to kill much good a' was expected of them. H he them, he did ne~t ,c,ee any reasorr why they had the a<1ministration of the rabbit should not be made a commercial com­ destruction he would encoura~;·e everyone modity. So far aJ thu graz:er and tho to fence in his ov. n holding, as they were squatter were ee or landowner fight rhe rabbit in his cominr.- down her·e it -,.as going to lower the own way. He thought it would be a better cxor>itant pri( "H Yi.-hi(•h they 'Y·>JlO no'v way th.•.n by erecting b&·rier f<•·,c,•s; but charging for their meat. {Laughter.) The the bcurier fences hc.d been erected, and han. member for Townsville stated that at the\' could not allow thrnn to go into dis­ one k1w tho numbc•· of sheep in New South repair; the v had to keep them up. In '\Vale,, wa' 6j,C-J.rao, and that no·;· it had T• feren~e to the amHld:nen;, he noticed dropped d01·, n to 39,000,000. But the hon. tbe leader of the Oppo',ition complained n1em~J~~r hat1 not L -~n into --~onsiclPLttion the bitterly of not being able to purchar,e a largP a~1ount . Ct"'UE~ r:v, iorrnc rly ho:.ld by Tabbit. Wdl, he knev. th:'' b,'.foro he pa;.to, ,!J tP, '.dnch v;" now roccuniud bv beRalll0 a mmnb<>r of Padia.ment he lived agri .·d: ~n~ anl: d.::iryi.t ,:;. ..:-\ ln;'r~e- a1:·c. .. u'"~:t c.1t at Goo! ... Ji·wii_._di, c ~ .. f1 not fur fron1 of ''lanh, \\TS llu<-· u·,z~d fnr \\ ~1 -.. t<-··;·o, .·­ there, coming down by cot.ch t0 BriPbane, in(;f 0:1 th,. L.i·, edna a11d on the Lachlan lhere wac an hot"! <'alled the "Sudtiei1 1 HlYf -· 1L -_ id -r•n'- -< th "~'i, CV'I'·C' ~L·~"d ~r~~'(-'-Il Jerk." \Vhc never t!,ev had to pm up at no Em_i, :1tions. Th y had had bn d se•.sons tb1.t hotel, "stcv- ed fo~,vl '' wa a.hv.ays put or t~·ad la.lnbinf"'3, and thf nun1iYT of bf'forc thern. and they ~ l~ra"":TS lrnow 'vhat r.he·-,p had ll~G :~~cuinulatf'd sine-, the last ":-.;{r .-;.erl fov.-1" ,v.._u:.i. 1t wa.:;; r;~ ,bit­ disr ~.tr,Jus drout-!,ht ns they ot!l.<:l'YT'if:~ \~ ould. (lan;\tc.:}-and if the },·ac1tr oi f ' Upplsi­ In Qncc·nsland f.,ev lL'd hcd good FCP'-:>ns, t ~on" l; d ,11Ud1 " stevit0.J fo-....d " as h" h:.~d and tho nm ]•or of shot P >"as ahout un to Lacl at tho hot: lc up there. he WO>' ld be the ")-(,rk "Th. rc it Iu~C1 been p1 Yin~L1y, y-~r;t' :-n"::iot :J ".J g0t ~~\VO \~ f~on1 the rd bbit; 21,000,000. b ''ou!J net be anx·iou" cO hue· him a· all. Han. R. PHILP: It has bcu, t 11,.t .or 1-Ic Jl T;·eh it ould boa ver;,T Gl"C"',t nr(__ t-:'1,k9 nearly three years now. ii Ou( ~f:l~ ncl should ,'<~'- _df.ce t:w r ;-.,eep inc'·~.· r• f•·: nbbit indn>tn. He +hc,:.r:::-hS Mr. I\1A Y: It only showc d that thL i-1·.. Jul·I br_~ Yer,,- caref:1f ind'.2d b-- fore recuporati YO po\Yors of Que.-- n, 1a ad ,,. \rc ~l· \T : ~n,h~P',, det·'invnt')~ L~ t~lt: Fhf·ep great0r than tkF•1 of Ne' Snuth >Yale.·. incl· It 8 a gre •t d~ II of employ- Or p~::rha,)s, a--r-ording to the argum-ent of ~~ \ t-o the sL- ·: rer, bnt ~') 1nany tho bon. member fc.r J,[Pl .. l,orou •h, the perscns lv·t" ccn the time the wod lclt here more you killed the greatu· was the numb<'" fu Ew·l.ul nnft came h •ck in the shn.}1e of left. (L"ug:1ter.) IL thought th1' lr::der of <'lot'J. Bnt +'w rabbit industrv wno not at the Op~)osition put forth an C".n~ lytical virnv all co. Juci•;c• io the rearing of a g-ood r<:100 llf1'. Gunn.] Rabbit Bill. [A~SEMBLY.] Rabbit Bill.

of peopl•. It was a Yicious thing to teach JH r. (.'OYXE: It \\·oul2 not make t.h<:>' children to turn out 10 kill unfortunate little slight?st cliffe1·encP to a 1nan \Yho w:ts skin­ rabbits. I:lG had often been very sorry ni:w a rabbit wheth r i~ was kilkd hv himsei£ to kill them. joJi;. m CI' by a dog. HP a,; reed "'ith tl1e Mr. Con:E: They M'' very handy to use hon. rnernb '::.· for Ca1n·rjon thg_- tiw r~cop!e when you \Vant a redu{:tion of rent. oi Qucenolml'l h<.ci been burd<''"'d w·ith •an unnecc-.. ary debt for tho upkc!'p of n .. bbit 1\Ir. GL~:\f"~: II·· h[L1 :tv ,·er rrot nnv r{_~duc­ bo rd''· The hon. ;_ ~011,: . .__.r for '}\;ar.:, bo·oug-h tio·l of rent o:~ al'~ou t of r~bbitt.," but .. h~ ~1ir:.tcJ. ilL::t. the p 'uple of (~tv~m~land ;,w~~~e h,; ~ _;-··t<·n f~~~·-{1 c_;ut Pnd given over ~o the J cu,:i .. ~_- ' onoy l'.'J' · h keep the rabbit rabo1 ·, tnn ~~1:-- n nad to ~;o.; the ra01 1Jit tax. bac~.;:. \Vhr,t ~J.;;·-"·e p~c,ple f'~1g,1?·c-J in the Th ·, bkycfi.c·· w' .. L"· srea' .. st pc:., to "he gricultnral incl11.~h~\ doJno to k>~ ·p back the s~ cp 1·1du·_ '-1.·-v & •· tho nre"ent iLl''- .•.nL~ iu rabbits: sta_ :. r1 ii1 ·~~..,..ic.lfY.; t, ~;;1cfhad voork: c1' i:·., '"' v I.1r. E. B. C. Cnns,:,~: T~u-'J ar) l::uilding up th ough Ne\; South \Vales to \;ucen.;­ up ,,_r ir,du::;tr.~. lc;;~;l. , ~~L,.ny pcop~c bcr~ved, and ho ~~~Teed 1 \VP ' t J.e::n, tlL.~,t one of the 11rincinal n1ec:ns : Ir. CO~i-:\E: Th-!t indu,"!-ry ctu1d not of di~:r:butinr; b:ov/~;i. oy·or Xe S-:>nth live if ~.he ra~ .. bit \veru aJlo-,, cd to invade it. ViaL c; 1 ·a: th ~ GT2ut Lil~'.;) ~r of r~.hbit car­ rl.0 ~ ... J"!:lE'I ... It"' IOn PtTLIC LAXDS: Tile.} ca• .>:3 v.-hiLl1 '\Vel'c al:o1 eel to lie aboat. a:;.u puyin,; n ,fu1e'lt.

