Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

TUESDAY, 24 AUGUST 1943

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Special Adjournment. (24 AUGUST.] Papers. 131

TUESDAY, 24 AUGUST, 1943. Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. E. J. Hanson, Buranda) took the chair at 11 a.m.

QUESTIONS. STORY BRIDGE FINANCES. Mr. DART (Wynnum) asked the Pre- mier- ''Will he give the following particulars in regard to the Story Bridge for 1942- 1943:- " 1. Toll receipts; '' 2. Interest paid on borrowed money; " 3. ~Working expenses; '' 4. Amount paid on upkeep and repairsW '' The PREMIER (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Bremer) replied- '' The il]formation desired by the hon. member is as follows:- '' 1. £25,723. No toll fees are collected for the use of the bridge by vehicles of the Australian or Allied Services. '' 2. £58,350. '' 3. £5,851, including salaries and wages of collecti11g staff-£1,997, ancl vVar Dam­ age Insurance-£3,R73. "4. £1671."

LoGAN BRIDGE FINANCES. ::ur. })ART (Wynnum) asked the Secre­ tary for Public Works- '' 1. What was the amount of the toll Teceipts of the Logan Bridge in 1942-1943 ~ '' 2. vVhat amount has been received c·ver and above the cost of the bridge? '' 3. ~Will he give favourable considera­ tion to the removal of the toll?'' The SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS (Hon. H. A. Bruce, The 'l'ableland) replied- '' 1. £6,385 gross; £4,516 net. '' 2. The total net receipts 10 30 .June, 1943, were £146,221. The capital cost of the bridge was £27,906. The total expendi­ ture to 30 .June, 1043, on ~ho Pacific High­ way, upon which the toll is placed, was­ Permanent woTks, £472,670; maintenance, £206,690; total, £679,360. Of the above, onlv £21,000 has been charged to local autlwTities on account of perinanent works nnd £30,500 on account of maintenance works, repTeRenting a total charge of less than 8 per cent. to local authorities. The above expenditure includes the cost of con­ structing 33 new bTidges, but does not include expenditure by the Lands Depart­ ment on otheT peTmanent works. '' 3. It is not propoRec1 to remove this toll at the present time.''

PAPERS. The following papers were laid on the table, and ordeTed to be printed:- Report of the Agent-General for Que<:ns­ land for the year 1942. 132 Death of Mr. W. J. Vowles. [ASSEMBLY.] Death of Mr. W. J. Vowles.

Hcport of the Auditor-General under the said exactly what they were intended to say; Supreme Court Funds Act of 1R95 for he was a great help to Parliament in that the year J 942-1943. respect. Report of the Director, State Children I belieYe Mr. Vowles, while he was in this Department, for the year 1942. Parliament, attempted earnestly to do the work his constituents sent him to do, and he The following papers were laid on the stood valiantly for those things in which he table:- believed and in which he had a great faith. Order in Council under the Financial He was Leader of the Opposition for three Arrangements and Development Aiel Act Yery strenuous years indeed. I believe the of 1942. position of Leader of the Opposition in this Proclamation under the Prisons Act, 1890. House is as strenuous a position as there is in the House. It is necessary for him to Order in Council under the Supreme Court keep an eye on not just one department but Act of 1921. all departments of State, consequently his Order in Council under the Jury Act of time is taken up in very many ways that 1929. do not fall to the lot of the ordinarv member. l'vir. Vowles paid great attention tt; his work By-la>YS Nos. 434 to 436 under the Rail­ as Leader of the Opposition; he did that work ways Acts, 1914 to 1934. according to his lights, showing application, study, and versatility in the work he was called upon to do. DEATH 01-' Mr. W. J. VOWLES. I saw I\fr. Y mvles in Dalby n fn1 "·eeks MoTION oF CoNDOLENCE. ago. \Ye talked of Yarions matt. t•o, nncl I 'i'Ile PRE:rtHER (Hon. F. A. Cooper, little thought as I waved him .a:oorl-b.\e Bre:Jlcr) (11.S a.n1.), lJy lcaw, \\·ithont notice: that it would be the last occasion on which I moYe- I should see him. He was apparently then in good health. He was cheery and very '' 1. That this House desires to place on optimistic a bout a number of things. He rc•1rd its appreciation of the services had the outlook that he had in this House rendered to this State bv the late Willialll of a broacl appreciation of the views and .Tohn \lo\vles, Esquire, a ~foTmcr nte1nbcr uf opinions of other people, to whom he extended tJ,e Parliament of Queensland. the right of expression he claimed for himself. '' 2. 'l'hat Mr. Speaker be requested to eonvey to the relatives of the deceased J\!Ir. Vowlea was a. gentleman with whom gentleman the aboye resolution, together many of us hacl many happy associations, with an expression of the sympathy and nnd I feel that we all agree to this resolu­ sorrow of the members of the Parliament tion exprPssing our appreciation of the of Queensland, in the loss they have senires he rendered to the State and desiring snsta ined.'' you, Mr. Speaker, to convey the sympathy nnd sorrow of the members of the Parliament Mr. Vowles enme to this Parlimncnt as the of Queensland to his family. rep; esentatiw for Dalby during the 18th Parliament at a by-election on 26 April, 1911, Honourable lliembers: Hear, hear! succeeding Joshua Thomas Bell. He sat throngh the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nc1, and 23rd J.Ur. ThiAHER (West Moreton) (11.14 Pnrliaments, tlms rcpre,enting Dalby for an n.m.): On behalf of the Opposition I offer nnbroken period from 26 April, 1911, until '' l1oleltearted support to the sad rcsolntion R April, 1926, when \V. A. Russell defeated t hnt has been moved by the Premier extend­ him at the general elections. He was Leader ill.(!; our sympathy to the relatives of the late of the Country Party and Leader of the Mr. W. J. Vowles. I had not the opportunity Opposition clnring the 22nc1 Parliament, fTom of sitting in this Parliament during the period 1920 to 1923. that he was a member, but I knew the deceased gentleman very well indeed. His Mr. Vowles was a member of this House death is a distinct loss to the clisb·irt of iYhen I entered it in 1915. He >vas therefore Dalby. He had been always to the fore in in this Parliament during the stormy days every local moYement for the welfare of of 1 ~ll2. He sa>v Mr. Denhmn, Pn•mier, c•,omc that district and he succeeded a notable bac·k with a wry big majority in 1912, and member of this Parliament in the person of he saw Mr. Denham replaced by n Labour the late J. T. Bell. He was mayor of the Administration in l !115. He saw much of i lce town of Dalby for a number of years. He stirring days of the advent of a Labour was a very progressive and cultured man. Gowrnment into Queensland. I remember He rose in this Parliament to the position J\fr. Vowles particularly well during that of I"ear1er of the Opposition and carried out period, and he was a good member of the his duties to the satisfaction of the members Opposition. He was a lawyer and he had the 'li'hO supported him. He also enjoyed the legal mind and dm·elopcd the mental pre­ confidence of a great hody of opinion in this eision that comes from nssoeiation ,., ith exac·t State that constituted the Opposition of that principles and all of those things that make time. for v;rrert expression of opinion- and conect­ The late Mr. Vowles was also a prince of Jwss of speech. He was a valuable member good fellows. He mixed well with the of the Opposition in that he was very careful different people he came in contact with nnc1 to see that clauses of Bills and amendments was generally well liked and popular. His Address in Reply. [24 AuousT.] Address in Reply. 133 death was a great loss to the Dalby district. Mr. LUCKINS (Maree) (11.20 a.m.): First I am sure all in this House-and there are I wish to congratulate those new hon. mem­ many members of the Opposition of to-day bers who have taken their seats in this who sat with him and also many members of Assembly and to express the wish that their the Govemment Party-regret his death. 'Ne efforts will be in the interests of those thev of the Opposition associate ourselYes with the represent and of the State, · resolution and desire to express to his widow I deRire also to take this opportunity of and his Yery fine family, one of whom is at congratulating His Excellency the Governor present serving in the Australian fighting on his services to the State. He has played forc-es, our very deepest sympathy in their a wonderful part in the history of Queens­ time of sorrow. land. He is held in very high esteem and has Motion agreed to, hon. members standing been prominent in strengthening the link in silence. between the Empire and this State. ADDRESS IN REPLY. Discussion of the Address in Reply giyes EXTENSION OF Tll\IE FOR DEBATE. one the opportunity of bringing many matters before this House concerning those we The PREJUIER (Hon. F. A. Cooper, Tepresent. Amongst these is the welfare of Bremer) : I move- the individual and the family man. Th~ '' That unuer the provisions of Standing family man to·day should be receiving the Order No. 17, the period allotted to debate utmost consideration from both State and on the Address in Reply be extended to Commonwealth Governments, and it is to seven full sitting days.'' that point that I cle.sire to address myself Motion agreed to. to-clay. Much has been said and written a bout the PUBLIC CURA'l'OR ACTS AMENDJ\fEJ';T conditions unde1· which people are living in BILL. Australia to-day. The most important o1f these is housing. There is an acute shortage INITIATION. of accommodation for the man who is rearing The ATTORNEY·GE:XERAL (Hon. D. A. a family under trying and acl\-erse conditions. Gledson, Ipswich): I move- Statistics show that in the Commonwealth up '' That the House will, at its next sitting to 1933 there were 1,750,000 dwellings, and I resolve itself into a Committee of the Whol~ take it that figure excludes boarding houses to consi

