Queensland

Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]

Legislative Assembly

TUESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 1957

Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy

Address in Reply. [10 SEPTEMBER.] Member Sworn. 129

TUESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER, 1957.

:Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. A. H. Fletcher, Cunningham) took the chair at 11 a.m.

MEMBER SWORN.

MR. P. BYRNE. :Mr. Peter Byrne, having taken the oath o" allegiance and subscribed the roll, took his seat as member for the electoral district of Mourilyan 130 Questions. [ASSEMBLY.] Questions.

QUESTIONS. of 3d. per lb. on export meat increased the difficulties of buyers seeking meat CROWN TENANTS, CLARE DISTRICT. for the Australian market'f Mr. JESSON (Hinchinbrook) asked the '' 2. If so, will he inform the House Minister for Public Lands and Irrigation- whether the 3d. per lb. bounty is a deficiency '' Will he please supply the names of all payment to bring the export price of b~ef farmers with Crown Leases in the Clare up to the level of guaranterd floor-pnce District, North Queensland, and the acre­ under the United Kingdom-Commonwealth age of each farm~'' Meat Agreement? '' 3. Is it not a fact that since the com· Hon. A. G. liULLER (Fassifern) mcncement of this season more cattle have replied- been killed at meat works in Queensland than ever before, and that the export price '' The detailed information requested by has fallen following a series of fluctuations the hon. member is contained in a list which in price~ is now laid on thP Table of the House. '' 4. There are forty-two ( 4:2) farms in the Clare As these questions appear to be of area with areas of more than 5V acres and some importance in the fixation of a reason­ less than 70 acres; twenty-one (21) farms able price for meat for Queensland consumers, would he make the information with area• OYer 70 acres and less than DO available to the AttOTney-General who acres; and four ( 4) farms with areas over 90 acres and less than 120 acres.'' appears to have either a wrong conception of or no knowledge of the beef export Whereupon the hon. gentleman laid the list market since July~" on the table. lion. 0. 0. MADSEN (Warwick) replied- STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATES. " 1. Yes. llfr. WOOD (North Toowoomba-Leader '' 2. The bounty pail! to exporters of beef of the Opposition) asked the Attorney­ to the United Kingdom is not a payment General- to bring the export price of beef up to the '' 1. Does the opinion expressed in level of a guaranteed 'floor' price. The Parliament on 3 September by the hon. bounty is paid by the Australian Meat member for Mt. Gravatt, that magistrates Board from deficiency payments made by are incapable of understanding certain civil the United Kingdom Government to Aus­ matters which come within their jurisdic­ tralia under the 15-year Meat Agreement. tion, represent his view f '' 3. Cattle slaughtering at meatworks have this year been higher than u~ual, but '' 2. Does he agree with the hon. member for some time cattle have been m short for Mt. Gravatt that in most instances supply and it is not expected that the these magistrates do not understand the increaFe in slaughterings will be maintained complicated civil actions which they are throughout the year. The London Meat required to det.ermine under existing law~" Market is depressed, but the bounty has assisted beef producers to retain this market Hon. A. W. MUNRO (Toowong) replied- which is vital to the industry. "4. The Hon. the Attorney-General is "1 and 2. If the hon. member will refer fully aware of all the relevant facts and to Mny 's Parliamentary Practice, 14th circumstances of the meat industry. As Edition, at page 336, he will note that, in the hon. memher for Kedron seems accordance with established Parliamentary to be ill-informed on the subject of prices practice, answers should not be given to fixation, I wish to inform him that prices questions which merely seek an expression are not fixed by the Hon. the Attorney­ of opinion. Furthermore, the Address in General.'' Reply debate is at present in progress, and in the course of this all members of this Parliament hwe the opportunity, if they Et:ROPEAN HOUSE BORER COMMITTEE. so desire, of expressing their opinions. So llTr. J,I,OYD (Kedron) asked the far as I am concerned, I will not hesitate to 'l'rusurcr and Minister for Housing- express my opinion on this or any other '' 1. Has a committee, named the matter if or when I feel it is in the public European House Borer Committee, been interest for me to do so.'' formed to investigate ways and means of combating the effects of these borers on INCRBASED MEAT PRICES. imported pre-fabricated homes at Zillmere; if so, (a) When was this committee formed; ~Ir. LLOYD (Kedron) asked the (b) What conclusions have been arrived at Minister for Agriculture and Stock- by the committee~ '' 1. Has his attention been drawn to '' 2. In view of thA obvious danger to the reported statement ('The Courier­ Queensland's forest stands of softwoods Mail'), 31 August, attributed to the Price will he ensure that the European House Fixing Commissioner relating to an borer has been eliminated from these houses increase in the price of meat and before thev are made available for stating inte1· alia 'The Pederal bounty purchase~ " Questions. [10 SEPTEMBER.) Questions. 131