\I:r. Cc'!XE: .Adont. +hi·J an1cnd·nent and ~-~r. ()()\~~!·~: In pari:") of Quc_n"~ tnd they th:~ e.~r,.as~.c will b~ ::,.1;t a,,:J-5·. - ' V' r· -·e nc P'":' 1ng auy a~ .... > m_nt. !tJr. ~re::;\~: GJc-1 JTacious! \Yonld they lion. n.. 1? "--lLP: Yrhc ~ e? .sz_nd tne C8TC0 ,_,(' a\\(lY, offal and all'! ''\Jr. COYKE: In the Xo~.t:r. ~Vl •'"!ll rabbi~:; e-re ~,.illcd, tho:t hJ.~~ to skin the1.:.1, but a t;T.::.'at P- "PO 1 ron oi th ' c~',rc 1 -:>e.; I Ion. ll. PHILP : You ~re qui ...,_" ' ron~; I '\Vi ~·c· .'O~ ;; n:. a~.~· ·f~ -r bPing skinnf'd, Ove arn payi~1~ a- ':1C:lt in L1c Gulf cou::.Hry. of tl i'C.-"'C.L -t,_e r:~ .~l--·Q~-'~ 0 1·iH ~l) in j_\~,-w s~)Et\ at 1lF• lJn_, d.- ti~'· ... W::<:) _J ... 'C'JYJ'\E: Th,, J,:oplo of the \Vc,t, the blm;·fly pst, and ho s;,ppescd that the ~~- !1o had ·.<~.: v- ... d flcnn- tl!:~ rabbit.;;;. had <~~- 1 r:ndLd a l;on ._;!HI t1w upkcc!) of nLso­ :t~':- d L."J ano~v lJCC~)~O t.• d.-·:·-1 •'i:l !"~lo· flj s a~1d ~0ll,..:~.:..:-n1, end so in"rl:a~~ \ th~- 11u nf-,_-T lu~-,::- u~ !c'S~ r<-:Jbit lK'_tr;d~. II~ .. diJ. not f'>''f th,_ t i' L .>n ''i1T~, • a 111 11c l~_Ing <:'ftt~r or blo 1111' .. ·,11d practir,1l>.~ ( :zti' ..7ui. h >1 tiP !'Pnce·, did not do their work, but he did ty that t~w so-called Oi,-':>rseerr were not f;~,-sr\~t.,~~;l~~ \::~)' :l:~::~~~:~k':~ \r~:J J~~~~ ".;~r·',r·'-~~-,5,·,,·.a~,· ~-.-~,_-.'r aA i th(_' d-t'.... ~ nct~-.Jn o£ , _ .. , ~ ,·; ~rned. \'\""~J_~--.-1 ·:, ra:.':it o•;·_'r- not L vourablc to its incc Cv y ould 't.::;J,rcelv ,. -t -1d re:rnaint;d th-·re thrc'-' n1onth"·, gf·ing cut ndir,g 'nd shootiru~ :'nd fishin.~.-·. th -~ c--Juld an.' 'll' -:o f'Yl!C and slt i~1 p,'l;'liaL10r~t, 'as ey·r_,~:JJ<~y W-.11\l Lt._• m:t r.- i_,bi>-c,._~tchin,-. IJ ~ r-)t b · said to be r!.:-·ll''-·li1~, raJ.-.,l·it ..:;, nnd he ho::--:d -::e nt:nr~nt "\Yotdd JJ, Llf·t ate0. knc~\' f-o: •.:.e ho h._·d donn tl: _;_t) ::-,Pd v·"re 1 d >in it t t~Ld COL! l l!>t ,~~'lrl f!-__, !r b tL e r n ':c 1 '>'. '- r ~ J i_ · an1 -} if rH~CI - ry. Tho : ( n. .HbPr for tlw 111att ~r. ::'\Laryborough rnu· b, .. :l "'z.'"j' un.sup\i•::ticated !.h. C('_\_ J\'j~: Aft r li.~+f--·Iing- io th- lL n. ~~e~.3e~l vdl'' 1 :.v' HlJ.. cle tile r •,s:•rtion that H!en 111· .theJ' for ( 1 1rr ttYO'l Hl o;h~·r n::f'In!.wrs ''"ol-Id cL ..;ch _;·;Lbits and 1?L,,_,o -~ho docs. (;c .. an~~(hi:ng Ll,n·e i 1" e1a11 on t~-·- o·)l J i. ::t1t' o: dH' 1Iov ,-;,<1o rre ld b(' urd that? f\1_~:· /_· _. lr::Y•P_'_~·~l~.·-~ J:",Ps 1: Ld co·:·~-, to tho con- \YPre 1C 'n t,•i·-·.S to \ th_;it· ti~ u catch~ 1 ~'1g· Libbit a··Hl th.n lf the dr''J C ~ • 1 _ <'- j fare· to ta k ·~.1Jc:lt 1 ra}-~Ji~ { ,:--t·netimL Thcv did ll(: rrnl: to }lr. C. Cor.· -sn: ,J nst l:H·fo~o kitten- get id of' ( · ' rai bi: .•, other-• .·i·,.-• , vuld i: t->. i is \Tl'Y litf,~ :~ )Od. not n 11~· r3 H.,-. Pl~:TTc.•nt "\V~J_ - had put ·• ·:_"' '~01 : 1tt-: e. T1:~ hon. ny·-·;1·'"'-'-' ....\.1?. COYl\E: If a trar_111·~r c··< only one- for (.\ann t' ·o ;;.:-ld that thP n ::>r'l d2c d half o_· ore-qLtr' for a th:: skin that ho r" ~~Jj~ · ~ 1 1oy ·ltd t~--~ nHH'{\. b'·nY .. ti(-; thrv [o_ L;L~k .: .. i•1. }L Y'otdd c~d .. ·h r ll the 1 ', ·'Ju1d ha1. (\ 'Il:·l tl:i 1 t ·~w hlc~~-..-11ir.:" < "St:·o·.... (I s t:.:. t ht' c_:t,ld. l-Ie honv.:l f1():t hen. the lL THf' o--1 dcductio.:I fr.:.r-o;;;itP, ih _~? _td c..:£ Si ply n 1~.-.king :-_}u,{f'T't 't ''" that ~'lc•1' nnl::t not in'L-<''rfc-ro t-ic.lf.. \'"01' 1 l ho th·- rn (,1 ,. r,l[• co i~l :"·i_h the J al hits, hTt· ~nU"~ allo-'; th ;n to Qnf .,'-L',;.cl \Vllf.''re rcr·~-Jn C('uld catch L: .r<~r ', ·1.ra t{_ ~l :-ht>: "\Yould h:lvc r -1 }-.1 ~.-·~ ; n' 3}i~ --; nd r'~ ~ 21 aC'~ on. r..:':..l~::\:-~: Thr·r·e ,ya-" no~ the ~1ight·-st 1 d· ~ ~L t ~ 1 a -.')rj ic .:.~i<... de bv the hon. n.CL· ir i"-ar . 1 orough, ,:n.J ~-:~wr mc~rn- --'1'.;;; 0:1 •hat r.e t 1 lc Hou:- in in~-1nu- 1 6 1 rw ut'-erlv igLJr.--, "lt tho~,~ people ,~·-ere of the localiti::,~s in (:u:>cn.Jla-1:~ \Yherc the >-~i.lJ 1Jitq oxistM. '"fl.--.kt\ 1~w RouthPrn ral=.')it bu',l': fence of Q·If 'L.::l"<.r J. The~r knf:'W Vt\l'\7 -...·ell t.:1.at the ru~ 1-;i,__, on tho ~~-n:t'-b'"'rn p(Jl·tio;l of tl1at fc.:. . .:.:.. v·cre -~nr:~h rhici~Pr t}u>n t 1 ~ey were- [Jfr. G·unn. Rab; it Bdl. [29 JuLY.] Rab? it Bill, G9J'