where the conditions arc not ideal for the The Secretary for Health and Home rearing of families. I hope the time "ill Affairs: Re has already done it. soon come when all families will have an opportunity of enjoying living conditions Mr. LUCKINS: My point is that the cost that will enable them to bring up their to the home-dweller is so hea,·v that the ohildren in ideal surroundings. All families service should be undertaken entirely by should be placed in 1l! financial position to the State. obt-:in their homes and to obtain the fee Let us look a't the subject from another simple of their land. angle. It would be logical to say that because insurance companies accept premium& and give Another matter that causes me great eon­ the public protection against burglary they cern is that of fire brigades, particularly should subsidise the police in order to suppress the cost to the people affected. No doubt burglaries. these brigades play a very important part in the protection of property and they may Tile Secretary for Health and Home be called out at any time during the day Affairs: They do, actually. or night to extinguish a fire. At the present time the. expenditure is borne on the basis Mr. LUCKINS: It is true that the State Government provide the Police Force. This is of two-sevenths by the Government, two­ a point that requires a little explanation. sevPnths by the local authorities and three­ If a person is covered against the risk of acci­ sevenths by the insurance. comparries. During dent by the payment of a premium to an the financial year just ended the cost of the insurance company, do the Government pay metropolitan fire brigade amounted to a subsidy to the company or impose a tax £142,799_, an increase of about £80,000 com­ on the insured person for the purpose of pared with the pre,·ious financial year. My giving him protection against accic1entf No. point is that the people of the metropolitan \V e must then come to the logical conclusion aren have to contribute very heavily towards that the State must provide the expenditure the cost of maintaining the brigade. For for a fire brigade to protect the people instance, an o\nler of a property pays his against the risk of fire. rates to the municipal council w)1ich in turn pays its share of !fire-brigade. expenditure The Secretary for Health and Home to the fire-brigade board. Then again, an Affairs: Why should the farmer, say, in owner of a propeTty pays his income-tax the Brisbane Valley, pay taxation to protect assessment and the Government in turn pay the ''Courier-Mail'' building or the premises their share of fire-brigade upkeep. Finally of a banking institution in Brisbane against t l1e insurance companies pay their share out the risk of fire? of premiums received from home dwellers. :Hy point is that having in view the henvy .:Jir. L UCKINS: For many years past the tnxation pnid by the \Yorker nm1 the home­ l\! etropolitan Fire Brigade has been fortified rbvelleT generally the entire cost of lJy the pa:·ment of subsidies by the Govem­ mnintaining the brigades be undertaken by ment and insurance companies. I am not tl1e State as an essential senice of the State. see.king any concession for the insurance com­ panies; I am simply asking that a public The Secretary for Health and Home service like the bTigade should be supplied Affairs: The insurance companies benefit by the State in the same way as it has h.v the work of the brigades. created the Police ::E'oree. Let us look at the subject from another ::IIr. LUCKI:"iS: They may not. For nngle. In England the Government pTovide all instance, n propcrtr may llot J,c incmred. Of facilities a,;·aiust war risk n nd damage. oour'C, the eo1npnnics have the benefit in this respect thnt if nn uninsurorl rropcrty Sccretarv for I-IcaJth and Home i.' al,laze the hriga(le will take whntcwr : We do ·here, also. measures nrc ncu•ssnry to prevent the sprearl of the fire to adjoining properties, "hich .:IIr. LUCKISS: I know the Government ma~· be insured. c1o, hut \\-ho is paying for it. :\ ot tlil~ State. The Secretary for Healtl1 and Home The Secretary for Health and Home Affairs: If the Government and the council Affairs: Yes. pnlled out, the insurance companies would maintain the brigades on their o1vn. liir, LUCI{D'S: :\To. The increased fire brigade expenditure of £80,000 that I men­ }Jr. LUCKINS: I do not know that they tioned is provided by the insurance companies, would. Of course, the insurance companies the local authorities, and tho State Gm-ern­ sell tlw COYCJ' in return for a payment of ment on a thrce-sevcn1 h ,, l\m-sc,·entlls, an ,j premiums. t>.<·o-sn2nths Lasis, rcsportiYel:'. The Secretary for Health and Home The Secretary for Health and Home Affairs: If your case is right then the Affairs: War damage insurance is a insuranre con1panics n1ust he ehal'ging Commonwealth function. exorbitant premiums. lUr. LUCIUNS: I am talking about the 1\Ir. LUCKINS: I do not know that they cost of maintenance of fire brigades, and I are. If they are, it is the duty of the will not ha've the issue confused. I will come Insurance Commissioner to see that they are back to war-damage insurance in a moment. r('dueerl. Re has power to do that. I want to clarify my argument. It is only Address in Reply. [24 AUGUST.] Address in Reply. 135

reasonable and just that the State should There is far too much taxation in Australia provide the whole cost of the fire brigade. to-day in comparison with the value given in War-damage insurame is a matter that is return. lOausing some concern to property-owners. These are minor matters that are of fOil!<' 'l'o-day, they are paying the Commomvealth concern to the people who own their homes. Government, mH1er a compulsory Act, a pre­ The extra stamp dnty tax put on the insur­ mium of +s. for c1·ery £100 co';er ou their pro­ a nee of properties is another tax that should perty fol' dnn1:1ge against \rar. ThL nwucy 1s he eliminated. \Yhen the family man comes being accunmlate yem· now total some millions. 'fhis p1·cmium of he finds that these little tnxes lW\'e a big· 4s. for every £100 cover is payable by the effect on his income. However, the matter property-owner whether he is resident at is one for the Minister to take up in order Thursday Island, Rockhampton, or Quilpie. that he maY see whether in the interests We all know that the risk is not the same at of the comn;unity he can take over the fire (~nil pie as at the other two places. No pro­ brigades, and tllus relieve the people of a vision has been made to reduce the premium c·ertain amount of extra insurance premiums pnyable by persons living otrt of the risk area. that are now being paid. The premium is on a flat rate throughout Australia, arriveY as it created a Valuer-General's Depanment, \l'>b. Therefore, there should be n l'ec1uction similar to the office in N cw South \Vales. in the• pren1inn1 r:-tte. \\r:-tr-c1anla·ge in~uranre That \\·onld be a benefit to eveTybody because shonhl l1e lookc,l at with some concern hv it would establish consistent values and the i::Jtate Go,-emment. lt should make smuc there would be no conflicting· Yalues as there rcpn•sentations so that the property-owner are 11ow, even within the dty of Brisbane. resident in a H'motc \\' estern district shoulc1 \Vhen the Greater Brisbane Cou!ncil took p:ty ;-l lo\YCl' lll'l'llliunl than the 1nan .in a over the smaller local authorities in the z1angcrou~·; area. metropolitan area there were confiicting­ 'flle Secretary for Healtl1 and Home \'alnes throughout the area. If a Valuer­ Afl'airs: Do you think the property-owner General's Department was established \l"e at quilpie should pay less~ should have a suTvey of the whole. area an<1 ne\Y valuH \voulcl be established. Tt must lUr. LUCKl~S: The rate should be on a be remembered that these land Yalues a TC sliding scale in each district, according to the the basis of both municipal and State risk. taxation. The Secretary for Healtl1 and Home Another matter that is nf much concern to Affairs: On your argument the people of the people is price-fixing. The Federal Queensland should take the whole impact of Deputy Prices Commissioner holds a very the war risk. important office in this State, but I am ~-et to be satisfied that he. is giving the seTnce li'Ir. L UCKINS: According to our experi­ that is required of bim in the interests of ence and the statement of the Prime Minister, the community. One or two instances haye the risk has virtually disappeared. come before mv notice in which he has at least either neglected his duty or he is not The Secretary for Health and Home in a position to enforce the law of the State. Affairs: Taking your argument to its I have made it my business to investigate logical conclusion, only the members of the fTu it prices. About tln-ee weeks ngo a friend fighting services should be taxed to provide of mine went to the markets in BTishane and for the defence of the country. bought a case containing appToxinwtely 190 JUr. LUCKINS: No. The State Govern­ oranges for 16s., which woTks out ahout ment have accumulated surpluses amounting lrl. an orange. Similar oranges were to millions of pounds. That money does not retailed to the public at 3d. ench. That is a belong to the State; it belongs to thtJ people. specific instance, and if the Deputy Commis­ It, therefore, should be returned to the people sioner caused inquiries to he made he would in the form of reduced taxation. The com­ find out where the profit-the difference munity gets the benefit of reduced taxation. between 1d. and 3d.-is going. He should 'l'he Government are hoarding up money for deal with this matteT, because he has the the future development of the Btate, or for power of the law behind him. some works they propose to undertake in the We have heard a great deal about the Apple future. It is my contention that some of and Pear Board constituted by the Common­ the accmmomen, the Deputy Commissioner and the State who have enlisted in the services. It wonld authorities to verify-that the Commonwealth be a nice gesture, and it would help them to Government are importing apples to Queens­ start afresh after their return from the war. land and landing them in Brisbane at 9s. 5d. It would be something tangible. something or l!s. 7d. a case and retailing them at the more than promises. It is wry easy to markets by auction at 29s. 7 d. to 30s. a case, make promises, but sometimes it is very diffi­ thereby taking £1 a case for the Commonwealth cult to fulfil them. Hon. members know Government. I think it is a very serious what occurred after the last war when the matter that the Commonwealth can profiteer­ State took over the responsibility of relmhili­ if it is so doing-to the extent of £1 a case. tating the men who came back. A sorry Those are matters that are of concern to the mess was made of the whole thing, and I hope people, and as a representative olf the. people that on this occasion there will be different it is my duty to bring them before Parliament conditions, and that those men and women and ask Parliament to investigate them. who have so well served their country will at I hope the Minister in ch:uge will take heed least have something definite. of what has been said and have the matter investigated. I am a little contfused as to whether the next matter I propose to mention is the In the last fortnight I had occasion to travel responsibility of the State or Commonwealth. on the railways and I now take this oppor­ Queensland has set asid·e a certain amonnt tunity of paying my tribute to the staff of the of money for post-war reconstruction. Is department, who to-day are working under the Commonwealth to do this work or is the difficult conditions. From experience I know State going to supplement the Common­ that the burden put on the railways by the wealth's efforts. I should like to hear the 1nn· has been very heavy but the department Premier or the responsible Minister explain. is coping with it to an extent that is quite It is a matter the public are desirous of satisfying to all and the public are apprecia­ !mowing something about. They are con­ tive of the services rendered by the cerned as to what the proposals mean ancl railwaymen. In all the districts through which what they arc going to get in return for the I travelled it was a great pleasure to see how great services they have rendered to the com­ they are working. They are working long munity. hours but they are not grumbling. They are I am sorry the Minister concerned with doing a wonderful job, and I pay this milk zoning is not in his place. It concerns tribute to them for the excellent service they thG community as a whole, and the present are maintaining. The Raihmy Department position calls for expla11ation. Several of New South \:Vales has not the same strain attempts have been made by the ~Iinister to placed on it as the Queensland department. zone the. city of Brisbane, but up to the The department in the South is in a posi­ present the scheme nppears to either have tion to give its engines and rolling stock a been pigeon-holed or put in the background. certain amount of repair, but I noted that in At any rate, milk zoning is a thing of _the Rorkhampton engines coming off a very long past. I know of people who have made applica­ nm merely had time to refual and water tion for a milk district and paid to the before being sent out on another run. It department the £3 3s. required. If the can be seen that it is time-and 1 think pro­ scheme is not to be carried out, it is the duty ,·ision has been made out of the funds of the Government or the department to accumulated last year-for approximately t'efund such deposit. Surely the Government £1,500,000 to he .,;et aside for tlw repl:lee­ will 11ot hold this money if the proposals ment and reconditioning of the rolling ~tocli are not carried ont: of Queensland. I desire to pay my usnal tribute to . the The m a ttcr I intenY to discuss is a State schools and to offer a few suggestiOns 1·ery delicate matter, bnt it might be the that might find favour with the Secretary for business of the State authorities and the Public Instruction. I suggest that steps be Minister in charge to approach the Common­ taken to make available fae.ilities for forming wealth Go\ ernment on it. J n some of the choirs in the State schools. A few years ago States in America provision is being made we saw a very fine example of the singing of for the giYing of a subsirly or bonus to in the the Co-ordination of Employment Facilities "orld, and it is the duty of Quecnslanclns Act. The oTganisation e~tablished to cany :md _\ustralians in general to mal'c the best out the objects of the Act has already been possible effort to supply them iu the near set up and is in operation. Already 34 future. employment exchange districts haYe been tleclm·ed to \York along lines simih~r to those 'Ille SECRETAHY k'OR LABOUR AXn contemplated for the economic di "trids defined EJIPLOYJIENT (Hon. T. A. Foley, Jreviously by the Bureau oi' Industr,:-·. l\ormanby) (11.50 a.m.): At the outset 1 Employment exchange boal'ds have been estab­ desire to congl'atulate both the mover and lished compl'iscd of representatives of seconc1el' of the motion now befol'e the House employers and employees with a chairman anc1 to compliment them on the splendid way in the person of the employment officer tor in which they supported it. From their the district. The work has been undertaken beginning it can be seen that as they gain seriously by the boards and it will guidP the more experience in the House great things State Employment Council, that is, the central may be expected of them. bocly, in carrying out its functions through the various committees that haYe been set up. During the adjournment of Parliament gTcat change'> haye taken place in the Com­ This matter has also l'eceived attention in monwealth. All political parties haYe sub­ other States of the Commonwealth. ::B'or mitted themselYes to the people, and the instance recently '' Rydge 's Magazine'' con­ people in no uncertain \Yay have given a man­ tained a splendid description of the efforts of date to the Labour Govermnent. According the New South \Vales Government in this to the latest figures the new Labour Gowrn­ respect. Quite a number of committees have ment will have a considerable majority and been set up in that State whose cluty it will we can expect vast improvements in the con­ be to advise the New South Wales Govern­ ditions of the people. ment and they in turn will be able to inform the Commonwealth Government of their It is worthy of note that the figures seem requirements, especially in regard to national to indicate that for the first time since the projects. The organisation we have set up Government 28 years ago in this State comes in closer contact with Labour will have an absolute majority in both the people than that of New South Wales. We Houses. If one can judge from the splendid have given the people in the various districts \\'Ol'k that was done during tlw 20 months in an opportunity to take part in planning for \Yhich Labour has been governing, \Ye can post-war Teconstruction, which is one of the expect not only the achievement of oul' main objects of the Act to which I have Teferred. objective-the winning of the war-but Those boards are already operatmg, and they increased social servicPs and the establish­ haYe been helped by the central body in ment of organisations for pl'omoting greatel' making preliminary smveys of district economic security for the people of this production and economic activities to nation. The new Government have a definitely guide the State Employment Coumil in 11ational outlook. 'fhev have a national determining what further expansion or policy, and I think I c~n say without fear development is possible. That information of contradiction that they have a national i~ gradually being collated by the various leader who has proved his ability to lead boards and sent on to the State Employment and to govern. Council. The central body has already set up five committees, which are thought to be One matter that I should like to bring enough for the moment to deal with the wol'k forcibly before the notice of hon. members of investigation and planning that may be is the move made by the Tequirecl. One, the Works Commitee, is under in organising for the reconstruction of indus· the chairmanship of Mr. Kemp, the Co-ordi· tl'y ancl general rehabilitation of the country nator-General of Public Works. This com­ iluring the post-war period, and this, next to mittee, with the combined knowledge of ::iir. the winning of the wal', is of paramount Kemp and other members of the committee, importance at the moment. If at the ter· will be able to offer suggestions to the mination of hostilities we are not able to Govemment that will enable them to plan give employment to the men and women for the employment of the great am1'y of >YIJO return ancl to reorganise im1nstry for workers who will have to be catered for whe1: peace-time needs then we shall have to admit hostilities cease. that although we have won the war \\"8 have lost the peace. The present Government are Of course, the marshalling of employment alive to their responsibilities in this connec­ pl'D,jects is a comparatively easy job, but there tion and have already set up a reconstruction follows the more important aspect of the J\Iinistry that has laid the basis of an pl'oblem, that is, the preparation of the organisation that it is hoped will provide all schemes to be carried out. After the pro­ the plans that will be needed to reabsorb je-cts have been placed in their order of priority the thousands of men and women at present from the viewpoint of their importance, the engaged in war and war-production work. next step is to prepare the necessary plans Thus chaos will be avoided. and specifications so that there will be no 138 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