'' 3. What safeguards were taken under there were 67 general intertown goo~s Commonwealth quarantine arrangements licenses and 132 goods licenses m when these houses wore received in other categories current on the register Brisbane~ of the Commissioner for Transport. "4. Were any reports submitted by If the hon. member has specific firms in Queensland Housing inspectors in relation mind and directs a question accordingly, the to the construction of these pre-fabricated information sought would be more readily houses and the quality of material used available. (c) The reasons for granting any and what action was taken by th~ tonnage increase to a licensee vary in Commission to remedy difficulties disclosed accordance with the submissions by the by such reports, if any~" applicant licensee when making his applica­ tion and all are determined in the first Hon. T. A. HILEY (Coorparoo) instance by the Commissioner upon their replied- individual merits. His decision to grant or ''1. Yes. (a) July, 1953. (b) That the refuse to grant the request is submitted to number and distribution of the affected the Minister for Transport for confirmation houses are such as to make wide-spread in accordance with Section 16 of the State establishment of the borer a possiblity. Transport Facilities Acts. Tenders were not invited in anv case before increases were "2. Yes, I will. With a view to the granted to existing licensees, upon the elimination, if possible, or the control of authority of a decision of Cabinet dated the European House Borer I have arranged 18 May, 1948, which is set out hereunder:- for a discussion at my office tomorrow after­ noon with Mr. G. A. Hepburn, an Entomolo­ ' J. "\Vhere evidence is sufficient gist of the Department of Agriculture to establish that existing licensed opera­ Union of South Africa, who has expert tors of goods services are carrying on knowledge of this borer's activities in his an efficient and satisfactory service and country. Following this conference a deter­ that when existing licensed capacity is mination will be made on the action to be insufficient to lift loading available to taken and whether tenders will be called them, favourable consideration may he for the fumigation of the houses. given to increasing the number of or capacity of vehicles without inviting '' 3. All timber when received in Brisbane applications by newspaper advertisement. wns examined by Commonwealth quarantine officers who found nothing wrong with it '2. Any increases granted should take and the timber was released. cognisance of the fact that there is need to conserve petrol to reasonable consump­ '' 4. Yes. Action was taken to require tion limits. the contractors to carry out correction work the Commission's inspecting staff on thi~ '3. Such increases must not in eases contract was increased, an officer-in-charge where more than one licensed haulier of one of the Commission's day labour pro­ operates be discriminatory in character. jects was detailed to the supervision of the Every effort to be made to ensure fair work and some of the Commission's trades­ and equitable adjustments of claims. men were placed on the job to carry out '4. Uneconomic and too rapid rectification work at the contractor's development of road services should be expense. Such severe action to bring about prevented and in this regard due con­ a proper standard of workmanship was one sideration to be given to suitability and of the principal factors which led the con­ efficiency of alternative service. tractors to abandon the contract.'' '5. All recommendations respecting increased capacities to be made to ROAD TRANSPORT TONNAGES. Minister for confirmation before notifica­ tions are sent to applicants.' Mr. HILTON (Carnarvon) asked the Where new licenses have been approved, Minister for Transport- tenders were first called by public advertise­ '' ·wm he furnish information showing ment or were authorised by the Governor (a) the increased tonnages granted to in Council, in accordance with Section 29 licensed road transport firms during the of the Acts.'' past seven years; (b) the names of the firms who were granted such increases HOUSING COMMISSION CONTRACT, ZILLMERE. showing the respective tonnages in each Mr. lliANN (Brisbane) asked the case; and (c) the reasons for granting such Treasurer and Minister for Housing- increases and whether tenders were invited '' 1. On what date was the contract before increases were granted?'' entered into between the Queensland Hous­ Hon. G. W. W. CHALK (Lockyer) ing Commission and the firm responsible replied- for supplying imported pre-fabricated homes for construction at Zillmere~ '' (a) and (b) The compilation of the whole of the information sought by the '' 2. Who were the signatories to the con­ hon. member would 'necessitate a tract~ detailed research into each of the licenses '' 3. What amount was withheld by the on the register during the whole of the Queensland Housing Commission for non­ seven-year period. As at 30 June, 1957, completion of the full contract~ 132 Questions. [ASSEMBLY.] Questions.