on tik sidDs, and ju.•.t imagine a man carr.•• o·-·t e. t ood return for th0 E.\~,;:~)en~hturc. Ro in:., utbbits froJ.l the south of the fence to jar .... s' rnaking it a conunen ial atiair, he 1 th~ si<~··'s! \Yhatever may have been done in '\YO:i~j bo against that. 1-Ie wolt J. not s 'Y th8 other States in the matter of encouraging an:. hino· about the skin~,;. Jlc \Vf1 ',. IJJforrned th1.· b_·ccding of rabbits, it was not poc.sible th ·,·- tL.ec;_'e ·was verv ii~t;t: troublr· i~1 1Joi:-.o11·· to do anything in Queensland, because the in~· ra~·~Jits. once the-:? "re .ten<::ed in with rab:1it Lad had a freB hand to go from the \~·ire IL_ dirlg-; tho 0'iggest :ro-;_l'l> ,;a::; .to South to tho I\orth, and he had had it for die 10:,~ of th: dead ra','Jit". If rwbbHs ail tin1, The hon. m£n1bPr for c~rnarvon ; c ... c :Jh•It ol-f fro1:1 'vat-cr £o~· t ,. v or tlu·eo had sai·l chat he had oeen tmcks of rabbih cia}S, it -,\T::i po:oc·ible ·uo poi•,·Oll r··0 t .. ·nd_s. of 1 a\Vc y in tho Northe1'n rl erritory. 1llere had the!·l in Dl;_8 night. But if th-·y ,.,., .. e zo1ng beoll nothing to stop then1 going t~1-er,~. Tako to ar; · the C fl'~ CJSG., of tln 1 ab:_,:ts LO be the r .,b'Jit tenc:~ at \Vinllorah. ..:\..fter a bi~ so~J 10r food, the_,· v;,-ould l:.~ una-.\; to use· flood, he had kno ',n that fence '-u Jo down uo' ,on. They c~u!d nut .olkw P"eople to thrff- nL">HlluJ at a tin1~, fDr half a mil,, e.t poi:;on ra 1 c',_its ~~nd thGn send :.he ca.rcass-e~ a ~hb.::h. It v< r.ts int,"'ri:---ting to hLn t'l h2ar to 13riJ.J":ne to ~c us~d as food, a1,,-1 If they the peculiar argm.n0nts offr ,-ed b:-' 1nen1bers to 1.~pt'~"~ lJoisoning thmn, tha 1a~~its -,\;--oulrl on ti~o Govcrnw.cnt siue of L.1e .:Iou::' i21 c£.-t(:in>: inc·-£',:<::'·. In tho .. Darur.. ~ Do,vns onno·.ition to the amcndmnnt. It was funny G~,zc )__;-, thv.~.·e \?Y~ an arti-cle on t 1:e rabbit. t-:ty tO L~it there and hear mmnbe:s that tL_) c,u ~i, "'' ~nd t:1 '"cri,c:· ·[ that ~rtick n1ore rabbits Yt,u kill tho 1nore thev increw-c. stc.c d th ."~ tl"' value Jf Ia ,{ m V1ctona rTh·J vvhole ttling \Yas ridiculous; ~ t'Lere \Yas had tanc", wlH n paddo< :{ -,·as us-ed for chee~c in Qurcas'.>S to bo ,_c i<:..n we' It lL.LJ bcL"ll argc{.,_,: by L-.:.e~--lbe: s sold for hu"nan food. Another objection to on "artnw'lt had r;o con­ rab0itj and f-.>t the1:n fl'f -. _: .. c~rni. i:i:_~ for veniencF; for bring·ing t:"le c:uca"es 500 or argu1nen~ sake th..tt th~t waJ 1l<· e. su_._ _ly 600 miles, nnd the d.<>parhclert coultl not be tho faC'J thai tho tL'::tppl:n, kilJe~l_ F0 n1any <'-q1ect "d to cpencl thousands of pounds in tvou'rl nn.. kc th.,:; ::. .. un1:_c:· lt ,'"-, If e w·"rc providing r-=-frigeraLing cars for the ''ake of no trc·). er at all t·her2, ,. onlcl not the a few rabbits. ra '~hi·'~ tJrer·J ju· c '" frc""ly a', thr y br0ed .at prt'f·ent? _'\noth€r argun1ent h ,.. d been Hr. rm0 to support the amend­ rai"-.~d-that this llll' 'ndnwnt lud been moved 130\VMAN to Lbtce another P"1Jitical p.:·!~USO they kD("!\V Yt..ry \VB1l Min;. ter ~'hould have attempted to ca 'hgate tt --+ thr re were no t'·appers in fJu· ·nr:land at the· hon. n1-ember for Maranoa. nrc "-nt, and it d~d n-c.t n~ntt -_._ >c h_r :.n1 The Sr:cRET.\RY ~OR PuBLIC LAXDS : I am ilO.il. nlen_bor \ ~)oke for c1r .a;;·ain:~-; tho a:·-"1-cnd .. {)are I t~id I;oG cas~igd.te hirn. :1nc~.,::, he would r,r ~ off-r .i a-:12, oi his -elec'or~~. \Vhere v ~ts th lo6ic in the c:rgun ~nt that i..ho anwnchn.:.m; \vr·s 1noved to create another Jllr" 130\YJ\L'..N : Thr hon. gentleman tried, thDugh be ,.li::.: n0: knov'~' vvhcther he f~uc~ volitic 1l p1.rt~,.? The wL.ole thing· as _,ill~}. c;:e,,J--.-1. The hon. gontl\:'man rnust be avvare Thor··' ,y,_·l\., r._>i·tain per:· ~s Oi -12 11' 'T he'l ;hat the hon. mv:,' .er for Mar tra~)ning rabbl~·"· diJ noL kn•y, · ,_,,_ hu;- obje.; tio.:1 tven tl1,____ lar[,e past0ra1- the breeding of rnal rootives to the hon. 1 0 In f-;L 1 it ''cul< Lr:- a ;-. f"'gnr-.nl in fi.~J member. '~Y-t•->n·n rortion of 1.he ::;-;,J.t:J -~d1f''D t~~c dil~·.'OCS. ,~-L~ ·e- d btd, l •-:..,us'J po i~Jl.~.. - th0 Mr. B07,·~,fAX: .:\t any rate, the han. l _ Jit trap.._ (•l'S "";\"DUld kill a di~:;, J Ol' t""',~O, e·,-ntlcm'ln to·1k a n1oi)t unu~~lal cout·e v\Then and tho Vf'ry fart of thei1 hcl~.:~· on tL8 rnH li> mede a s•:·ong pH·onal app~al to hon. ·wvu!d haYe a t{·nd·-\lcy to distu:rb 'ho din.·u~ uc :nbe:"' to defeat tL~ :.mendr11ent. In 1900 It had bt·m -tai J th ,t L.'l di::c:J . as a vc:y P arliar;wnt (\'ranted an ext8i1sion of lease to IUUJ.• h .;;rca-tor in lJu'~JnsLnd than the '~astorali:::;'!-.; on <- Jndition that the L_;ssees Bn­ ral.' :t, a,·J h(' vcuc _for._:·_,: ;r.,: ·~ doe.-·d tkir holdin15o wi;h. wi1~e netting. He o' .he... In of a'! tha:" !-" l L ·n :u_ ,_:"'l,':;l ::d thJ>t th.J ~-::·Ire-n.J·-ting J:ence-; were re­ he llo .. 1 ihl' Conr.lic~·cc \'. .JP!d c;:_,rry tho "pomib!c for k