delay or Jag in canying out the work after the creation of employment on reforestation the termination of hostilities. projects, the construction of :m1_in .roads, A second committee with the Director of feeder roads and railways and ungabon m Employment as dwirman, deals with the various centres of the State, there is another organisation of the labour market and working factor that calls for attention-that is, the conditions generally. The third, of which the provi,ion of the necessary funds. It wiii i~e Public Service Commission is chairman, has for noted from the Speech c[elivered by HIP Excellency that this Government hnve tnken its funetion the re~employment after the war of sailors, soldiers, airmen, and war workers a step towards making this pro.-ision. '£he generally. The fomth, which is under the funds already created, YYith additional funds that YYill be obtained from th·' ConnuonweaHh chairmanship of the Dhector~Gmwral of Bducation, deals with youth employment-an Government and any direr: nssistance that important matter in this State. The fifth, they may give, will enable us to lo?k ~orwa~·cl presided owr by the Director of the B_ureau to a big progran;me of YYork m tlus Stnte m the post~war perrod. of IndustTy, deals with dewlopment of mdus~ try generally and its members YYCl'e chosen The Prime Minister pointed out just before for their gencTa l experience and knowledge, the decision of the people '"as made thn t lYe which will be YCry helpful in guiding the have already during the war period liftcrl council. It YYill be agreed that Yvith the the income of the Commonwealth from organisation I have referred to we can look £800,000,000 to £1,050,000,000 and he saw no forward to the future with at least some good reason why that new level s~ou:d be degree of equanimity and the knowledge thnt reduced. The Commonwealth, by JUdicwus the organisation has been built on n defined organisation and planning, should be abln basis to gnide not only the State GoYernmcnt to keep that income at a similar level during but nlso the Commonwr::tlth Go,'ernment in national projects that can be carried out with peace~time. If that can be done we can look advantage to the people, which includes th(' forward to a long period of prosperity at ndvantnge of the army of workers who will the termination of hostilities. The State need employment of yarious kinds at the end Government have, as I have alrea~y men~ of the war. tioned, placed £5,250,000 to the credit of the It may be well if I mention the interest Post-war Reconstruction and Development that has been taken in the elections of the Trust Fund to be used for the purposes I representatives on employment exchru1ge have mentioned. boards. The nominations numbered 207, of I wish now to refer to another Common~ which 73 were workers' representatives, 40 wealth measure the prices~stabilisation employers' representativps, and 94 candidates scheme which has a connection with the from the local authorities. The various cla'sses matter' I have just been dealing with. If of representatives were- any hon. member refers to the statistics or Industrinl union of employees 31 graphs dealing with the increases that have Industrial union of employers 14 taken place in prices in Australia, Canada, Local authorities 91 America Great Britain, or any other country during war period, he will find the same Of the loeal~authority candidates, 50 were ~ mayors or chairmen of their respective local story-a very severe increase in prices during authorities. the war period and a drop in pr~ces at the termination of the short boom penod follow~ The personnel I have mentioned can afford ing hostilities, resulting in chaos and confu ~ a good deal of help with respect to local sion as a result of deflation of assets, followed services in the districts they represent. I by a period of instability during which unem~ might mention, in passing, that I have ployment and distress were general. .That con~ received complaints from certain sources tha~ clition of affairs is brought about owmg to the parochialism may affect the operations of absence of anv effective system of price~con~ some of these boards, but provision has been trol. The Conimonwealth Government deserve marlc against such a possibility. If such commendation for taking up early the matter should oecnr, those concerned can send then of prices~stabilisation and instituting a system representations or suggestions direct to the more effective than the outworn and out~of~ State Employment Council, which will see date system that was established by the that the matters in question will have the J\Ienzies Government, under which the Federal desired attention. Prices Commissioner, the Prime Minister, or :Much can be performed by this organisa~ the Government did not have control, and tion for the benefit of this State in the post~ prices began to rise until we find ~hem now at war period. The fullest collaboration r 'F· index figure 25.1 per cent. m excess of between this organisation and the Common~ that ruling before the war. The old system wealth GoYernment will exist. As a matter pro.-idcd thnt when an iucreasc took place of fnct, that has already occurred. ·we in the cost of production of any article all the ha Ye been able to sup ply the post~ war pla':~ manufacturer had to do was to submit to the ning and reconstruction org:misation consb~ Co·mmissioner documentary evidencH to proYe tuted by the Commonwealth Government with that the rise had taken place, and then the the res~lts in proper form, of a prelimina~y Commissioner would permit him to add that survey of the possibilities in the 34 econom1c increase to the price of the article. No districts I have referred to. Government could control prices under such a Apart from the big possibilities of scheme with the result I ha\·e mentioned. In development, the e;;:pansion of exist~ng ind.us~ order 'to keep pace with the cost~of~living tries or the establishment of new mdustnes, increase, commensurate increases in YYages Address in Reply. [24 AuGUST.] Add,·ess in Reply. 139

had to be given, but immediately an adjust· shall now have a method of subsidising manu- ment was made in the "·ages of the workers <:turCTs, importers, and others, if necessaTy, that increase entered into the cost of produc­ the Govennuont bearing the cost. The con­ tion, and so we had the spectacle of the dog suming public will not carry the incTeasc.000,000 dollars and 350,000,000 dollars is I should like to deal now with His a direct benefit to the consuming public and F:xcellency 's statement on the cotton industry the Government of Canada. The Australian in this State. He says- scheme is on similar lines, and when all the '' Recognising the importance of cotton necessary adjustments have been made and production in the war effort my advisers the policing of the scheme is at the efficient continue to encourage its production and Rt~ge we Rhould see similar results in this have made funds available from the Cotton <"Onntry. Under the old system even the Production Expansion Fund to cotton­ Price<; Commissioner could not prevent rising r.;rowers for preparation and cultivation prkes, nor could any Government do so. \Ve requirements. 140 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

''Thirty-two plants were installed for it is to see a beautiful crop, estimated to cotton and yegetable irrigation, and "·ater yield two and a-half to three bales to the conservation work on schemes valued at acre, almost destroyed in two or three nights £73,000 embraced three major products for by grubs, caterpillars, or grasshoppers. bridge and storage works. .:\Ir. Muller: Have not the entomologists ''The policy d producing vegetables as been able to help in that connection~ near as practicable to centres of consump­ tion has resulted on large-scale production in North Queensland, both on the coast and The SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOY.:IIENT: They have done a great tablelands.'' deal of investigational work, and with proper \\' e ha Ye been endeavouring over the years co-operation between the farmers and the lo establish the cotton industry on a firm community it is possible to organise com­ :>nRis, and to date we haYe achieved much in mittees and patrols to discover the egg-beds that direction, but unfortunately other indus­ of the grasshopper and so destroy them in tries have developed and these tend to retard the larval stage by the use of a poison­ d1e progress of cotton as a new industry in mixture of bran and pollard before they can the Commonwealth. do much damage. Then there is another pest, the Jassid wasp, which sucks the sap :ilir. :iliuller: The price is too low, is it from the plant. Efforts are being made to not? produce a Jassid-resisting plant, and the The SECRE'l'AR.Y .FOR LABOUR t:m results have been encouraging. Of course, ElUPLOYJUENT: Many producers contend considerable time is required to cross and that it is. At one time they produced cotton re-cross various types before one can be fixed \Yhen the price was 3d. and a fraction of a that is capablCl of resisting such a pest. penny. The price was then increased to 4d. and a fraction, and it now stands at 5~d., My time has nearly expired, and in the hut many producers still contend that owing few remaining minutes I desire to emphasise 1 o the hazards of the industry this price is the importance of the organisation about not enough when dry-cultivation methods are which I said so much in the beginning of used. That matter will have to be in;-csti­ my speech. Tremendous problems will have gated. At present I am unable to say to be faced in the post-war period when the whether it is too low, but one meets other pro­ great army of men and women-the munition ducers who, like the wheat-growers, say that workers and the construction workers no\Y if they get one bumper crop in three they engaged in providing war-time facilities, such are doing very well, indeed. as roads, aerodromes, and dock improvements -return to civil life. They will have to be The point I desire to raise is the need for catered for, but the more one contemplates greater efforts to encourage the cultivation of the problems the more tremendous they r;otton by irrigation, for this appears to me appear. Unless our plans to cope with them to be the method that will have to be used in when the war is over are properly laid, this State. \Ve have done much on these nothing but chaos, unemployment, and dis­ lines. Already we have made available finance tress can occur. I have already pointed out to the extent of £73,000 for irrigation plants that Queensland, New South Wales, and other for farmers and for the building of small States have already m·oved in the matter, weirs that have conserved great bodies of and I feel confident that in collaboration with water. We shall have to continue our efforts the ~'ederal Government the necessary plans at a greater tempo in the future if we are will be ready to carry out a successful going to hold this industry and produc0 cotton organisation that will provide employment at a price that will convince the Common­ that will be of benefit not only to ihe workers wealth authorities that it is better to concerned, but also to the nation as a whole. encourage it than to import cotton from such cheap-labour countries as India. lUr. J. F. BARNES (Bundaberg) (12.29 In the Theodore area we have gone a long p.m.): I agree with the previous speaker that '"·'Y in developing this method of cotton since this House adjourned something has <"Ultiva tion. happened, and nobody appreciates it more than I do that the Curtin Government will be The GoYernment laid down a purely experi­ returned to power with a majority in both mental irrigation scheme many years ago at a Houses. considerable cost, but to-day the farmers admit that thev have gained from it a knowledge lUr. Clark: You do not mean that. of how to cultivate the soil under inigation. The key to the successful production in that lUr. J. F. BAU.NES: I mean that from t11e arcn is proper grading. The farmers haYe bottom of my heart, but it is how they got discovered that improper grading will lead into power that has me very 'orricd. I am only to disaster and poor results, but if the more worried perhaps than any other hm:· land is properly graded by com pet en t men member in this House, including the Opposi­ they can hope for a greater measure of suc­ tion, and it was their party that lost the cess, nnd so can carr~· on at the price that election. I want the Curtin Government to rules to-day. be in power, and I am worried only because There is considerable room for investiga­ of the way they got into power. On the tion b~· the experts of the Department of eve of the election we had Menzies and AgTieuHme and Stock of the pests that Fadden fighting. Time heals, we know. attack cotton crops. If there is one thing Having healed the sore, they went to the that disheartens a fanner more than another election. Mr. Fadc1en delivered his policy Address in Reply. [24 AUGUST.] Address in Reply. 14t