'' 4. What proportion of the total amount "3. On what date was the application (a) did this represent and what proportion of recommended by the Commission, and (b) the contract had been completed 1" granted by the Minister~ Hon. T. A. HILEY (Coorparoo) '' 4. Did Mr. D. Casey, a Queensland replied- Labour Party candidate, appear for the three gentlemen referred to~ '' 1. 29 April, 1950, with Ets Lecorche Freres and Societe des Entreprises Schroth '' 5. (a) What are the names and and Company of France. addressPs of all other applicants for licenses '' 2 ..J. Lec:orche on behalf of Ets for drive-in theatres in the Town of South Lecorche Freres and E. Meunier on behalf Coast; and (b) what was the decision in of Des Entreprises Schroth and Company, each of these applications? and J. E. Greening on behalf of the Queens· ' '6. Do Messrs. Edwards, W adley and land Housing Commission. Sellick still remain the sole proprietors of '' 3. £151,000. the drive-in theatre license referred tof '' 4. The Commissioner is extracting a '' 7. If not, what other persons or complete statement of all actual expenditure intmests are now controlling this license" '' incurred in completing the contract. If the hon. member will repeat this portion of Hon. J. A. HEADING (Marodian} his question for tomorrow, I will supply the replied- answer in full detail.'' '' 1. A determination was made bv the Commission granting an application ·made DRIVE-IN THEATRE LICENSES, TOWN OF by Charles Augustus Ed>vards on 22 June, SOUTH COAST. 1956. '' 2. The application was heard on 4, 5, Mr. IIIANN (Brisbane) asked the Minister for Publie Works and Local Govern­ and 6 March, 1957. ment- "3. (a) The Commission's determination was made on 28 March, 1957. " 1. vVas a drive-in theatre license granted by the Films Commbsion to '' (b) The determination was confirmed Mr. C. A. Eilwards, a Queensland Labour l>3• the Minister on 29 March, 1957. Party candidate for Mt. Gravatt, Mr. D. "4. Yes. vVadley, Chairman of Directors of QuRens­ "::i. (a) and (b) The following table sets land Brewery Ltd., and Sir Frank Sellick, forth di>tail8 of applications made to the former Lord Mayor of Melbourne P Commission for the establishment of drive-in '' 2. On ·what dates was the application picture theatres in the Town of South Coast heard~ and the outcome of such applications:-

Date of Application. Name and Address of Applicant. Locality. Outcome.

7 July, 1954 Thams Bros., Nerang Street, Southport . . Palm Beach Refused 3-2-56 12 July, 1954 J. W. Dart, Maryland Street, Stanthorpe . . Mermaid Beach Refused 3-2-56 31 January, 1956 J. D. Booker, 18 Hallam Street, Bendigo, Victoria Southport Not pursued by applicant 20 April, 1956 J. Oglesby, 13 Grosvenor Parade, Balwyn, Burleigh Hr-ads Refused 29-3-57 Victoria 29 November, 1956 J. & M. Hennessy, of 106 Akonna Street, Southport Refused 2~-3-5 7 Wynnum, and Starline Drive-in Theatre Pty. Ltd., 293 Queen Street, Brisbane 12 February, 1957 U. L. Flinkier, Old Burleigh Road, Surfers• Southport Refused 29-3-5 7 Paradise 25 February, 1957 Thams Bros., N erang Street, Southport . . Palm Beach Refused 29-3-57

"6 and 7. At the sittings held on 4, 5, Messrs. T. M. Osborne and V. R. and 6 March, 1957, it was disclosed in Stcphens, into the business. It was also pro­ evidence that Charles Augustus Edwards, posed to float a company and the five Douglas Wadley, and Sir Frank Sellic"k persons would be the directors. The original were equal partners in Erlwards' applica­ three members would still contribute their tion. Mr. vVadley interviewed the Chair­ original contribution and the two new mem­ man of the Commission on 29 July, 1957. bers would not be required to pay any pre­ He stated that when the application was nnum or other like consideration for pursued before the Commission the intention a dn1is.sion. ' ' then was that Sir Frank Se!lick's son was to be stationed on the South Coast and CIVIL DEFENCE COMMIT'rEE AND RETuRKED would supply the essential local 'know­ SOLDIERS' ORGANISATIONS. how' in the business, but this was no longer practicable because of the son's serious !1Ir. JESSON (Hinchinbrook) asked the ill-health. As Sir Frank Sellick wa,s Premier- unable to spare the time essential for '' vVith reference to my question of detailed work, they had decided to 4 September regarding civil defence, as I admit two local persons experienced understand that representatives of returned in the picture theatre industry, namel:y soldiers' organisations and other bodies Questions. (10 SEPTEMBER.] Questions. 133