Mr. BOWMAN : He did not know what South should be a guide as to \\hat was th!ly had lost, but they had it on the evt­ likely to happen here. The hon. member dence of " Knibbs " and also of the Vic­ for Townsville stated that sonte .Y '"ars ago torian -"Year Book" that there was a de­ there were over 60,000,000 oheep in New cided gain to those who were interested in South Wales, and that the !locks had been the rabbit business in the Southf)rn States, depleted through the r.tvages of ihc rab· and he did not know why the Minister spoke bits; but there were oYer 20.GOO.OGO sLeep as strongly as he did against the right of in Queensland before the drouf'ht vf f('m" nwn to do the same here. years ago, and after the drought there were only 7,000,000. Since then the numiJ•.1rs had Mr. RYAN : He is sailing under instructions. increased and now there were com;iderably The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : That is over 20 000,000 sheep in th<' State-. He- did very w1·ong. not thi,;k that anyoiie seriously thouc:ht that any bon. member on his side of the House :Mr. RYAN: I mtan instructions from your wantmh-r for Wide Bey ;,1id that it was just thr'e rabbits for the eake of th.eir skins, he for his p-0rsonal advantage, because he- hap­ could see no rca,on why they should not be pened to be a pto.reke<>per. That was the 1i~-:~esed. The Minister had admitted that last thou .• ht that should enter into a man's fwre v. ere hundreds of licenses granted now. IHincl. fJ..,-h,; hon. lYlCml,;.r for 1\Tc:ranoa v.as 'l'h" hon. moc.1ber for Balonne had repeat­ as honourable ''-' any othe2· m<•J:lber. and his edh· spoken of the inefficacy of the rabbit dP,ire \\a.s to get rid of thf' pe.-Jt, bUt, Lt the 1- Jard, in vVest-·n·n Queensland and of the same time, t-o give the opportunity wh!ch ( 'mlral Ra.bbi_-!; Board in Briebane and even was granted in the other StatDs but wlnch the Minister had a lmitted that 'they were was denied 11-•re. He ver:r warmly supported not a:, successful as they might have heen. the amendment. The SECRETARY FOR PTTBLIC LANDS : But the Th1r. HYA::>J: In speaking some n1inut"'s ~·~i~ister is taking mort· ;>ower under this a.::-o. h had .u<:gested tl:nt the JHinister .ddt than he ever had b .'fore. mid1t r;;Ye ,,0:ne td, a as to how 1«r lw would be pren,1red to ' .> in tho y "" of mnerdment l fr. I{-;_-NTEE: Not in connec1-ion ith tl1is of the' clause, but '·) far he believed the TI1-::1t.tcr. hon. gentleman Lad not thoaght it necs- sary The f;Lct;ETARY FOR PeBLTC L~\N:JS: Yc-... to r·iYe any inforrnation. lie agctin pre~~ed upou hi1:1 the p;= cc•. · ~:·y of m£ 1dng some in­ 'Ir. BO\Y:2\IAK: It '. as ouitc time th" timac;CJ,l as to 11,,-: f:_r he would 1 c prepared J\ li"lii-~ •'r did h. kc mor0 po-/e~ to himself: to acc_'pt ail am. ·Hhn{'nt. lie did no.t know The hon. gentlt·mt.-n had ~aid that he would whether h<> -,, "lS :,i, ply dot.- rmined to hold be Yery C.trPf• l j,,deed ;-bout the p•·•,.Jn~ to on to the clanse a.··, it ,:. ~ co0. "\Yh01n ho gave licen'-:~s; bnt thnt vv::: , illc.on- The Sr:cn-:-L;R, }(J1: PcBLIC L \NDS: I inti­ Ei~"tc 1t -v:ith hi:~ l>t ~Yiou~~ ~ nt that it mated this evening that I ,. auld not acc0pt ·' ou1d bt· a1 .. iLj~ry tv p.1 lePjec3 and amendments. ··'rn__,_i:lt:J f1rrr1e;,:; i1 lv· alk".\Pd tr.-tp<_ fT;:; to on t~--f'il- half'~ 'l ~;~. !\Jr. RYAY: _iny amen.:m-•nt<.? It wac- t-he ':"hp ~'-_,\':'E;''l..:RY FtR Pr1:LIC !-'A'l'-;r": L\)n't first i~rne t~1at t!13.t _:_1 :d ~Je:>n conveyed Lo ', tl~ln~. ~t -"-o:~Jd be rJl i~Jjury to the paf;­ him. •'' mdn·-·· y? TL.e SECRET tRY FOR Pcrn~rc LA:~ns: You w<>re not in tho Chamber. :-.fr. BO',V',iA:\': Tbt re sht .-'-2 hr· F ··:YJC dis­ crj~r>.'~.af. "n "'i:o'''ll. .He cliJ uot t.hiL_~- ,1 rnan Mr. RYJ.. N: H" was here when the hou. · ~- .. ·uld r:: 1pl:, stifff'n hi-; I uek l· ::c~v certai11 ifentleman spoke-, and heard all he said. It pa,•oraj ]p -, v-, thm,;ht it ._,-,mlcl !,,, b. d for was not a proper thing for the han. gentle­ ib·ir ru!."· to L.tve 't~l·:?n e'H{~ c,·d in df -trovino­ man to say that he was not here. That t?:r YJ~Jbif~. ='Jo cl-r,111t '-tlu- ::~!i:.1i-'-r ~ :--. was onr- of th" in.,inuations thct occa-,ionally '\.·Lo gu_~·l,-~d b~- l~is r:nd r Sr.r:l~tary, prvt)­ came from hon. mc.nber on th~t side of the :--h_·, .'dV-8 lnn1 so:mc adYl'. ~ > to l•-'ot ·-",~~ Hou•e, and he resented it. t.h" best thiw~ h ch; l 1t he (l.[t, 1-:c.. ,'.!" '") 1 Lor·~ht the ; m~;\' 1 dmr-nt 1-V0nld he: lp to n•._Incc The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LA"iDS : I with­ thJ nur1b~-~- of rab:,i: ~) anr1 an.