Legislative Assembly Hansard 1941
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Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly WEDNESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER 1941 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Supply. [19 NoVEMBER.] Question. 1329 WEDNESDAY, 19 NOVEMBER, 1941. Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. E. .J. Hanson, Bmanda) took the chair at 10.30 a.m. DEATH OF MR. .J. C. WATSON. The TREASURER (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Bremer) (10.31 a.m.), by leave, without notice: I desire to inform the House that I have, on behalf of the Government, despatched a telegram to Mrs. \Yatson expressing the sympathy of the GoYernment in the loss of her husband, .J ames Christian Watson, at one time Prime Minister of Australia. Honourable ~Iembers: Hear, hear! QUESTION. lNTRODUC~'ION OF CO-ORDINATION OF EMPLOY MENT FACILITIES BILL. Mr. NICKLIN (MUl-rumba), without notice, asked the Treasurer- '' Will the Acting Premier give an assur ance that after the disposal of Supply, the Bill of which notice has been given by the Secretary for Labour and Industry will be introduced immediately to give hon. mem bers ample opportunity to study its provi sions before its second reading stage~'' The TREASURER (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Brem:er) replied- '' I desire to say that the usual courtesy shown to the Opposition will be shown on this occasion also, and the Government will see to it that every opportunity is given for a full, free, and fair discussion on this measure, as they do on every measure brought before this House.'' 1330 Supply. [ ASSEM:BL Y.] Supply. SUPPLY. which has decided matters such as holiday pay, increased wages, and an increased ton RESUMPTION OF COMMI~'TEE-ESTIMATES nage rate. All those matters have to be FOURTEENTH ALLOTTED DAY. taken into consideration by the Common (Mr. Gair, South Brisbane, in the chair.) wealth Commissioner of Prices before he fixes the price of coal. That was done dur ESTIMATES IN CHIEF, 1941-1942. ing last year in connection with every mine DEPARTMENT OF MINES. in Queensland. CHIEF OFFICE. Mr. Brand: Do you not take into con Debate resumed from 18 November (see sideration the profit mm· gin, too~ p. 1329) on the question- The SECRETARY }'OR MINES: The '' That £21,228 be granted for 'Depart profit margin was virtually nil at most of ment of Mines-Chief Office.' " our coalmines-for some time they have been selling the coal at cost, or even less than The SECRETARY FOR 1\IINES (Hon. cost. The Consolidated mine, adjacent to D. A. G!edson, Ipswich) (10.34 a.m.) : When the Collinsville State mine, was granted the progress was reported yesterday, I was reply same increase in price as the State mine, ing to some questions raised by hon. members and vet we have been able to show the opposite. I dealt with the point raised by favou'i·able position of which I speak, owing the Leader of the Opposition in connection to the excellent co-operation of the men work with the position of the Chillagoe smelters. ing in the mine; the improved position there In addition, I would point out for the infor is solely due to the efforts of the men working mation of that hon. gentleman that we have there. found it necessary to obtain ore as far south The production in the Collinsville State as. Mount Morgan in order to get a smelting coalmine, for 1939-40, was 150,576 tons, and mrxture to keep the smelters operating. last year it increased to 197,454 tons. The position of the State coalmines at the Mr. Nimmo: Due to the war. end of the current year was such that the Opposition, instead of being able to criticise The SECRETARY FOR I\IINES: If the the Government because enormous losses were hon. member for Oxley would get just a little sustained, are complaining because we were bit of the bias out of him and not be narrow able. to. work the mines, especially that at we should get along better. Colhnsv1lle, so efficiently that production Mr. Nimmo: I speak the facts. ?osts were reduced last year, although they mcreased in every other mine in Queensland. Tl1e SECRETARY FOR )liNES: It does not matter on what the hon. gentleman speaks Mr. Nicklin: The price of coal went up, in this Chamber; on every occasion he has a too. very low, mean, political bias. The SECRETARY FOR 1\IINES: That is lUr. Nimmo: Thanks! the position in connection with that mine; it is the only coalmine in Queensland where Tlte SECRETARY FOR I\IINES: He production costs have decreased during the shows the