have been meeting at Canberra (the Hon. J. A. HEADING (Marodian) expenses being paid by the Commonwealth) replied-- for several years past, usually in January '' Plans and estimate of cost of installa­ of each year, and as Queensland has appar­ tion of a septic system at the Ayr State ently been overlooked, will he bring this School have been prepared. The proposal is matter before the appropriate Minister and to be submitted to the next meeting of the recommend that a representative of the Executive Council for consideration of Australian Legion of Ex-Servicemen and approval of the expenditure involved. The Women be included in the delegation~" ·work will be commenced as soon as possible after approval.'' Hon. G. F. R. NICKLIN (Landsborough) replied- LAND COMMISSIONER's OFFICE, '' From extensive enquiries, I find that MARYBOROUGH. any such meeting to which the hon. mem­ ber refers woll'ld not have been arranged by lUr. DAVIES (Maryborough) asked the or held under the auspices of any Depart­ Minister for Public Lands and Irrigation- mPnt of the State or the Commonwealth '' 1. Has a final decision been made to Directorate of Civil Defence. In the absence transfer the Land Commissioner's Office of specific and definite information regard­ from Maryborough to Bundaberg f ing the meeting, I am unable to prosecute '' 2. If so, when was the final decision any further inquiries concerning the made and by whom J matter." "3. Was a report prepared on this mat­ ter; if so, by whom and when~ HOUSING COMMISSION HOUSES, SERVICE '' 4. If a report was made what was the PERSONNEL, ARMSTRONG, TOWNSVILLE. nature of the reporU lUr. AIKENS (Mundingburra) asked the '' 5. If no decision has been made will Treasurer and Minister for Housing- he have further inquiries made with a view " Will the State Housing Commission to giving consideration to leaving the Land bear the cost of filling in the yards and Commissioner's Office in Maryborough? '' providing an improved waste-water drain­ Hon. A. G. ~IULLER (Fassifern) age system at those houses rented by the replied- Commission to service personnel tenants at Armstrong, Townsville; and, if so, will the '' L A final decision has been made­ Commission do the same for other ( a) That the Headquarters of the Land Commi5sioner to whom the Land Agents' tenants~'' Districts of Maryborough, Bundaberg, Hon. T. A. HILEY. (Coorparoo) Gayndah and Monto are assigned be trans­ replied- ferred from the Maryborough Land Agent's "To date £175 has been expended for Office to the Bundaberg Land Agent's filling of the sites of four houses which are Office: (b) That the Headquarters of let to the Commonwealth and occupied by Joseph Leyden, Land Commissioner for the ~erving Air Force personnel, such cost form­ Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gayndah and mg part of the capital cost of those four M onto Land Agents' Districts be Bunda­ houses, half of which capital cost is pro­ berg; and such decision has been carried vided by the Commonwealth as supplemen­ into pffect since on and from Monday, tary loan under the 1956 Commonwealth­ 15 July, 1957. State Housing Agreement. Other sites on "2. On 28 May, 1957, by Cabinet in the estates will be examined with a view the Government of that day acting with to th8 provision of filling where such is and upon the recommendation of the Public found necessary. Plans by the Townsville Service Commissioner. City Council are well advanced for the ·western Suburbs Sewerage scheme which '' 3. Yes. By l\fr. Senior Public Service includes the Commission's Armstrong Inspector Sorenson and Mr. E. D. Melior, Estate, but as it is considered that it may Deputy Surveyor-General, who is at present be up to five years before such scheme is in and was then exercising the powers and operation, a drum and hose svstem of sull­ authorities of a Public Service Inspector age disposal will be instalTed to the four in connection with an inspection of the houses occupied by service personnel and to Department of Public Lands, under date other rental houses on this Estate.'' 27 May, 1957. '' 4. The report was made after an exhaustive inYestigation in the course of SEl"TIC SYsTEM, AYR STATE ScHOoL. which the offiCf'9 of the Land Agents at Mr. COBURN (Burdekin) asked the Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gayndah and Minisier for Public Works and Local Govern­ Monto were visited and the report recom­ ment- mended that the Headquarters of the Land '' Will he advise when the installation of Commissioner to whom the Land the septic system to be installed at the Agents' Districts of Bundn berg, Gayndah, Ayr State School, advice of which was Maryborough and Monto arP assigned be received early in the year, will be corn· transferred from the Maryborough Land mencedf'' Agents' Office to the Bundaberg Lanil 134 Questions. [Ai:3SEMBL Y.] Address in Repty.