-. hing that draw it. ,uld r~o tlL.t ,.hJulcl be TE':clilv a:.L "J1i d Ly th' } ~ini~:~ ,~:. ~ Mr. RYAN: He had listened Yery care­ fully all through when the han. gentleman }Ir. E. B. C. 0'lK'"R: Th<'re is a di:fc:r:-­ was speaking, and lw'-lrd him indicate that rnr··· o£ opinion on that point. 1te wvuld not acc,'pt aew -,dmcnt'• and asked hon. members to Yot[· against the .amendment. BO\'-~,L\N: Of course, tlw;·c wace a When he (Mr. R,·an) spoke bubsequent]y, he l'fl1Ce of o:Jinion, Lut the r~ .ult in the pointed out that there were two aspects- [Mr. Bowman. Rabbit B~ll. [29 JULY.] Rabbit Bill. 70E the deletion of co1'tain w •Jrds and the public mind that the leader of the Opposi­ insertion of other words. vVhen the hon. tion was not attending to his public duties. gentlemctn was speaking-, he did not say :Mr. RYAN: Some of your profe·:•:cd sup­ what his Yiews \Vore ·with regard to the porters are doim: that outside~the Rock: deletion, but hr said ""hat they v. ere with hampton " Bulktin" is one. re~~rd to the inoertion. The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS! The SECRET.\RY FOR PUBLIC LAND~ : I spoke Ho had alway, received the g.eatv"t amount about the retention of the clause. of cou1_,r "\ fl'orn t.h~·· hon. [_ ;-ntk._'lU'l, and had extcncled the same oourte'y to him, but Mr. RYA~: He quite undNstood that, but he did r.•Jt think the han. gentleman was the hen. gentleman sat absolutely ,i!ent when justified in sayin;,: that he was acting under hn a~ked him how fer he was pr<";Jared to rnst1.·uctions. lie h:-1d receivBd no iiJstructions go. He might then have 'aid that he would from anyone. The matter had b•-· m fully not g-o any distan·ce. If that w :1s so, they discm•ed in the Cabinet in all its be. rin~;s. knew what they we of doiEg hi> dutv. He 0'1 his own holding. tiid not know \Vh~~ it was nccess::trY f~r him Jlilr. FOLEY : But he cannot sell the•n. to have a licen3c 'to buy a rabbit. "That was the position of the clav>l~ :\s it no\v stood. The SECRI\TARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: He did n'1t think that the !>[ir,>t.w would He could get a permit for the purpose of take up such a LJbborn :l.ttitudo as he had disposir. ~ of the ·ki11S if he were so dispo,ed. dono. Some of the arguments he had ::\lr. HuNTER: What is the good of that if adduc,~d \ver,~ not v..:ry convincinp-, e- ,vccially he c ai,not got a buyc1· Y where h~ ref,·nPd h the ft:d of th would like to r<>move anY mi,.appre Thrre must be a disturb

lookt_d at it fro1..:1 one ~Joint of view and he dang,;rous to OY·...:rL~rn tho ;,-rLole system ;ookcd at it L< n1 another. These 1ncn \Vero 110"\V in forc:3 i.~:it~1out kno .. ing '~hat 1\0uld tenants of the Gro·:. n, and they paid their becon1e o~ ii, but t.hey rnight oxptrin1ent in a I:ent...;~ ;;q;;J <.:".r1Tied vut the conditions irn­ srnall way .and g? so £a1 as to _allow, t~1e posed upon tLJ tn, aud so long as they did le2-- e c.n lus hDld1ng to dest1·oy t11c r~t..:blts that it w:cs unjust to im1Jose Qn them other and utilisr the curcasses and skins. t:onditicns th·.tn tho;;e that \Vere contaiued in the lease. ri~_.~' ~E<:I~h.T.:\.R..;,~ FOl{ PL'13LIC L~"'-~\"DS sai-l he had H_.ado inquiries from the otS.eers Mr. FOLEY: DQ they Qbject tQ tlw rabbits oi tlw Lands Dep'-Lrtn1-Lnt anti he "\Yas In­ b· ing -destrQyed? form ,d that no lesscB had ever been refused The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: ·a 1Jer1nit to kill ra~·bits on his holding anJ No, thee did Iwt Qbject to that, but they did utilis~· t\e skins. .._i_ny tclector or I"'·· ;eo ·c;lo object i·.) unar;thorised persons going on to \cl;J!iLd for a permit would be grr..nted one. th-t·ir holding.:: and int<:rfering \Vi:~h tlu:ir The ]F',~·,·O .,,nd ;.eJector also had th<· nght stock. 1-IGn. me:·1bors would admit that he io get '1.. permit to be allmnd to employ a hal tried Llcot tlL!m reeson-'lb:y in all mv.n tJ clestrQv ra1Jbits, and this had b·en natter : .... d gin• '"ay 0:1 all occa- do_· 1_:' rn th \rarrego ·and lYiaranoa districts, 9ions wlFl'J he thought he could n;eet their althou~·h it h::hl not been availed of to an~ wishes itho-~< in anv wa\ de·.tro~. ing th,_~ gBat 'o:tent, b-ecause the selectors found that effieac:;· Qi the Bill, but ,;n th :<; f>Oint h., th~ bu,~iness wcs not verY ITdiUnera.tive. The r-egretted lO uy-\Yit}.;_ .all due d::- r t?l'tU{'8 to skins ',' d'O dis)JO··ed of to the local firrm in hon. m~ml.0rs-that, aft-er due considcratiQn, l3ri;bane who had permits to buy. He could he found he could not , \~e his \Y.~{y to '11c.8t; give no furth 'r information than thd.