same bias as his bowls. (Laughter.) year. Everyone knows that the State coal As I was proposing to say: it is due solely mines are conducted in competition with to the great co-operation that we have had every other coalmine in Queensland, and from the men at Collinsville that we have the matter of price is decided by the Common been able to produce an increase of 46,878 wealth Commissioner of Prices, who has dealt tons of coal during the past year, and so the with that matter since the war. All items mine could be worked with a lesser overhead affecting costs of any mine in Queensland cost per ton. It is the same in any industry. are submitted to him. For instance, take the manufacture of tweeds JUr. JUaher: Why has the Commissioner and flannels and other materials made in not recognised that principle in regard to woollen mills. As the production increases, the price of butter~ the overhead costs of each article decrease and that has occurred in the Collinsville mine. The SECRETARY FOR MINES: If I were A very fine example of that law is to be to give a dissertation on the price the people found in a statement made by the hon. mem of Queensland pay for their butter, to enable ber for Hamilton a bout his own business the butter-producers to get the square deal affairs. He reduced cost because of the they are getting, I should be out of order. increased quantity of material he produced. If the Department of Agriculture and Stock The average increase in the cost to the Estimates were reopened, we should be able consumer of the coal produced at Collinsville to give the hon. gentleman all the informa was 8d. ::t ton durinc; the last year. Unques tion he requires. tionably, the production costs per ton were JUr. Nimmo: The increased costs should less because of the increase and the efficient be passed on. co-operation of the men and, therefore, we have been able to make a profit, as the The SECRETARY FOR I\IINES: It is not Auditor-General points out. The Opposition a question of passing on anything; it is a complain because we have done so; but, question of increaser1 costs placed upon the had we shown continnow; losses, we should inclnstq by the authority of the Common have been blamed for working these mines wealth Comt of Conciliation and Arbitration, at a loss. Supply. [19 NovEMBER.] Supply. 1331 The same applies to the Styx mine. An mine because of the risk of exploding the hon. member said that it should not be worked, gas there. In most other mines a deputy and so on. Hon. members should make them goes down in the morning with a safety lamp selves acquainted with what is being done, and examines each place to see if there are and, should any hon. member care to do so, I any gases in the mine. If there is none he will give him a permit to go down these mines comes up and reports to the miners, who go to ascertain for himself the conditions under down and are able to work there with open which they are worked and the coal is pro lights, such as carbide lights. In the Styx duced. If the hon. member for Maree, who mine, however, no man is allowed down the made these statemPnts, cares to go alHl see mine unless he has a properly locked and for himself what is being done there, he will tested safety lamp. '!.'here are men there who receive an education. ·without fear of con 1ne trained to test every lamp before it is tradiction I say that the coal produced in the allowed to go clown the mine. Anyone who Styx mine is equal to any other produced in knows anything about mining will agree with Australia. me that working with a naked light is much better and easier than mining under safety )Ir. Luckins: H is very expensive to produce. lamp conditions. The safety lamp is screened with gauze and glass, with the result 'l'he SECRETARY l<'OR 1\'IINES: It is the that the illumination from it is by no means best coal in Queensland. It has the greatest as great as that of a naked light. calorific value of any, and, if the hon. member knew the conditions of working in that mine, Mr. Nimmo: Have you ever tried he would know the reasons for its being installing electric light in this mine~ expensive. The SECRETARY FOR liiNES: That 'l'he Minister for Transport agrees with question brands the hon. member for Oxley me that it is the best coal in Qut>ensland. as an amateur, as one who knows nothing Its value is greater than that of any other whatever about mining. We haYe electric coal we have here, and it is equal to any safety lamps down there. thing in Australia. JUr. "'immo: Have you ever tried the lUr.