Agent's Office, and that Mr. Land Com­ "3. How many miles of paved road had missioner Leyden be transferred accord­ been completed on the Maryborough­ ingly. Kingaroy Highway as at 30 July, 1957, '' 5. As stated above, a decision has been and how many miles of paved road were made and carried into effect but the Land under construction on that road at that Commissioner concerned still retains his dateF' office at Land Office, Maryborough, which he will continue to occupy and use during Hon. E. EVANS (Mirani) replied- his visits to that centre for offi.cial pur­ '' 1 and 2. On the gazetted road between poses.'' Brisbane and Cairns 1,031 miles of paved road have been completed and 74~ miles STEEL CARRIAGES FOR NORTH QUEENSLAND. were under construction at 30 July, 1957. lUr. GILJUORE (Tablelands) asked the '' 3. Eighty-two miles completed; 13~ Minister for Transport~ miles under construction." '' 1. Has he seen where he was quoted in yesterday's Press as saying that a CALTEX OIL COMPANY FRANCHISE AT proposal which had been made to build MA OKAY. 128 steel carriages for suburban lines and remodel existing carriages for the North Mr. GRAHAJU (lVIackay), without notice, was deferred because of shortage of asked the Premier- money~ '' Would the Premier be prepared to lay '' 2. If so, would he undertake to give on the table of the House the agreement some of the new carriages to the North between the Government and the Caltex and bring the old Northern carriages back, Oil Company under which this company remodelling them for suburban lines when is at present operating its franchise at money is availabld" Mackay~'' Hon. G. W. W. CHALK (Lockyer) Hon. G. F. R. NICKLIN (Landsborough) replied- replied- '' 1. Yes. " No." '' 2. The 128 steel carriages which it PAPERS. had been proposed to build for suburban lines, but which scheme has had to be The following paper was laid on the table, delayed because the previous Labour and ordered to be printed:- Government, prior to their defeat, com­ Report by the Licensing Commission for mitted the present Government to expendi­ the year 1956-1957. ture which involves the major portion of the Railway Departments Loan allocation The following paper was laid on the for this financial year, are not suitable in table:- design for country services. The carriaO'es Order in Council under the State Electricity which are now being used for suburban Commission Acts, 1937 to 1954. services, owing to the shortage of the suburban type cars, would, if transferred STANDING ORDER No. 23. to North Queensland, reprPsent a major improvement and I know they would be lUr. SPEAKER: Hon. members, I desire greatly appreciated by train passengers in to draw your attention to Standing Order that area. There are also in use in the No. 23, mere particularly to the latter portion Southern and Central Divisions carriages of it, whic:t provides that members shall of a type similar to those which it is sug­ make obeisance to the Chair on entering and gested might be transferred from North leaving the House. Members owe it to them­ Queensland to Southern suburban lines. selves and to the dignity of this Assembly to These carriages are not sui table for comply with the provisions of the Standing remodelling-hence there is no merit in Order. the latter proposal of the hon. member.'' ADDRESS IN REPLY.

BRUCE HIGHWAY AND MARYBOROUGH­ RESUMPTION OF DEBATE-THIRD ALLOTTED KINGAROY HIGHWAY. DAY. JUr. DAVIES (Maryborough) : I desire Debate resumed from 5 September (see to ask the Minister for Development, Mines p. 129) on Mr. Anderson 's motion for the and Main Roads whether he has answers to adoption of the Address in Reply. the following questions, which I addressed to him on 5 September- lUr. AHEARN (Sandgate) (11.32 a.m.): Mr. Speaker, may I say at the outset that '' 1. How many miles of paved road had I wholeheartedly endorse the expressions of been completed on the Bruce Highway loyalty by hon. members on both sides of between Cairns and Brisbane as at 30 July, the House to Her Gracious Majesty the 1957~ Queen, and I endorse and support the very '' 2. How many miles of paved road were fitting remarks in reference to Sir John and under construction at 30 July, 1957 on Lady Lavarack and His Excellency the that particular highway~ ' Administrator. Address in Reply. [10 SEPTEMBER.] Address in Reply. 135