speech in Toowoomba and Mr. Menzies con· childhood endowment. Good luck to them! tradicted one of his staterr!'ents about post­ It is the Tory Government that gave the war credits. people child endowme.nt. Why should they Let us examine it from a common-sense take it away? Labour advertised that Labom· point of view. We will suppose that what protected the mother and child and put a Mr. Fadden said in Toowoomba was wrong. big photo of the mother and her baby in the The only discreet thing that :Mr. Menzies advertisement which suggested that they gave could have done would )1ave been to shut up child {'ndowment, but refrainecl from mention­ about it, that is, if Mr. J<"adden was \Hong. ing childhood endomnent, knowing full well I referred to Federal ' 'Hansard'' and I that it was the Tory Government \Yho placed found that Mr. Fadden had moved an amend­ childhood endowment on the statute book. Here ment on the floor of the House to the same is the point: ~Why were not big advertisements effect as the undertaking he gave in Too­ inserted from the other side pointing out that woomba. I also found that Mr. ::VIenzies had it was the }fenzies Government who gave the voted for the amendment moved by Mr. people c-hildhood endowment? Fadden. The truth, therefore, is unveiled, and what Mr. Faclden saicl was not wrong The Secretary for Publie Instruction: and was the policy of his party. Can it be Why did you not suggest it to Mr. :E'adden? said that Mr. ::\Ienzies was so small in his You were supporting him. make-up that he, in a spirit of spite, clis­ .lUr. J. 1<'. BARNES: I was not. I voted claimed Mr. Fadden 's policy on this subject fOT three winners in the election-Collings, because he had been elected his leaded No, Courtice, and Brown-but you voted for four that cannot be said, because Mr. Menzies is a "\vinners. man broader in character than that. If :Nir. Faclclen was wrong Mr. Menzies, as leacler of 'rhe Secretary for Public Lands: No-one his party, should have occupie

M.r. J, F. BARNES: Overgrown boy, how Wilson was voting. That was a deliber­ speak when you are spoken to. When I went ate lie. I wrote a note and ga.ve it to the to the Prime Minister's office and was asked Sergeant-at· Arms to take to Wilson, ''Don't that question I told the Prime Minister this: let Coles get away with that.'' When he ''In the first place, it is confidential, as read the note he shook his head, indicating A lex \Vilson has not released it. I have he "·ould not bother about it, and he did not. never betrayed a position of trust in my Coles knew half an hour before the House life, and will not do it now.'' That was resumed after dinner, and although he said to put him off. I said, '' Furthcr­ he did not know how \Vilson was voting he mme, I do not know.'' On the second day, had told Fadden he was voting the way Colonel Rankin, of VictOTia, also asked me \Vilson was voting. That means he was not up to have a drink with the Prime :Minister voting \Yith the Labom Go\·enunent, but he and the same question was asked by Colonel was voting for \\·honwYer \Vilson voted for, Rankin and the same ans,ver given by me_ which ::\lenzies himself had ananged some On the third clay Francis, of Queens­ time previously-to put him in as a stone­ land, asked me up. I call him Fmncis waller. because he calls me Barnes. He invited We now have the position of the Labour me up to have n, drink with the Prime Government in Australia returning to power Minister. The same question was asked by "·ith such a big jum;p that it has shocked Aus­ Francis and the same answer was given. At tralia. Why~ the end of the third day, which was the crisis clay, I was talking to Artie Faclclen an(l I A Government IIIember: And you, too. said to him', '' Artie, you look down in the mouth.'' He said, ''As a matter of fact, Mr. J. F. BARNES: No, it did not shock I am very worried.'' I said, ''What is me. I had already said when speaking at wrong~" He said, "I have just had Coles Mount .Morgan that anything could happen in to see me and Coles is voting the way now. Menzies has betrayed his own party, Wilson is voting, and you know how Wilson mcd anything can happen nmY. The Govem· is \"Oting.'' I gave him the same answe.r. n,cnt capitalised on it. Good. luck to them! Hon. members will note that point, '' Coles That is their business. They see these people is voting the way Wilson is voting.'' get up on the soap box and say to them­ In other words, if Wilson voted Tory, selves, ''These people talk about having a Goles would vote Tmy. I left the national Government without having unity Prime Minister's office at a quarter past one amongst themselves.'' Naturally, they got that day. It was the luncheon adjournment. away with it. Good luck to them! Nobody I telephoned Wilson at the Hotel Kurrajong is more pleased than I that Curtin is in arid told Alex what was happening. I said, power in both Houses, but I am frightened, ' 'Coles is voting against the Government.'' l am genuinely frightened because I know Wilson could not be.Iieve it. After I in the last two years of two very important explained to Alex he then knew what I was things that have happened in this country. saying about Coles ,,.as concct. \Yhcn he One is that they have sent the farmer's son came back at lunch time, he told Colcs holY he to war, they have sent his labourer to war, they have sent his machinery to war, and was voting. .\lex 1\'ilson allowed me to release those who have any machinery left have no this information an hour ahead of anyone petrol to run it with the result that produc­ else in Australia, and I telegraphed the tion has slipped more than 33 per cent. The ''Telegraph'' in Brisbane with the idea of other thing is that we l_lave had 0olossal getting publicity out of it, and they did not strides by Communism in Australia. In mention my name. Furthermore, I told their Sydney they bought the ''Newsletter'' for representative in Canberra. The '' Tele­ £24,000 and were negotiating to buy a gm ph'' wrote me a very nice letter thanking building for £80,000, and they are trying to me for the information. However, they did spend the same amount of money in each not menbon my mune, so l missed out on capital city in Australia. \'\"here tlid they my publicity. get the money? As I said _IJcJ ore tlw intcrnationrJ financial Jew maugma tc­ down and down, and we know that a formed by ouT opponents into a mere hungry belly is one of the main causes puppet of the private banks. As a requisite of revolution and the hungry belly prnt to the national defence the Commomwalth is coming quickly. The Government say Bank must have restored to it its original that they >l'ill release the farmers' sons and eharter. \Vhen we are in power >Ye shall rural workers, but they did not Teleasc them. Jn·o,·ced to redeem the national bank from I have applications from several of them and its slaveTy. The cost of the war can be cannot get them released. Communistic met without piling up huge debts, and litnatnno is spread all over Australia. In without interest payments sucking our life­ Korth Queensland to-clay you can buy coni­ blood. The Commonwealth Bank must, munistic literature, but you cannot buy kids' with a Labour Government, work out a school-books. The result is that when this freer and fuller life for our people.'' war is over the people are going to starve because they will have no food and that will That was when he was Leader of the Opposi· be the time when we shall have trouble, and tion, but in the meantime he got ;high finance that is why I think the Labour Government with him. Why has he not carried it out~ WPI'(' ]'nt into power i11 Australin by high I will tell you. When it became a plank of fiumw;'. You can believe me, if the Labour the Labour Party's platform on its adoption Party carry out the first plank of their at an Australian Convention held in Bris­ platform-national credit-I shall resign as bane in 1908 King 0 'Malley forced the issue. a member of Parliament. It cost me £6,000 The others did not understand banking. Now, to Le n member of Parliament for Bunda.berg. that was in 1908, and nobody else in the 1 knew as a publican what was orthodox. Federal Labonr Government understood bank­ 1 knew as a brewery traveller that it was ing. It was understood only by King orthodox to give free beer, and I could not 0 'Mallev and his close frknds. He forced it have got into Parliament any other way, Lut on to tEem, and after fighting for 10 years I fought them that way and they put me and 5 months King 0 'Malley established into Pa1·liament. I knew it was costing the Commonwealth Bank. He got many me a fortune to do so, and my brother, the other things, too; for instance, the East­ hon. member for Cairns, was offered endorse­ 'vVest railway, which cost £7,000,000, or, in ment for i\faryborough in place of .Jim Stop­ other words, it cost nothing because the ford without a plebiscite, but he refused to money was cancelled when it came in. He do it because he would not be a ''Yes'' man. got the old-ago pension and the baby bonus, Tlle Secretary for Public Lands: That too. When a temperance crowd or some lousy is not true. crowd of women came to him about giYing the baby bonus to single people for illegiti­ ~Ir.• J. F. HARNES: It is true as far as mate children and wanted to eliminate them [ am 'oncerned. I am not interested in the King 0 'Malley rang the bell and said to Minister's opinion. As I said before, he is his secretary, ''Remove these >vomen from an oHrgrown bov. 'l'he other day in this my office and fumigate the room when they 1-Iousc 1;c said to· n1e, ''I cannot uiHlcrstand have gone.'' There we had a man with '' hy you should not be pleased when John a hility because he had been second in charge Curtin is in power. He is going to use of his unrle 's bank on Brow1 >Yav. He lent nntion,cl cTeclit.'' I said, ''If you can show £25,000 on a Customs contract 'without the me >Vh•'H' .T ohn Curtin has said that he is consent of the person in eharge, and was going io use nationnl credit in this rlrdion sacked. He was the biggest insurance writer campaign, I will give you £10, and if you in America. He insmcd the Vanderbilts, eannot. ynu gi>·e me £1.'' In ot hnr \YOrcls, Rockefcllers, Chases, and the rest of those big odds of 10 to one. If anv ma.n can show me guys. r:herc tfnhn Curtin "'ait1~ dnring this r ..·ln1- ~t Government lliember: He also founded paign that he would use national credit, I a ehurch. will ,give him £10. T!JC Seeretary for Labour and Employ­ ~Ir. ,J. :F. UAH.NES: Yes. He came out Define "national credit." lwre to live. His wife had consumption. a11d ment: she died at the age of 23. He contracted con­ lUr. ,r •.F. BARKES: That bears out my smnption from l1er. He went to live in statement that oUT position throughout the Cairns, got rid of it, and went into worl