their \ViF he-;. The clau<;'c had \Yorked \vell 1 in the past, a!d it Y.Qu]d be ... orkcd tr·Jre ~fr. 1-IT-:-I\TEP\,: T~ro p('nilit iv whit ~ ti1e -efioctually in tho fucure. If lessees desired :.\1ini~i.er referred was ::.10 vPnnit (tt all. They to kill rab],ih and seil their skins he would knc\~,- th tt tlP LiE rit:h( througl1 g~, V(' lJer­ do all in his po:,·er to meet their wishes. i.:oing to get a benefit from the power not only to destroy the rahhits, but destruction o' rabbits, but he beli-oved that to utilise the commercial value of the ski,, thov were not going the right w.L,V abou. It. by sale. Th0v had beGn nromised a coutpi,:hr, · _c;ive The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: That is Rab.,.bit Hill year -after year, and y, liC~l t;H-y alr<·ady done. oan1c hcl'"" this vear thev had the ~de'~. 1hat Mr. HARDACRE: The Minister. said first a~ lasl the Gov~rn-zncnt ~was goir:_~,. Lo l·rin;; of all that it was a dangerous thing and it in. Bnt 5( _ne n1crnbers WC:l'C' nvt dcnli:r :~ coukl not be done, yet when that a-pect was \Yith tho r..n.'ttsr en its n1erit:::. Tho question brought beforp him he ,aid that it was 'vas not .b .dng d~alt }vi~h fr~~ a b-:·'oad, Ailr<•ady done. The Minister said that a good ge.c.~:'ral view, as t:1o ),,_llnL:Jtor LJ."I('d to 1nake rnany licPn:~es hn ::l been issued, ED i~. n1ust them und'lrstond. It wcts being dealt with be evident th:,t liceJ"cs fm the s:•lc of .• kins from the point of Yiew of the paf 1,000 rabbit skins, it might re1uire a torali;;L But the 1Jd'·;;toralis1 ~ rr>_;ogni~::d large number of licenses to people purchasing that, although it had interfered wich them them. Before the amendment was dispQsed 1nore or less, it had rc'c.ulted in £0 Ltuch of the Minister ought to give the Com­ l- ·nefit that fOI;;e marmpia.l boards had dis­ mittee some infm·mation with regard to the continued payment for scalps. Th0 hon. number of permits now in force for the member for Murilla in 1910-he was quot.i .g purchase of rabbit skins. Whilst it was true from " HanPard"-pleaded with the C\1inis+er ·that the interests of the pastoral lessee who was in charge of the Native Animals shQuld be prQtected, still they should not be Protection Act to allow the selector t•1 pwtected to the £xtent of preventing any destroy the animals on his own promises. .other industry of any kind growing up. If He said- they follQwed that .argument out in other " He was of opinion that a man should industries they would have no timber in­ be allowed to trap 'possums on his own ,dustry and no marsupial industry and no land without a license, just as people prospecting for minerals. were allowed to destroy marsupi1ds c,n The bell indicated that portion of the hon. their own property. In his district, and •member's time had expired. in otl1er districts, the 'possums had helped to keep the farmers going and Mr. HARDACRE (continuing) : The same pay the groc

hav'' to say that the opossums were drourjht of 1903, nothing· v;cul.~ ~ GVE' ~toj_.~,f·d eating c:tbbc.t.gcs, or ·w..Ji'e dc·~troyi.rg tl::c the spread of the rabbit:,; certainly the action orci:1ard, in or de .· to eyaclc the l_1a.~·· n ·ent of th, rabbit board.'' would He'', ,,. Lc,v; f;re­ of the licenf-<) fee." •,-er-h·d th{'ir E~/l'Lad VYOr no 1 r aH:J.S in He held thr.t the sam0 thing cw>p!ied ''"ith ( ~npr•ns1and. regard to rabbits. The l dl indicated thd !l: -, l1w. "''' nc her's Mr. MonGAN: The Bill gi.-e; it to thc.n. tiL·' ha.-l 0"':pired. Ivlr. 1-ITJl'\TER: Just as the \YallrJ>y aud QtH'c' ion-That the wo:·d proposud to be the op:->'·,nrn and thP kan;:aroo h,_,d· L·'L'ln inu21"'1 ~d (Jir. Hunter's anund!:~dd) bG so ~es!.roytJd, and iho n><:~n h ld b~ :>,1 }'aid for r~w1r 1aboor, .'"~, he contf'nclpcl, ·.-.-ou]d:.: !bbiL 1r ; ·;ted--l-ilt; and the ConL,_.i.tL ~ Ji·:iG.ed :­ be destroyed if the arncr::.dnH'nt wr.: carried. AYJ s, 20. He wad not pleading for the grocer, nor ~1-:r. Adu.msirs of , .bbite NOE'l, 29. trapped. Those were worth £374,884. In ~1r. Appel ~i:r. J.fackay 1911 there \vere 8,3t;2,994 lJair:) of 1·abhits " Hun.l.eJ, G. P. MorO'an taken, ~nd l ;10 ~ \,-u· , y, orth £.)Lt., 739. f-tu ~· Barne..;, "\V. H. '' Pag~t that whrlst tlwr w~re 2.000,000 or ohe-fifth ,, Bebbington " Petrie less in 1911 than in 1907, they '' <'re worth , Bell , Philp Rankin one-fourth ll1')rL 1:Ie wirb.-:-il alv) to refer to " Booker , Corser, E. B. C. Roberts the article whir:1 tho hon. n1c>.abcr for ,, Crawford 1-:itevcns Drayton read as to the advanco of the ,. Denham , dwayne rabbits in Victoria- ,, Grant Tolmie " Bunny ~,, here in thousands a.J.d , Gra~-~son Trout ,, Gunn Walker thousands. Thn butter '"ioid ha,; gone ., Hodge White tumbl~ng down,. and tho Yalue o.:. t:ro­ , Kusell ·williams pcrty lEts depTPCiated 50 per cent. l!lany , I..uke of the f' "l]j fac!_>J'S have tunH cJ labbif_ Tellers: Mr. Bell nnd Mr. Willi• mE. trappers, and n1al,.:e anything fro''l £1 to .£1 5s. a day for five day.:; a, week. PAIR:-: . I~ightp"~'nce a pair is the pay, but it i:- a Av·s~:Ar ... Fihf'Ilv Mr. }fcCor":ut.ek, ..\~:r. K~twnn, hard life, and t'H"' er•rn all thtcy get. Of ~1r." B_.rtra'm, and" ':Mr. O'Sullh·-nn. course, this is thim_ing them down, but ]\t_ ·· .-_1\fr. Fox, Mr. Bridge_,, llr. Douglas. .Mr. theJ have altered everything here." .SortH l'set, and .Hr. B. H. (;o:.·ser. RecJ!ved in the ncgati ve. ·That vvas a :;~.nte .o1f'nt fron1 ,; rnan in 2\:iel­ bournc writing to a friend in l3risbane and Mr. R\A::'{: ~,femhers of the Opposition he ,aid that the nbbits were decre~sing. thought it "\\as an absurdity ~lHl.t a person He held that the Bill, instead of making for should have to apply L,r a 1ic,,lH-·'·" fur the the preservation, should set out for the de­ sale and the purchaoe of rabbits and rabbit 'truction, of the rabbit p~·~t. In the Southern skin,.. \Vht:n speaking prr;;iou·~y, he :indi­ States it was no lon.ger in the sam,3 sen3e q, c·:ttcd that he thOught rw v.