I also add my congratulations to those and technical education. There can be no which have been so sincerely extended progress or development unless newly-trained to you, :Mr. Speaker, and to the Chairman of engineers are sufficient in number to keep Committees on your attaining the very high, pace with development and industrial expan­ important and dignified offices that you now sion. It cannot be denied that Queensland, hold. I sincerely believe that every hon. more than any State in the Commonwealth, member will profit from the very fine example is desperately short of engineers. In fact that you set, not only by the way in which Australia as a whole is short of engineers you discharge the duties of your offices but and that condition applies throughout the also from the influence of your very fine world. In Britain it is estimated that by personal attributes. 1970 the number of engineers must be As a new member of this House and a doubled if Britain is to have an acceptable member of a new Government I assure you, rate of economic growth. Even Russia, with :Mr. Speaker, that I approach my duties with the industrial expansion that has taken place the same feeling of humility and deep sense of there, has recognised the importance of tech­ responsibility as have been expressed by other nical training to such an extent that that new members. However that same sense of country is producing engineers at three times responsibility moves me at all times to express the rate of Britain. I use the word ''pro­ my views candidly and unreservedly in the ducing'' in what I believe to be the correct interests of the State and the people of my technical sense-training and graduating. electorate. I think every hon. member will I do not use it in the sense of turning out agree that it is the duty of every parliament­ engineers like sausages out of a machine. arian to endeavour to gain for his State and What are we doing in Queensland and Aus­ electorate those things of the greatest benefit tralia to produce qualified engineers~ I say for progress and prosperity. It is a very sad quite bluntly that the Labour Governments faet if we are to judge our Labour Gov­ that administered education in this State ernment predecessors by the record of pros­ over the years completely neglected their perity in this State, it cannot be denied that responsibility. The Education Department in the past we had a lot of purposeless had the responsibility of training the majority parliamentarians. of engineers in this State, but I put it to It is the subject of the development and hon. members that it has not, particularly in progress of this State in which I am particu­ recent years, trained one qualified engineer in larly interested, and I take this opportunity any branch of engineering. I use the word of congratulating the mover and seconder ''qualified' advisedly for reasons I will of the motion for the adoption of the mention shortly. Address in Reply, not only on their very fine It is an alarming fact that Queensland contributions but also on the fact that they with its shortage of engineers has not got gave due force and stress to this very impor­ one qualified engineer through the efforts of tant subject of development and progress in the Education Department, which for so long Queensland. That is a keynote of our policy has been under the control of Labour Govern­ and one that will be taken into consideration ments. and implemented very carefully. The matter revolves around the word I am also vitally interested in the progress ''qualified.'' ·what must an engineering of my electorate; in the past it has had far education entail to produce a qualified too few of the community benefits to which engineerW In engineering education there are it is entitled. I shall have more to say about two principal objectives, firstly the teehnical that later. At present I shall deal with some goal of attaining knowledge and mastery of aspects of development and progress in the scientific principles associated with any Queensland to which virtually no consideTa­ branch of engineering, so that the engineer tion has been given by Labour Governments, will be competent to do creative design and and I shall recommend these matters for con­ make a worthwhile contribution to industry. sideration. The second very important objective is the It is agreed that the principal object now social goal, the goal of developing leadership must be the establishment of new industries in an engineer and the inculcation of a sense in the State and the expansion of existing of professional ethics and a thirst for know­ ones. The Government, by creating a favour­ ledge and a further understanding of indus­ able atmosphere for investment here, will be trial matters. able to attract to Queensland the necessary It can be seen therefore that engineering capital to overcome the deficiency from which education is more complex than many people the State has suffered, and in that way it believe. Much thought has to bP. given to it. will rid Queensland of its reputation as the Hon. members will notice that I have used Cinderella State. Queensland will then enjoy the word "industry" repeatedly in all refer­ its fair share of the prosperity which Aus­ enoees to engineering education, as I think they tralia as a whole has been enjoying under the must appreciate that an engineering education Liberal-Country Party :Menzies-Fadden Gov­ must be dictated primarily by the require­ ernment. ments of industry. The sad fact remainA I refer now to a special aspect of progress that in Queensland the former Department and development, the relationship between of Public Instruction has never considered industry and education, particularly industry the requirements of industry, never consultetl 136 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