Ilow ciid he make it po~->ilJle with members at R-ockhampton and say, ''My Govern­ of Parlimnent who knew nothing a bout bank­ ment have changed their policy. \Ve are ing':' \Yhen :Mr. Halston, the then manager 11ot borrowing from head office, we arc bor~ of the Qucenslanll National Bank in Bris­ ro ,ring in the tmvn \Yhorc we build the post b~ne. w,•nt South to try to stop the creation o :lee.'' Supposing the land cost £1,0011 of the Commonwealth Bank, he met Andrew anil the post office was to cost £10,000. He FisheT and Andre>v l''isher said to Kinv v ,JUlil then bonow £11,000 fTom the ban~< 0 '}!alley, ''How can you know more about j1· i{oe:~·~halltpton :~ncl pr'occec1 \Yith the pu.'·ring it a bonO He lent hundrcc1s of pounds of time. I know that hon. members of the here and there, bnt always on the condition OJlposition have used up their time. that thev should vote foi- him in caucus on 1\Ir. Healy: Ask King O'Malley. the bank Bill or else walk out and' not vote against him, He incurred such loans to the Jir. J. F. BARNES: I might add that extent of £1,350, and that is what it cost my remarks apply also to the building of him ll' got that bank. Of course, he used drill sheds. Andre•·· Fisher said to King other methods, too. Supposing, for instance, 0 'Malley, ''King, you have 36,000 people that the hon. member for Capricornia l\'Ir. E'mployed throughout Australia building post }'orde, came to him. Supposing he wds the offices and drill sheds. Whore are you going member at the time, which of course he was to get the money from to pay them?'' not. Supposing Mr. Forde went to him and said, ''I want a post office for R-ockhampton '' The Secretary for Public Works: Were King 0 ':'llalley would say, ''Sorry. Go a;1d you present when that conversation took see the Prime Minister, Mr. Fisher.'' He place? would then go along to the Prime :Minister. 1\Ir. J. F. BARNES: I was not, but King Tile Secretary for Public Works: Mr. 0 '::Vlalley told me this personally. He said Forde was not in Parliament t)'1en. to Andrew Fisher, '' Androw, you are only an eight-bob-a-day miner; let your Minister Mr. J. F. BARNES: The. hon gentleman worry about that.'' \Vith that Andrcw let says that 'Yir. Forde was not in Parliament the matter slide. To further bTing his then. I said, ''To all intents and purposes, banking policy befoTe Caucus King 0 'Malley s~.y it was :'\fr. Forde.'' It could be Detec­ user1 one W. J ohnson, who had asked him ti\·e Smith or Citizen Jones as far as I am to lend him £100. King 0 'Malley said that concerned. To all intents and purposes it he was a bit sick and tired of lending money \\'as i\Ir, }~orde. He then went to Andrew, and not getting it back, and therefore said and Anclrew said, ''I quite realise that you to .J ohnson, ''Give me an order on the need a post office in Rockhampton, but we Tr·easnrer to pay me back at U1e rate of £20 have not got the money.'' Forde would a month and I will lend you the £100.'' then go hack to King 0 'Malley, and King With that he took a blank page and handed it 0 '.Malley would write a letter something like to ,T ohnson, who signed his name at the thlS- bottom of it and dated the top of it. King " Dear 1\fr. Forde,-I fully realise that snit1 to his wife, who hacl been his sccretar" you need a post office at R-ockhampton, bnt previously, '' 2\Ium, I am finished again; I 'we have- not got the money. This will should have given seven days' notice of serve as an authority for you to proceed motion.'' He- dictated a few letters to her with the post office in R-ockhampton when and she went inside to type them, and on Tetuming later his >Yife said to him, • '\Vhere we ha>~e the money.'' is that notice of motion~ I will have it ready FOl'de >Youlcl then go back to Anchew and for the next year.'' Sl1e forced him to giYG say, "If I go hack to Rockhampton with­ her the notlee of motion nnl1 on W .•Johnson 's out showing my people something in black bl~nk page she typed the notice of motion oveT and >Yhite they will shoot me. \Vill you sign his signatme. King said, '' 11:y God, woman, this letter?'' He >Yould then dictate a letter you cannot do this; it is forgery.'' His wife nnc1 A1H1re\v would sign it. He would imme­ Teplied, "King, do vou know the differe;1ce diately bring it back to King 0 'M alley, m1d bet\Yeen a Scotehman and an ITishman gettmg King 0 ':\[alley would get on the telephone a bust er in a steeplechase''' King replied, to find a suitable pTOperty for a post office ''No.'' She said, ''An Irishman gets u11 and in Rockhampton. Say therp was a property looks for sympathy, while the Scotchman own ell bv a man named .Tones. He woulcl remounts his horse in the hope of winning the ring up ·.Tones and say, "~1:y member tells prize, and J olmson is a Scotchman.'' So the;~ me that you have. a prCipeTty worth £1,000. >Yent into caucus. King 0 'Malley sat next to I want to build a post office.'' He would Billv .Johnson. \Vhen Billv Hughes informed then buy the property at the correct pri~e. him" that he had not giwn' the T-equisitc sewn Of course, when it was known thnt the davs' notice for his motion to establish the Gowmment were going to bnilc1 :1 post. offirr Co·;11monwealth Bank, and therefore it was out ther•c, the owner would put the price up. of Ol'dPr, King 0 'Malley turned to Johnson Then he would go further and ring up and said ''You gave notice of motion to get the local manager of a particular bank this ba1;k established~'' J ohnson said, ''I 146 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply

will not have anything to do with that; I will bank credit and £440,000,000 to support wheat, vote against you.'' 0 'Malley said, ''If you butter, meat and other pools. 'l'hat is the want that £100, say that you put it in Ready's amount we used in the last war, but in 1927 box. He has been away for a fortnight.'' did the Scullin Government use at least J ohnson then got up and told £20,000,000 to eliminate the malnutrition of he had given notice of motion, that he had put the people? Ko. \Vhat happened in 19+1 it in Ready's box, and had forgotten about it. before the Tory Government were put out That is how the bank was established. It was of office"? They had proYided £70,000,000 through forgery. King 0 'M alley is now 90 national credit and thev >Yerc defeated and years of age and lives at 58 Bridport street, .John Cm·tin increnseJ the amount to Albe1t Park, Melbourne. During my cam­ £~2,000,000. In other words, a Tory paign it was said that he was not on my side. Goverm11ent implemented the Labour I have here a booklet written by King Party's platform. Hon. members opposite 0 'J\Iallcy, entitled: '' 'l'he Big Battle of King think that bank credit and national credit 0 ':\ialley. '' He has written on it: ''To aTe the same thing, but they are not, although brother ]'. Barnes, JVI.L.A., Queensland, from the £300,000,000 bank credit at least proves Brother King O'Malley, 12 July, 1943," also mv argument that banks can and do create a souvenir of the Trans-Australian Railway, credit. As far as the £300,000,000 is con­ inscribed: '' 'l'o Brother Frank BarnE'~, cerned, it has been lent by the bank to the J\I.L.}L., Queensland, from King 0 'Malley, people, and the people' have never pniYe know that undeT subsidised prices any important extent by the pavment of to-day the money comn from inrome tnx. money into banks. A loan made by a bank Under Soci::ll Credit prices nre subsidised from is 1 clear nddition of the amount of money national credit. in the community.'' ( 'l'ime expired.) There arc other authorities that confirm that. The bulk of the people think that the iiir. ~IAHER (West Moreton) (2.25 £:)00.000,000 of bank credit used last year is p.m.): I wish to compliment the two new something new. Andrew Fisher financed members of the House who moved and the lrrst war to the extent of £350,000,000 seconded the Address in Reply. I hope they [24 AuGUST.) Address in Reply. 147

\I ill soon accomnwdatc themselYes to the pretext, such as men refusin;.; to 'vork in coal parliamentary atmosphere. If they aTe guided production because of butter rationing, other by rea;,on and common sense they will become collieries ceasing woTk because a few wheelers useful members of the House. have been pulled out for militaTy duty, these We are wq grateful to His Excellency, hold-ups on the whaTves, go-slow and irritation Sir Leslie Wilson, for his fine example and strikes in the meatworks, are sapping at the splendid leadership in these gTim times. His strength and the Yitality of the Australian Excellency 11eyer spares himself. He displays mttion :mcl helping to reduce our -war output a wonderful amount of energy, and his instruc­ nnd "·ar elfol't. tive and informative talks on subjects of the Public Works: There day are pleasing to all of us who take an Queensland during the interest in the welfare of the State. war. 'l'he Federal elections aTe over, and I hope Jir. liiAHER: Of course there has been whateYer ill-feeling was engendered by them a ~trike in the meatworks and there have been will Tapiilly disappeaT. TheTe was intense other sioppage:o, but I must confrss Queens­ inteTnal discord and matteTs of domestic con­ land has been reasonably free from stoppages. eern were argued with such ferocity that even My criticism applies genemlly to the a great deal of the importance of the war Southern States, and there is no excuse. These and the fact that on the outcome of it depends strikes occur in defiance of the Industrial our very existence as a free nation sometimes Court Tulings and they are being continued in seemeil to be very far off. Election post­ defiance of the special Tequest of the Govern­ mortems are profitless. A vaTiety of causes ment of the time-the Labour Government­ eolltTibuted to the overwhelming success of therefore, theTe is no excuse foT them at all. the Cm·tin GoYernment, but it is useless to Now that 111". Curtin has been returned recount them. I should, however, like to pay greatly strengthened and with a mandate to a sincere tribute to an old friend and par­ govern, whether he intends to see that law liamentary colleague, Arthur Fadden, for the and oTder and discipline will prevail among tireless eneTgy and the gTeat fight that he the civilian people as in the fighting services put up thTOughout Australia. The political is the big thing. I sincerely hope that, defeat was ceTtainly not due to any defect strengthened as he has been by the suppoTt on the part of the leader who submitted a of the people, MT. Curtin will face np to this sound policy and who did not spaTe himself very grave responsibility. in his effort to win popular approval. There has been also a great deal of waste, l'\ow that the great political battle is oveT, muddle, carelessness, ani! extravagance in it is time foT all to pull up our boot-strings Federal affairs. The report of the Anditor­ and keep closely befoTe our minds the unwel­ Geneml of the Commonwealth indicates glaring come fact that there are hundTeds of thousands examples of loss, extTavagance, and waste in of Japanese fighting men in the island teni­ war·time government. There have been numer­ tories close to our shOTes and that our own ous exposures by the newspapers from time to liberty and fTeedom is secured only by the time of idle factories and annexes that are sacrifices of those lads who are fighting and eating up Government funds with no cor­ d~·ing foT us daily in the Pacific. It will be, Tesponding results in production. therefore, the supreme obligation of the new Government to see that our lads who have A notable example was the establishment of been n long time in the line are Tested, that a factory for the manufactme of anny pistols. ample reinfoTcements are sent forward to The cost involved was £264,000. After t"·o relieve them from time to time and that all years wmking only 90 army pistols were pro· duced. Several large munition factories have modern ~weapons, equipment, and food of good quality are made freely available to them. been erected at inland Australian counh'v town;,, but none of those inland country-towi1 A very great duty devolves on the newly­ munition factories are \Yorking at full elected Govemment of the Commonwealth to capacity. That means big capital inYestme11t see also that civilian indiscipline, lawlessness, in buildings ancl idle tools. There must be and defiance of constitutional authority by some fault in management and control \vhen organised gTOups or individuals are sternly these things happen. It is the duty of those suppTessecl. Strikes in war-time industries of us who haye some Tcsponsibility of goYcrn­ should be prohibited by law. Full powers mcnt to tT;· to keep the pressure on the should be given to the courts foT vigorous Federal Government to see that the vast sums :1ction against instigatoTs of strikes, and of mone)· that are flowing into the Common­ the funds and propeTty of any organisation " cnlth 'rrcawry to-day are used prudently, paTticipating in any strikes. Accmding to \Yihely, and in the inteTests of the people who competent authorities labom cost, that is, the hnvc to find money on a scale greater thrm cost of giving employment in waT pToduction, eycr before in our history. There should be approximates 95 per cent. of the total costs. a national stocktaking, for we cannot go on It has risen to that figme because of the \Ynsting millions of pounds of public money limitation imposed on the daily output in some in the muclrlle, carelessness, anc1 extra,·ngnnce war-time factories and also because of the that has preYailed in the last two or three innumerable stTikes that have occurred. I years. do not make these Temarks from any partisan The Federal Government have introduced a spirit, ::'>fr. Speaker, but because I feel that nnY 11rineiple in Austrnlinn eeonomy by the this is 011e of the things that aTe sapping the snbsidisation of foodstuffs and clothing. The strength of the nation to-day. The innumer­ dairy farn1er was appeased on the eve of thn able strikes that have occurred on the flimsiest election with a subsidy of £6,500,000. The 148 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