-ord " r-urehaf'e" pr·st. It had h-.'LO~!lG a C-'Jnln:1ercial com­ at least should go out. 8i'lco then hn h;,d 1 modity, and the p0ople rcaJi;,;ng thi.; had had an or:)Ortnnif·, T Oi h.J.ViL.;5 A. ft'W "\YOrdS made b1e1 \Yay cle:t.r for ev-erY n1an \\1-ho with the :Y1inister, r,nd he cJuld '''<'e that tho cared to engage in th·e de'•tc·uction of rabbi\ s hon. f_;{·L·!Jeman "\Vas c1.-trr.,~irv~d to b:)ld on to pay him"elf for doing it. Im+ead of that, to the claucJG. Tie CNir. l{,v,n) wanted to £0 what had happened h<>re? Th" man '·' ho a~ far as he could in tho .tYl ;,! tr•J', and to get was referred to by the hon. member for insc, tz d a proviso which would go to the Drayton w~s being taxed tu maintain cxtPYlt of saving that licen s would be officers in .that city and other towns and granb::d to the owners or occupiers of lane! districts of Queensland, and they were not with rcs~·DCt to rabbits \vhich Y ~re destroyed doing th3 work so effectively as it wonld on their land. That would cover all the have been done if every farmer and every caf>('S in which, as members on that side of farmer's ron and selector were allowed to the House argued, persons should not re­ ·take the carcac"es and skins and sell them in quire a license; they should be able t.o Brisbane or wherever else they might be a destroy rabbits on their own land, and sell saleable commodity. He felt that the ques­ them without a license. He was also tion was not being viewed from a Querms­ anxious that the Minister should give some land.er's ;.tandpoint. The object,ion was indication that the clause as it stood would being taken that thev must not distmb the not be stringently enforced, because it seemed pastoralist. T~e pa~t-oralist had had a gr od monstrous that a person should have to get many concessions m consequence uf the a. liccnsCl before buying 'a rabbit or rabbit rabbit. He had increased tenur" and skin, even if the owner of that rabbit or decreased rents, and assistance to fe~ce his rabbit skin was licensed to sell. As the run. All those things were in favour of the clause now stood, a person buying a rabbit pastoralist, but the farmer was just as much or rabbit skin without having a license to concerned about the spread of the rabbit as do >;o would ba liable to a penalty. There was the pastoralist, and with him it would be was no doubt that that was the ve~y much 1nore serious, as his crop:::: ·would [10 p.m.] strict construction of the section. go if the rabbits got a footing in his nE·igh­ However, to test the feeling of ,bourhood. If it had not been for the grGat the Minister on the point, he moved th~ Mr. Ryan.1 704 Rabbit Bill. ( ASSElVIBLY.] Rabb.t Bill

tL.erc b- r..\elecl after the word pounds," on they should have had a fair amount of line 11, t,w words "Provid··'d that such exports of rabbit skins to thE' other countries. li~"n"' .Jnll not be rDfueed to any person It would be no usc to give permits to wllo 1s t.~l.~~ a~,·. u~~r or occupi:~r of any land in destroy rabbits and to sell the skins, unless n ·lXC ot r 1.Lh1t.s destroyed on f3uch lands." there was a general system of permits to The ''P.c ~lET.iTIY FOR PvBLIC LA·.ns: I y ill people to buy the skins. He did not think ac.epc th::t. that anybody should be allowed to buy skins Mr. R l. AN said he wa, very pie.• ter might give a promise to that effect. He would ac<'?pt the amendment b· cause· !o hi~ r!1ind, it conveyed oxaDtly vrhat. wa~ The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LAKDS : We are mte'loccl by tb0 clause, and what tho Gm ern­ doing it now. ment. had, up to the present time, been Mr. HARDACRE: Could the Committee carrying out. With regard to the other accept that as an assurance that reputable mutter referred to by the lec,dor of tho persons might safely come to Brisbane and Opposition, it would be noticed that clause get permits to purchase the skins? 5D b~,ve 1vn;.)r to rnakp regulaiion::, and such mattrrs could be dealt with under that The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS : There clau e. Ilc wished it to bo wderstood that is a regulation to that effect, and that regu­ under all rea,. om ble conditions he would lation will be continued. carry out what had been stated by the leader of the Opvo·ition. Mr. HARDACRE : He was glad to hear that. It did not go quij" as far as he would Mr. COY:\fE: From what the Minister had like, but it would be a safe beginning, and stated it appeared to him that it was pro­ might possibly lead to the establishrnent of POKed t·> ··;n1bodJ regulations in tho I:[]] a very valuable industry -in Queensland. which would give, to a limited <'<:tent, what was a· ked for by the han. member for The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: Maranoa. Tho fact of the Minister offPring For the information of han. memb··:rs, he that conces '"'n k:wckod the ground fr0ln would say that when the present Premier under the arguments Jbed by momlcors on was Secretary for Public Lands, a case was the Government :;ide. \Vhv was the Ministur reported to him where a large· number of backing down now? " sUns were going over the border to be sold in Sydney, and a suggestion was rnade ae 'l'he SECRETARY roR PuBLIC L.\Kl'' : Tlwre is no backing down. to "hether a prosecution should take place. The Premier cl.~cided that no pros·ecution J\1r. COYNE: ·what had been promi:;ocl should take place, and regulations were would Lu of no u·.e at all in the matter of drafted giving power to provide for the· clestro--ing rnbbits and allowing them to be h:\le of skins. That regulation had been in used as a commc•rcial commoditv. The force ever since that time, and skins had PreEiiccr, in reply to an interjectiO'n on the" been sold to the regular fur merchants. second rectding of tho Bill, stated that tho ;\Jr. RYAK: :":.1;: amendment covers that' as Government had po>~er to grant licenses well. now. To whom did the Crown ·•rant licenses to sell rabbits 'md skins'/ He" ventured to :\fr. COYNE: He would like ta know say to nobody in Queen,Jand. It appeared where the "Home Rule for Queensland" to him that that wa·•, going to Le the pro­ camp. in when they permitted merchante in minent stnck-in-trade that We•, go·ing to bo New Sout]r vYalc,:~ to purchaFG rabbit ski:c~ used, at the Land Court wJwn the rcassc·'s­ but would not grant prrmits to their o"·n rnen7.'' can10 np. It ''oulcf bo used ar; an_ f>Jople, u.Jt.hough the skins were grown in argument why thl' rents should be kept at Qu~cm,land. the sam• low fii\"ure they wore to-day. Tho The PREMIER : You are wrong again. grazing farmer did not rount in the matter but th<> pastorali•ts could com;· along wit!