industry on the requirements necessary for ''qualified engineers,'' there is set out on an engineering education, and never allowed page 2 of this paper the Australian college itself to be advised by professional engineers diplomas which give exemption fro~ the who would be in a position to advise on examination. If we look through the llst we training requirements. find firstly that every State in Australia is listed except Queensland. It is obviously necessary that there must be some minimum standard of engineering Secondly, there are no diploma ~ourses in qualifications that an engineer must attain if Australia in combined mechamcal and he is to have professional recognition. It is electrical engineering that give us qualified the prerogative of the Institution of engineers; none in Queensland is approved by Engineers, Australia, to set the minimum the Institution of Engineers. standard that every engineer must attain Thirdly, every State listed has diplomas before he can become a Corporate Member of which in some way or another come under the the Institution and use the term ''chartered auspices of its Education Department. In engineer.'' Unless one has these minimum New South ·wales, for example, there are qualifications one cannot get any worthwhile four colleges, three of which come under the engineering position in Australia. If one auspices of the Education Department; there looks at advertisements in the Press for is one in South Australia, and it comes under engineers, one will see as a required qualifi­ the auspices of the Education Department cation, ''Associate Membership of the Institu­ there· there nre two in Tasmania, both of tion of Engineers, Australia, or qualifications which come under the auspices of the which exempt applicants from the Associate Education Department; there are 16 in Membership examination.'' Unless we have Victoria 15 of which come under the Educa­ engineers with that qualification the men con­ tion Department. I point out that in Victol'ia, cerned do not get professional recognition, places such as Yallourn, Bendigo? and do not get jobs as engineers, and cannot be Ballarat to name only three, have d1ploma termed any more than half-baked draughts­ courses ' that give exemption from the men. associate membership examination. In other words they produce ''qualified'' Having considered what a qualified engineer engineers. 'In Western Australia there is, the question can be asked, what has Aus­ are two colleges both of which are tralia, and Queensland in partkular, done of the required ' standard. No college to produce engineersW I have with mE' a paper is listed for Queensland. Apart from the published by the Institution of Engineers, University, no college in Queenslan~ produ~es Australia, which sets out a list of the Aus­ qualified engineers. Some people m1ght P?lllt tralian university degrees and the college out that Queensland has the Central Techmcal diplomas which give exemption from the College and its various branches throughout associate examination. There are listed the the State. They produce engineers, but not Universities of Queensland, South Australia, one of them is of the required standard. Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, and New South Wales and the various degree lUr. Power: What do you mean by that? courses conducted in those universities. Every ·what do you mean when you say that not university in Australia is producing engineers one of them is of the required standard~ of the necessary standard to get exemption from the associate membership examination and lllr. AHEARN: They are not of the become chartered engineers. I draw atten­ standard required by the Institution of tion to the fact that nowhere is there a com­ Engineers. Surely we eannot be . so narrow­ bined mechanical and electrical engineering minded as to say that the Educatwn Depart­ course being conducted at the present time. ment should dictate the requirements for There was a course in New South Wales but engineersW it was abolished in 1956; the Queensland As I say , Queensland has the . Central course was abolished in 1948. At preeent Technical College and its branc~es, wh1eh h~ve every university is producing qualified variou8 diploma courses. I desue to men~wn engineers in all branches of engineering but particularly the diploma course o~ mechamcal no combined mechanical and electrical and electrical engineering that 1s conducte.d engineers. bv the Central Technical College. It 1s totally inadequate. The disadvantages to the Now, the·re are many top engineering posi­ students are these: they attend the college tions which do not require the highest stan­ for up to four nights a week for five years; dard of mathematics and the broad theor­ thev are doing a course that has a completely etical treatment given by degree courses. ove.rcrowded syllabus in these two branches of There is a great demand for engineers who engineering. Very few of the students have at least the minimum qualifications and are able to get straight through because particularly between the minimum standard of the difficulties associated with the and the degree standard. It is estimated by course. However, in spite of all their industry that for every one degree man you efforts they eannot attain a standard must have three, four or five men with that will give them recognition as diplomas. I use the word "diploma" loosely trained engineers. At the end of as this word does not indicate any given stan­ that time of course, quite independently they dard. To show that there are other institu­ may go 'on and sit for the Instit.ution 's tions besides the universities which produce examinations, but they are faced w1th the Address in Reply. [10 SEPTEMBER.] Address in Reply. 