consumer has been appeased with a subsidy 4d. a lb. for butter to give a fair standard of £2,000,000 a year with respect to tea. of living to the dairy farmer I cannot see 'l'he consumers of potatoes have been why that should cause runaway prices. appeased with a subsidy whereby they buy potatoes very cheaply and at much below the '!'he Secretary for Labour and Employ­ market value. There have also been reduc­ ment: It would increase the basic wage tions of sales tax on clothing and textiles. immediately. The employers have been appeased by the !Ir. })IAHER: That may be so. Teimbursement of the cost-of-living wage increase. All of these, on the admission of 'l'lle Secretary for Public Lands: Why the Prime Minister, as reported in the Sydney uid not the Butter Board increase the price ''Sun'' on 21 July last, will cost the com­ of butter~ munity £11,000,000 for the current iiscal year. .'. 1cHt of us have the feeling that we were ;)Jr. :MAHER: The whole matter was paying high taxation levies for the purpose taken out of its hands by the Federal Prices of aiding the war effort. It was not generally ( 'ommissioner. The Butter Board was never believed, and to-day perhaps it is not widely eharged with the responsibility of iixing known that millions of pounds of the tax pTicos. levies are being used not so much as a subsidy Tl!e Secretary for Public Lands: You ~n the producers but rather as a subsidy to sa icl that it was vested ·with complete consumers, as an appeasement-some people authority. might feel justiiied in calling it a bribe-to the consumers. Why should our tax funds lUr. MAHER: No. There was a body be used in this way? Why should £11,000,000 known as the Commonwealth Equalisation he used in this way to create an attractive Committee which voluntarily agreed to fix purehasing price for the consumers 'I The the Australian price for butter as between an~rage wage-earner to-day has never been the different States, but it had to take into in a bett'2r position to pay a fair price for account iirstly public interests and secondly ],i butter, tea, potatoes, clothing, textiles, in the competition from margarine. If it fnct anything he buys. Wages are higher nch-ancecl the price of butter Ly 3d. or 4d. a than at any time in my memory, therefore lb. then obviouslv such a sharp rise in price those who produce from the land arc entitled >Yould have moved hon. members representing to receive a straight-out increase in prices the consuming public in the cities to do some­ ·· ·· their products, an increase the consumer thing to counteract the Tise. Again, if the '.~.~ill p::i~.~ ir_._ the v:r.-:1~.iJi~u.,v na,Y rather than price or butter was increased, say, from that they should-the dairy farmer, for ls. 3cl. a lb. to ls. 6cl. a lb. there would have instance-be called upon to pay heavy taxes been a ...-ery wide gap between the price of first and then have a proportion of the tax butter to the consumer ancl the price at which returned to them in the shape of a subsidy. they coulcl buy margarine retailed at lOci. a lb. That may have been to the detriment of Tlle Secretary for Public Lands: You the dairy farmeT in the long TUn. Therefore, have said on previous occasions that the the whole system o.f price-fixation which dairymen were too poor to pay tax. applied in the early stages of the >YYithin the taxable range at all, anrl that is why the dairy farmer to-day is paying )Ir. j)IAHER: No. I am prepared to taxes on a high scale. Tinder this svstem assert to-clay that the subsidy is a consumer's of pnbsid;· the consumer is en.io:vin!! the on hsich rather than a producer's subsidy, hcm•nt of huying food for lf'ss money than :mi! that it is an appeal to the consumer it co~ts to proclnre on a :fnir liYint:; standard, rather than an appeal to the farmer. nnrl I rlo not think he is entitled to that The Secretary for Public Lands: In that pr~!ercntinl treatmcrt. If he is earning goorl respeet it has some merit. mmwv, wh.- shonld he not pay a fair price for his butter~ Jfr. })LUlER: Whatever benefit has been 'I'lle St>cretary for Labour and Employ­ confeTred on the daiTying industry by the mellt: 'l'l1e only other alternative is run­ sub~idy of £6,500,000 has been offset by the :1 wa~~ prices. innease in the cost of li...-ing, which, accord­ in[( to official figures, amounted to 22.5 per Jir. lfAHER: That has never been rent .. PO th2t the subsidy of £6,500,000 barely demonstrated to mv satisfaction. If the con­ overtakes the rise in the cost of living during sumer is called up.on to pay an extra 3d. or tlw 1;-ar period. It is offset further by the Address in Reply. [24 AUGUST.] Address in Reply. 149

award that has been imposed upon the dairy­ which as everybody knows, has been reduced ing industry. in purchasing value to 15s. to-day as against pre-war standards. Therefore, we all must Tile Secretary for Public Lands: That face the unhappy fact, disagreeable as it may is the nigger in the woodpile. be, that our savings-bank accounts and our life policies are down 25 per cent. in value, )fr. )fAHER : I am not averse to while if any hon. member or any wage-earner workers in the dairying industry getting sells his home to-day for £1,000, it will be a reasonable return for their labour, but \YOl'th only £750 in real pre-war money. it is a very difficult industry in which to apply an award. Furthermore, competent 'l'he question is: can this inflationary move­ leaders in the industry have calculated ment be stemmecl or is it going to destroy us that to meet the present increase in the all? Everything will rise under the hands of cost of living, plus the effects of the Dairy the Government who have assumed control of Award, the price of butter to the dairy pro­ the Commonwealth as a result of the recent ducer on a butter-fat basis would have to be election. Credit-expansion is inevitable in in the vicinity of 2s. 6d. a lb. Although time of war, but as I pointed out a while ago butter rose to 2s. 6d. a lb. during World when I drew attention to the muddle, waste, War No. 1, nevertheless that is a very high carelessness, and extravagance that were price. If the dairy farmer is expected to apparent in the Ministry for Munitions and p1·oduce butter for war purposes, for the several important Pederal departments in the fighting services, for the civilians and for the last few years, unless something is done to needs of Great Britain and has to stand up prevent that extravagance and waste and pro­ to a dairy award, plus the increase in the tect the taxpayer there will be fresh credit­ cost of living, then the subsidy of £6,500,000 expansion, our money will be worth less, and falls far shOTt of what will be sufficient to the gradual spiral tendency in the cost of enable him to do the job. It is just as well living will accelerate, and the value of the that hon. members who think they have done pmchasing power of the £1 note will be a big stroke by supporting a subsidy of further depreciated. Therefore, it is neces­ £6,500,000 take that important point into sary for the new Government to have the consideration. national stocktaking that I referred to and make searching investigations into all forms The Secretary for Public Lands: The of government expenditure >vith the object Australian Dairymen's Federation recom­ of curtailing waste and seeing that value for mended that that should be done. every pound spent under war-time conditions lir. MAHER: I suppose that the indivi­ is received. dual dairy farmer is not greatly concerned There is one other important point I \Yant whether he gets the increase in price by way to mention. It relates to the problem of man­ of a subsidy or by way of a straight-out power on the farnl'S. This remains one of the increase to the consumer. The fact that he bmning questions of the hour. There has gets it is really all that weighs with him. been a notable drop in the number of When he got the subsidy it had strings employees in the rural industries. To-day, attached to it in the shape of a dairy I obtained this extract from the '' Tele­ award plus the cost-of-living rise. After graph''- he examines the pos~tion he finds, he '' Canberra: The Acting Commonwealth is no better off and in some instances, Statistician (Mr. S. R. Carver) said where the award rate ;has to be paid, that male employees in rural industry had he is worse off. I might inform hon. decreased from approximately 200,000 members, particularly the Secretary for before the war to about 120,000, while farm Public Lands and thP Secretary for Agri­ owners, lessees, and unpaid male relatives culture and Stock, that to my knowledge working on farms had decreased from several big dairy herds have been turned out 300,000 to 240,000. to grass because the owners feel that they cannot meet the terms and conditions of the ''\Vomen working in rural industry award. Therefore, so far from increasing either as owners, relatives, or paid the volume of dairy production, the subsidy employees, had increased from 20,000 to will have the reverse effect. ·whatever more than 60,000. influence hon. members opposite might have ''The number of men and women with the Curtin Government, if they want employed in industries other than rural and any increase in dairy production, they will see domestic at May 31 last was 1,885,000. '' to it that a better price will be offered for That is sufficient to illustrate the point that dairy produce than the present one in order there has been a very substantial decline in to cover those two points, the 22.5 per cent. the number of employees in the rural indus­ rise in the cost of living as disclosed by the T''iPs since the war began. official figures, and the cost involved under the dairy award. Of course, that effect is appa.rent in pro­ duction, but to-day there is an urgent call Despite all the government controls referred by the Federal Government, which is sup­ to by the Secreta.ry for Labour and Employ­ ported by our Secretary for Agriculture and ment by interjection, they have not prevented Stock, for people to grow vegetables. the deterioration of the value of the £1 note During the election campaign, every evening in Australia. The fact that subsidies are the radio flashed from different stations being paid and all manner of price controls calling upon the people to grow vegetables have been fixed has not prevented the in their backyards. Tremendous pressure is deterioration of the value of tho £1 note, being put on the people to grow vegetable~ 150 Address in Reply. [ A1-lSE:YIBL Y.] Address in Reply.