~ ~·Ir. HAMILTON said that he had seen the rabbit.o. blowflies, and any excuse at a cart.load of rabbits offered for sale to·day all would serve The amendment would be in So.uth Bri"bane, and he did not .suppose of very little use to an:·one. th~t anybody who purchased those rabbits in­ qmred wlwthH they came from New South Mr. HARDACRE was pleac"d that the \Vales or wer<' Queensland rabbits. Yet Mini···'·r h"d accepted this comnromisc' every perFon '':ho purchased a rabbit ki!lrcl althouo:h it did not go to the e-xte;;t askN:i in (luc<'nsland would be liable to a penalty for in the first instance. He would like the under this claus£'. even thouo:h they did so lVEni-ter to also give a promise that he 1". ithout kno\ving- the law. If a pPr.son sc 1d would provide regulations to giw permits rabbits in rontravontion of th0 law, he would to peu,lle to buy the skins of rabbits. do so knowingly. but the purch~Hrs mic·ht The SEing those pe.ople a monopoly. There might the exportation of rabbit skins than they­ be people in the Western districts who were had. They knew that all kinch of furs wero prepared to enter the businP'•S as well, and becoming scarcer every year throughout they should not be debarred from getting the world, and were becoming more and permit;;. more in demand. The fur merchants of Mr. HUNTER did not think the Minister Europe were searching the world for fresh was giving· much of a cO;ncession in accept­ '~'PpliP of fur, and, had the regulatioY:L ing the amendment, although it wa.s better· referred to by the Minister been in force, than nothing, and it did, to some extent, [Mr. Ryan. Rrzbbit Bill. [29 JULY.] Rabbit Bill. 705

go back on all that ho,d I:; ·en said on The SEORET_'"RY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: the cth._r "ide with refcrencn to the destruc­ The leadn of the Opposition had ins,;r~e~ a tion of r. bbi:s. They ero no-c· told 'hat, proviso givin. the holder of a run prrnusston •vhen th ~ Prct.rier '" ;";:, S-?cro::1ry for Lands, to d: ·,troy rabbits on a holdin!';. a r(;-~ui_~ti:Jn h ~d been is>ued .:IloviTinrr rabbi' skine co bD oold by auction; but hnd any Mr. RYAN: And to s,Jl the okins. regul.1-tion 1~(_:-et: is~,.urd rermitt-ing the :,a,le of The SECRLL1.RY FOR PUW,IC L_U"D3: t:~o t-:\. ~~- 1.~::.'_ s? The more mane" men uJuJd If those persons "'ade application to sell the n:.aJ-:~ - y t>- ir }abo 7,r, t~lO lTIOl'l:' uanxious they carc,-;$~;38, he \Vas prepar• d to give every v.rould l·e :o kill r:s ma_.ly rabbit· :1s k')"si~ !.c. cor:JiJeration t-o the requ,:>st. I-I0 hot£:~ t~~at "er,_l;_;: .. >ion would be givc11 to f_,···l').:...' to i:;UI'.;1Ja·~8 cS W• 11 ttS i:1 sell rab­ l\Ir. RYAN: Th"t was wh"t h,:, under­ l_;j·.-t The qae·-hvn ·y, .ts: on'1 ,vhich rodcernr·d. stood the Mi:~ister to say, but l:c would the ,.-hde of l)ueensland. Every selector like it to be cl··arlJ understood that by the in tho s·::at~ VIT·_, in cLtnt;cr 0.~ l would be protected. grr:.nt L} F6-Jn8J pov-.<~rs I.u::"d, yt: .-tr or in t'>' o amfl.;H]0d, y -ar~. rr~.e-:v sh-ould le.t.Vt- tLe ,, :y ·ut" n fc t Clause, as put and pa.Jsed. thne w-,"", d 'troye.l raL'>ib to turn them L> Cit-uses 52 to 53, inclusive, put and passed. (}·Jrrlinc: VJ.l':e. If ·JnJ- a 7 i·.) ·ci.J it r_·cod thi;F 1 kill rab1'it, ic couhl no: be said 1h~t it',. 1s On Fir,;t Schcdu e- not a ··ood thin::; to dispo.-'--: of th<-ir car­ Mr. HAMILTON: TherP WE;s a qu2stion co. .p· fc;r hurr: lP fv.cd. HP hopPd the l\1inis­ 11 bout the voting power under the schedule \..::•r .n'rd'"l acr-·-·tt an ai~H'_ldrnent. alloY.~ing which \vas a question r,lc,re for the ler:n.f the:.1 ',J · e p: rcha,cd. The Bi!! wa.s .,-,crth­ n1o_,_-,~cr:; of f~_e C:)cnmi--'--\_eo. It r,rovid.(~d- le:,s if tlwy restrict.-d those who V'ere .mxious " As soon as conveniently n1ay be after to de ,'roy tiL· rabbi" .c•• the appointment of a returning officer Amendment (Jfr. I!y(ln's) r 1L and passed. for a newly constituted district, the Registrar-General shall furnish such Mr. HARDACRE askrd whethor th~ ~.. Iin­ returning offir~r with a list in alpha­ ister ~. .-.onld not 8f'-·,·:)t an amendrncnt w~th betical order, showing- recpect to L1e purchase of rabbits. (a) The name of every resident owner The br:cRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS: No. or manager of every holding within the district ; Mr. E \RDACRE: It could be done quite (b) The name or description of every safely, b'- :.:uc,.,, tb:·re could be no harm done such holding; in pur-.:~.:.~: ·in'-! fro:m pcr-~ons "\Vho w,-_·re lic.:msed (c) The numb"-'" of stock return,,d for to 1:2ll.. If permiss~on to purchase were not gra tt?d, tho .. • Lo were able to buy would every such holding according to the lateu: they 11 amending, so as to bring it into conformity were prac;,;cl .,- evarlin c. the Lnv, "nd it -is with cbuse 12, where the: h·c} inserted an r~tfher a(' .Ul\.~ to put a rcstricti·~n uro~. TI 11€0p1o amendmccnt providing that the selling the rarr·. on a thought it would be better to move the reserve, and people mir.;ht be prepared to Chei~man out of the chair, dutroy them if they got permi .. ,ion to ,,,n them in Brisbane. He asked the Minister The House resumed. The CHAIRMAN whether, if tweut:v trappers in the \Ve .• t wne reported progre''· and the Committee prepared to do that, he would make the obtained leave to sit again to-morrow. necessary ugulations giving permission to do The House adjourned at thirty-one minutes so? past 10 o'clock. 1913-2 X Han. J. Tolmie.]