bcc~vork is not able to make the fullest use of them left to old men and "omen, a few air!s and because of the shortage of young man-power. school childrcu, anJ there is a limited number Would it not be better first of all to have a of virile young men left on these farms. look round as to how far production can be Therefore, the question that arises for con­ increased in the old-time farming districts by sideration is this: if the production of returning to the farms the young men who potatoes and onions and green vegetables have been taken for army service~ generally is urgent-and I believe it to be so because I understand the British and The Secretary for Public Lands: That American Governments are relying on Aus­ would not solve the problem in the North. tralia to provide all the food necessary to maintain the big armies in this country, and lUr. lUAHER: Why would it not? those likely to arrive here, and also to send foodstuffs to the Papuan tenitorr all<] the Tlw Secretary for Public Lands: You Meditenanean area as well :.b Gre"at Jlritai11 would haYe to transport everything that was itself-it is essential for us to look into the gro>rn from here. cause of falling production in the farming J.Ur. lUAHEn: Why not transport it? The distric-ts. :\fany of these are irrigated farm North has yet to be proved as a field to districts and are capable of high rnoc1uction if grow much of the potatoes, onions, and other the man-po,l·er is a\·ailable for the jolJ. There things th;ct are essential to the army. is overwhelming evidence that the vegetables are wanted, but they cannot be produced 'fhe Secretary for Public Lands: That unless a number of young men are returned >n1s ruo>·ed long ago. to these farms who are experiencec1 in f::uming. In other words, I mge that the Jir. JIAHER: It is not confined to the lads in the fighting services to-rlay who under­ lOUU-acre experimental section. Ilfr. Bulcock 's stand dairy production and farming, the plan envisages quite a number of such sec- growing of potatoes, onions, and green Yege­ 1ions. The intel'esting thing to m•', who tables, should be returned to the farms where represents an old-time farming eonstituency, they came from so that they can undertake is this: will the army give first preference to that important work and help to increase the the crops grown on the Government farms? volume of such food. What is to become of the crops grown by The Federal Government apparently recog­ individual farmel'S in Southern (,!uecnsland nise the urgent need that exists because all or other parts of Southern Australia? If the this advice is going out over the air daily farmers down here produce crops of potatoes, to people to plant. vegetables :mc1 prm·ide onions, and green vegetables, will they be for their own needs, and the dairy farmers told that !hey are not required because suffi­ are asked to produce more and more vege­ cient are being grown on the Government tables. At the same time the Federal GoYenl­ farms in i\orth Queensland: \V here will be ment, through the Director-General of tl;e outlet for the product of their land~ A,gricultnre, has embarked on spectacular \Vho \Yil! pay them? Of course, I presume schemes to grow vegetables on 1,000-acre ::\Ir. Bulrock 's ready reply to such quPry is sections in certain parts of Queensland. The that the demand is great, that the products whole point of l\lr. Bulcock 's ambitious of all ,,.;]] be absorbed and there will be no scheme is that it is at the expense of the glut. But .:\Ir. Bulcock told that story to a taxpayer. Whether a loss is incurred does deputation of potato- and onion-groweTs I took not matter one iota to Mr. Buleock or to the to him when he was SecretaTy for Agriculture Fecleral Go>·ermnent. The order of the day and Stoek in Queensland. He told them to go is to ''Get it done and never mind the cost.'' ahead and grow swede tm·nips and every other So >1"8 have the information that aJI the nop, as there >Yas an unlimited demand and machinerY will be made ;waiiahle, that or<1rrs all that the:; had to sell could be taken. How­ will be plnced in the United States under the her, hon. members will recall to mind that lease-lend system. Other units will he of I Hpoke in this House last year and drew Australian manufacture. There will be attemion to the gluts that had occurred. heavy tractors, garden tractors, ploughs, l<'nrmet·s took J\lT. Bulcock 's advice and scarirters, and harro\YS. In addition, the plnntcd swede tmnips, but hundretls of State Government, the J\Ian-po\\·er Department, tons of ,;\Yede tmnips >YOre jiloughed in the army, and the Supply Department an: hecnme the market rn·icc fell to an working- together to get thing·s going-. nnprofital1le level, £2 10s. or £3 a ton. There >Yill be innnmeraLle departmental They also planted an abundance of superYisors, field superintenclcnts, anc1 scien­ e 1 hbetgcs, bnt the price of en bbages also tists who >Yill help in the production of fell to an unprofitable level and tons and tons vegetables on these 1,000-acre farms. With were fed to pigs because it did not pay the all these snperYisors and ofiicers in charge, farmer to gather and send them to market. where is the man-power to come from >vhen E,·erybody knows the story about the potatoes, it is not available for the existing faTins'l whrn thm·c >Yas a great demand for them in :\lr. Bulrock says the army will Le callrd upon Sydney and a great glut here. Farmers to release men in certain classes to be used suffered because of the glut and many of Address in Reply. [24 Ac:m:sT.] Address in Reply. 151 them received much below the price fixed regulations that were promulgated recently at because of the glut that occured in Brisbane Canberra. owing to the incompetence of the bureaucratic Mr. l<'ARRELL (lVIaryborougll) (3.5 boarcl that had the marketing of the potatoes. p.m.) : At the outset, I desire to congratulate These are matters that must be considered the mover and seconder of this motion upon and I bring them forward so that n ll mem­ their entry to PaTliament. They have an bers of this Pnrliament will have a thorough n•v:e~,-nrd job in that they follow two men who ''nderstanding of them. These big farms no have been responsible for placing on the doubt are spectacular and self-satisfying to statute-book of Queensland some very :fine )[r. Buleock in his new capacity; neverthe­ legislation that has operated to the auvantage less it is quite possible a situation will arise of the State. This is an indication of what once these big farms are got going, irrespec­ is required from them as representatives of tive of overhead costs and actual cost per their electorates. It will not do them any head of cabbage and per ton of potatoes and hann to have that task set plainly before onions raised on them, that will make it a them, because I feel sure that it will encourage very important matter to know what will them to live up to the high ideals and happen to the prouuetion from the farms standards that are expectell of all Labour in Southern Qucen~lancl ~ That is the poser politicians \Yho enter this House. One of the that I put to the Rccretary for Agriculture things that helpetl me in my electorate was and Stock, if he is here anc1 through him to the fact that I follo\vcc1 such men as the late Mr. Bulcock, and of course to his superior, J. Stopfonl anc1 IY. II. Demaine; in cmlea­ Mr. Scully, the J\iinister in charge. It is a ,-ouring to live up to the examples they set serious situ:;tion that is likely to develop for I knew I harl the advantage of having good farmers in the RoutheTn Queensland area guides to follow. because of these big-farm schemes, based on I desire to pay tribute to His Excellency the communistic pbn of eolledive group­ the Governor for his unselfish devotion anc1 farming. That is the basis of the idea. 1 senice to the community an,[ for the Speech have heard the Secretarv for Labour and that he delivered to this House. Many fine Employment in this Pa;liament time anc1 proposals are contained in it, proposals that again advocate collective group-farming. his ::\linisters have recommended to him and 'l'he Secretary for Labour and Employ. will be of acl,antage to the future of the ment: What is wrong with that? State. lt is interesting to note here that these compaTe more than favonrably with the JUr. JUAHER : The communistic system! suggestions that were made by responsible What is wrong with it~ It is experimentation FedeTal :\Iinistcrs during the recent election. at the cost of the taxpayers of this country. When speaking of the :l''ec1eral election, it It is another eml!arkation into the realms is gnltifying to know that despite all the of Government entcr!lTise, and in the political niticism of our opponents, despite all the history of Queensland there are innumerable trials, tribulations, and restrictions that have instances of losses in such things as State been placed upon the people, they have with­ cattle stations, butcher shops, and fish shops. out Teserve returned to the :l''ec1eral Pm·lia­ There were schemes that caused the loss of ment the Government who have been respon­ millions of money to the taxpayers of this sible for placing those restrictions upon them. country. It can be said that Labour's victory may be It might cost £1 to grow a head of cabbage attributed to fonr chief factors- before Mr. Bulcock is finished with this big Satisfaction with the defence poliey of communistic scheme of collectivised group­ the Government. farming in North Queensland. What I want to know is what becomes of the product of Appreciation of the leadership of :!\fr. the farmer on the individual fann, the faTm Curtin. that has been worked according to the old­ _1,. ppToval of the social policy of the time system of free inc1ividmil enterprise. Government. What is going to become of his products Recognition of the fact that the Curtin against this big scheme undertaken at the Government have laid the basis of cost of the taxpayers of the StatP in Nor'th reconstruction. Queensland~ The irrigation farmers in my It is to those points in particular that I electorate have been waiting a long time for wish to speak this afternoon. It is to be electric motors in order to irriga tc their Temembered that during the life of this pre­ farms from the Lockver Creek. Some have sent State PaTliament the Hon. T. A. Foley, waited 12 months for them, but it is going to as Secretary for Labour and Employment, be no trouble at all to Mr. Bulcock to get all introduced the Co-ordination of Employment the tractors and all the innumerable tools Vacilities Bill, which laid clown a basis upon and equipment to which I referred a moment which it was possible to put reconstruction ago. plans into operation. That basis is similar I draw the attention of the House to these to wh-at it is proposed to c1o under the Federal matters this afternoon in order that hon. scheme. Again, our State Premier, J\fr. members might have somr understanding of Cooper, has agreed to the plan suggested at the dil·ection in which we are heading·. On the recent Premiers' Conference for the co­ another occasion I shall deal here with other ordination of public works in the Common­ topics of great importance to the State, and wealth, and he has enhanced the value of the in which the Commonwealth has 3 strangle­ suggested National Works Council by hold upon the State Departments of Agricul­ nominating l'vfr. Kemp as the Queensland tme in connection with the drastic- food representative. 152 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

In Mr. Kemp we have a man with out­ living there than on the farms. Who can standing qualifications and ability and one deny them the right to leave the country for eminently capable of placing the poten· the towns and cities if the conditions there tialities of Queensland before that council. are more attractive to them~ I am firmly The Queensland system, with its central body of the opinion that if we are to develop the under the. chairmanship of the Hon. T. A. State it should be carried out by a policy of Foley, provides for the establis)lment of 35 developing ele

electricity in our farming community in the ' ' At the request of the combined .Produc­ southern areas of the State must see the tion and Resom·ces Board the combined need for such action. I have a sister who Chiefs of Staff, organised a combined ship­ has a farming property at Tamborine and I building committee and appointed as chair· have there seen the benefits that have accrued man, Mr. W. F. Gibbs, controller of ship­ to it because the area was tapped with elec­ building on the War Production Board, tricity. The responsibilities of developing who is a designer of wide experience in electricity within this State should be with preparing plans for the mass production of the Federal and State Governments, not with ships an cl accomplishing standarclisa tion the local authorities, although I am sure of components from many sources for that they will receive the wholehearted assist­ inclusion in identical ships made in many ance of those bodies. For example, the yards. Maryborough City Council, the majority of its members being adherents of Labour, ''This committee works in close co-opera­ which swept the polls at the last elections, tion with the Maritime Commission, Navy is meeting the Premier to-morrow in deputa­ Department, War Department, British ancl tion, introduced by m'e, to lay before him Canadian naval and merchant shipbuilding plans having for their object the develop­ authorities and the War Production Board, ment of a district electricity scheme. If top-ranking representatives of all of which that is accomplished it will be a starting are members.'' point. It is an object in which the Govern­ That is very interesting-that in America as ment should help. It is not right that such in other countries it has been fonnd necessary problems should be the responsibility of any to set up similar committees having for their local authority. object the laying down of a basic plan It was rather interesting to note during whereby ships are constructed not so llllUCh the recent Federal elections that Federal for the profit as for the interests they are :Ministers realised the importance of func­ required to serve. In shipbuilding in this tions that hitherto have been the responsi­ country, it has been found from time to time bility of State Govemments. In the course tha.t when the ship is almost 1·rady for of a broadcast address the Mi11ister for the launching some alteration has been made in InterioT, Senator Collings, spoke of the plans the design, and a tremendous amount of time being prepared for the development of elec­ is lost in carrying ont the altemtion. The tricity, ·water conservation and irrigation, the men who are doing the work sometimes know building .plan, the health scheme, and various perfectly well that the plan sent up is not other matters. I am sme that the Federal in accordance with common sense, ancl often Government, with the aid and co-operation parts of the equipment are taken out and cast of State Gowrnments, will be able to accom­ aside. I belie"\ e if a committee similar to the plish many things that will bring happiness one set up in America was established and and contentment to our people. It is rather standardisation of shipbuilding was carried interesting from my point of view to observe out here as it is in America, Canada, and that it is the intention of the Commonwealth Great Britain, it would be of great advantage Government to accept their share of the to this country. If we arc to be a big ship­ responsibilities of such schemes. building centre, we shall have to develop our shipbuilding activities and put them on a Another of the things in which we are proper basis. 1'hat can be done by a co-ordi­ vitally interested in my electorate is the nating committee, with a designer as its chief development of the shipbuilding industry. We executive officer. To enable the plan to be are doing a very fine job there indeed. put into operation it is necessary for us at Maryborough to see that the river is dredged. ~Ir. Sparkes: You are worried about the elections. I hope the Federal and State Governments will come to the aiel of M:nr:·borough to see Jir. FA.RRELL: I am not worried about the river is dredged sufficiently to enable the the elections; I am worried about the future. work to be carried on. It is nece~sary that we I speak of the reconstruction plan we shall lay down plans, not for the present but for have after the war is over. It is expected the future, so that when the time comes, we that shipbuilding will go on throughout Aus­ shall be able to carry on where we left off tralia, and we have that assurance from the in the war period. \Vhen it is necessary to Federal Government. change from war-time production to peace­ time production we should be ready to do so. I was interested to read thp, following para­ It is posible for the national Parliament to graph in yesterday'~ ''Telegraph'':- lay clown plans so that we shall be able to "New York, August 22: Vital economies do this without delay. It is worthy of note achieved by American, British, and Cana­ that the Cm·tin Government had that in mind. dian co-ordination in effecting simplifica­ tion of ship designs have been explained by From time to time sta tcments have been Mr. Donald M:. Nelson, chairman of the made by the Prime Minister and other U .S.A. Production Board. responsible Ministers that blue-prints for the development of the Commonwealth are ready, ''A few months ago, he says, it became and we are particularly interested in those evident that the war, which the Allies were that apply to Queensland. We have been told getting well prepared to win on land and from time to time that the development of in the air, could well be lost meanwhile our road system, electricity, ·water conserva­ at sea unless extraordinary measures were tion, and irrigation will do much towardR taken immediately. the progress of our State. I agree, ns I 154 Addre88 in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Addr688 in Reply. think most people would, but it is first of Mr. FARRELL: No, they will not suffer all necessary to make proper plans and to at all. lay down the basis on which the payment JUr. JUaher: From engines in the South? for putting such plans into operation is to be made. Up to the present the policy has Mr. FARRELL: They will not suffer at been for the States to ''carry the baby'' so all. Walkers Limited suffered because t,he then far as their own development is concerned, Government decided to withdraw the pro­ but from day to day we see that idea chang­ tective tariff that had been promised by the ing and the Federal Government preparing Hon. Frank l<'orde when Minister for Cus­ to accept their share of such responsibilities. toms, and they were not able to proceed with In to-day's issue of the Brisbane '' Tele­ their scheme. They had to wipe off the whole graph' '-I appear to be getting all my thing bee a use of the very thing t,he hon. information from the ''Telegraph' '-there is member is suggesting-the influence of an item that affects my area. It reads- Southern interests. The interests in the South were so powerful as to be able to '' Plans for Oil Engine Production. persnade the Government to wipe out the pr.o­ ''Canberra: Plans to develop Aus­ tectiv·e tariff; they could obtain machines tralian production of internal combusti.on overseas on more favourable terms than engines for war purposes and essential from Walkers Limited. needs were furthered last night with the You know, Mr. Speaker, that the amount establishment of a control committee olf influence that Southern manufacturers which will take charge of the importation, and interests have been able to bring to bear production, and distribution of the engines. on previous Governments has been enormous, ''Annexes will be set aside for their andl that this to a large extent has retarded manufacture for launches and dairies as the development of industry in this State. well as de{ence undertakings. The com­ Knowing that, you can realise only too well mittee will take a census of stocks of what would happen if we allowed the engines in the country, will design standard Southern interests to interfere with the types and determine the number to be Queensland timber industry. You know that manufactured, but reserves will be built if they had their way they would import up. T,he committee can acquire private softwoods because it would be to their advan­ engines.'' tage to do so, and they would have no regard whatever for the Queensland timber industry. That is interesting from our point of view, Anyone who knows a11ything about timber as it affects Walkers Limited of Maryborough. appreciates the magnificent job that is being During the period from 1929 to 1932, when done by Queensland sawmillers for the war the Scullin Government were in power, effort. A marvellous job is being done in Walkers Limited decided to embark on the my district simply because. we have .the construction of Diesel engines. They sent some capacity and the plant to do It. At one time of their best engineers to England to gain a even our Main Roads Commission would not first-hand knowledge oif the building of such accept certain types of timber for bridge­ engines and whilst they were overseas the construction and other purposes, but to-day compan'y took up with t.he then Government it will accept alm·ost any timber. The vast the question of a protective tariff to enable resources of Fraser 's Island are being them to build these engines against over­ exploited to the greatest possible extent, and seas competition. The present Minister for we are able to use hardwoods also from our the Army, who was then Minister for Customs, own district. The timber industry has so gave every possible encouragement and assist­ developed that it is meeting the requirements ance to Walkers Limited in developing their of the Defence Department from time to project, but unfortunately for Queensland time. the Scullin Government were defeated and the friends of the Opposition wiped off any Mr. Macdonald: Hardwood is getting intention of helping Queensland to estab­ v·ery scarce. lish an industry that in the present crisis Mr. F ARRELL: Yes. It has been getting would have been exceedingly valuable. At scarce for years, and so has pine, but it must the works of Walkers Limited are to be found be remembered that we should not do what our some of the ablest engineers in the world. forefathers did in the building trade. At Their work is outstanding and had encourage­ one time we thought it necessary to have ment been given the project, the production certain types and sizes of timber, both soft­ of this class of engine would have been wood and hardwood, for house-building. We developed to such an extent that it would do not need them tu-day, because of the have been invaluable in the present crisis. great work done by the Commonwealth I am not one of those who contend that oil Research Committee in connection with the engines should be made available for farmers drying process tha.t is adopted by sawrnillers for irrigation because, as I have already in general throughout the State. stated, I put my faith in the development of electricity. That should be the first con­ When the chairm·an of the Housing Oom­ sideration, and the development of engines mission visited Maryborough the other day such as Diesels, should come later. How­ he was keenly interested in the building of ever, we must not stop progress for any con­ hardwood houses, and no hardwoods are sideration. better than those in our district. Our hardwoods are unique in that they have many JUr. Maher: Are you clear that Walkers fine qualities that make them eminently suit­ Limited are going to suffer? able for walls and flooring. I was pleased to Address in Reply. [24 Ac;aus'l'.] Address in Reply. 155

notice that the Commonwealth Government appreciated by farmers generally. During are willing to accept responsibility for the Federal election campaign it was said refor:station. Our State Department of that such a payment was a mere pittance, and Pubhc Lands has ueveloped the timber indus­ so it might be in relation to future develop­ try to a maTvellous extent and has carried ment, but it has to be admitted that the on reforestation work that has proved of Federal Labour Government were the first incalculable benefit during this war period. GoveTnment to endeavour to place the dairy­ That work is being continued, and the present ing industry of Australia on a proper basis. <_lovernment ,propose to carry it on in the It is not true to say that the dairy award is future. When the war is over we shall be responsible for compelling dairy farmers to compelled to do a great deal for the devclop­ sell their properties. The only people upon n;'ent of our softwoods, othenvise American whom it may have an unfavourable effect are timbers will be coming into the country. those who have let out their properties on :Mr. l1Iacdonald: Our hard woods will cut the share-farming system. The farmer who out before our softwoods. owns and uses his own farm with the help of his family is reaping the benefit of the sub­ lllr. F ARRELL: I do not think that that sidy and no-one can deny that it is greatly will happen, but it will be necessary to appreciated by him. I know that of my own educate our people to use haruwood to a knowledge, because during the Federal election greater extent than they do at present in campaign I had some doubt whether the dairy the building of homes. If they userl hard­ farmers weTe satisfied with the position, and woods to the extent to which they could be upon making inquiries from them was told used in home-building, much \Voulcl be done that they were more than satisfied with the to relieve the position that will confront us treatment that had been accorded to them. It when the war is over. No-one will deny any should always be borne in mind that the individual the right to own his own ·home. Curtin Labo.ur Government were responsible W c all realise that the person who has an for the subsidy, but it should not be forgotten equity in his town through owning his own tlmt the people responsible for the report and home makes the best citizen of all, for he recommendation to Mr. Scully, the Federal stands fom-square behind the dewlopmcnt Minister for Commerce and Agricultme, that of his town. such a subsidy should be paid, are the very One cannot help feeling thankful for the people who are responsible for the develop­ help that has been rendered from time to ment of the dairying industry throughout the time by Ministers of the Crown ancl ]'ederal Commonwealth to-day. That is to say, the departments in the development of the timber people intimately associated with the industry industry. I desire to pay tribute also to the recommended to the Comrnomvenlth Go\·ern­ work of the Liquid ]'uel Control Board. ment that they should allot the subsidy. If No-one has a gTeater right than the officers we are to help the mnn on the land he of the Liquid Fuel Control Board to the must be kept in a contented frame of mind thanks of tho timber industry for "lvhat they in the same wav as the intlustrial worker is. have done. I know something about it, After all, who has a gr0ater Tight to live in because I am continually in close touch with peace and contentment than the man on the the industry. lnnd ~ He is entitled to the same rights as If it had not been for the sympathetic the industrial worker. They all have the treatment extended to the timber industry by smne right to liYe in peace and contentment the Liquid Fuel Control Boarrl the industry and one of the import::mt "·ays in which we would not have been able to do the job it has can enable them to carry on in a contented done. l''irst of all, the timber has to be mamwr is to give them the same amenities felled in the forest, and if we are not able to of life as those enjoyed by other sections of haul thP log timber from the forest to the the community. If we can de"l·elop our road mills, we shall not bo able to carry out the system and electTicity so as to give farmers defence contracts for timber. It has been and nual workers generally the same amenities suggested by many people and by the hon. or some of those enjoyed b;· people who live member for Stanley to-day that "1\·e may be in the cities, we shall go a long way to>l·ards faced with a shortage of hardwood timber, but creating a happy and contented rural popu­ that fear has been exrnessed for many years lation. and we are still able to supply the timber I was interested in the question usually required. I sincerely trust that the Com­ addressed to witnesses by members of the monwealth Government will accept their Federal Housing Commission during its visit shaTe of the responsibility for developing the to Maryborough when it was asked if timber resources of the State and in carrying refrigerators would not be of great benefit in out reforestation. Timber is a national asset a home. They certainly would be of great and whateYer money is expendGd in reforesta­ benefit, hnt first of all let us extend elec­ tion will be returned later for the benefit of tricity to the yarious nnal areas and other the community. things "IVill follow. I repeat that the people Much criticism has been levelled against the in the country have the right to enjoy the policy of the Commonwealth Government in same amenities of life as those who live in paying subsidies to industries, but whatever the city and if we can provide them we shall may be said for or against it, it has to be have done much towards the creation of a admitted that the Federal Government are contented people who will strive to bring about endeavouring to stabilise hoth prices and the maximum development of this great State. wages .. The subsidy of £G,500,000 allotted to Debate, on motion of Mr. Power, adjourned. the dauying industry of Austr·alia is greatly The House adjourned at 3.46 p.m.