137' disadvantage that they are granted very few also facilities in their factories. They would exemptions from the Institution's subje~ts. be only too willing to help in any way with All along the line the subjects in their diploma the day release of students. course fall considerably behind the corres­ More than anything else we must have an ponding subjects conducted by the Institution. Engineering Review and Co-ordinating Com­ Mr. Donald: Have not Queensland mittee comprising representatives from the students in that course to pass all subjects universities, the Education Department, in one year, whereas those in southern States employer groups and professional engineers. can take one subject a year~ They must ensure that there is close co-operation between all stages of engineer­ :ilir. AHEARN: That is so at the present ing education, that the courses are closely time. There is no doubt that Queensland interwoven, so that we may choose for a students are under a great disadvantage. particular student the course most appro­ priate for him. The diploma curriculum must The main trouble with the diploma course be constantly reviewed to keep pace with as I see it is that there is overcrowding changes in University comses. When of the syllabus caused by two separate students trRnsfer from one course to another courses being pushed into one diploma. they should be able to get the maximum Those two branches of engineering have subject credits for the new course. to. be covered in :five years compared With six years allotted to the civil Industry is not greatly concerned engineering diploma course. Incidentally, with whose responsibility it i•, to train that diploma too is not recognised by the qualified engineers. '!_'hey want the Institution of Engineers. Is it any wonder trained men whoever is responsible. But that we are not getting an influx of students every other State has an engineering diploma to these courses from skilled tradesmen, who course under the auspices of the Education are so important~ Department just as Queensland has a pseudo­ diploma course under its Education In addition, students who ~o the diploma Department. course get no training 111 many of the important sub,jects. This 3l}plies par­ Mr. Hilton: Did not the institute ticularly to electrical engineering. Students recognise that until relatively recent times~ get virtually no training in electrical funda­ mentals and design, or in electronic 1\Ir. AHEARN: No, they never recog­ engineering, communication engineering, and nised the Diploma of Mechanical and Elec­ electrical economics. Consequently, they trical :Elngineering. About two years ago become proficient in no branch at all. there was a Diploma of Civil Engineering course. If the holder of a Queensland diploma goes to the Southern Electric Authority for 1\Ir. Hilton: They recognised that till a job he is appointed as a draughtsman but recently. the holder of a southern diploma getb a job l!Ir. AHEARN: Yes, but it has not kept as a recognised engineer. As I said before pace with the institute's requirements and it nowhere in Australia is there a degree course Is. longer recognised. It is the responsi­ and nowhere but Queensland a diploma ?-O bility of the State Government to train course combining the two branches. engineers because not all students can afford Queensland's obvious :first step is to estab­ t~e comparatively high fees charged by univer­ lish separate diploma courses for electrical Sities. Every apprentice must have the engineering and mechanical engineering. We OJ?portunity to obtain the necessary recog­ must ensure that the standard of the courses nised profess_ional training and experience is set by industry in conjunction with the and to my nnnd this is the responsibility of Public Service. I stress industry more than the Education Department. Let us have the Public Service because statistics show flexibility and not the stubborn attitude of that at any one time there are three times the past. My whole criticism comes down as many students from industry as from to the failure of Labour Government control the Public Service. Moreover, it is generally in the past to appoint men with :flexible recognised that industry is more in step with minds who co~ld keep pace with the prob­ modern trends. lems of changmg economic conditions pro­ Mr. Fo~ey: Will that make it easier or duction methods, and so on. I ~annot much more difficult for the student~ criticise too strongly the failure of the Government in the past to produce engineers l'llr. AHEARN: I will come to that of the necessary standard. There was a shortly. The day release of students debate in Parliament on this subject in from work is of the utmost importance. 1944 and ever .since then the University It is estimated that in Britain alone ha~ . been pressmg to have engineering trammg standards brought up to date l~ss than one-quarter of the engineering by the Education Department but the diploma students attend night courses del?artment has stubbornly refdsed to be o~ly. The leaders of industry recog­ gmded. h.as refused to bring its mse the need for more and better trained !t ~tandards mto hne with what is required by m~n. and they have frequently expressed their IJ;dustry, t?e principal body which must willmgness to make the men available and d1cta te engmeering-course standards. 138 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

We certainly need engineers in Queensland. Mr. AHEARN: They have to pay the We would do well to consider getting a top full fare. engineer with diploma experience from over­ seas or interstate. Such an engineer could Mr. Wood: No. consider the whole problem and work in llir. AHEARN: I was about to add that conjunction with universities, professional every pensioner once a year receives one engineers, employer groups and industry so second-class return ticket to any station in that we could produce trained engineers in Queensland. I do not suggest that that Queensland under the auspices of the concession should be reduced. Education Department. We need fully­ trained engineers desperately. Various ways Mr. W oofl: They should be first class could be suggested to maintain a similar fares too. course to the present one, if desired. I said before that we need engin­ llir. AHEARN: Yes. This concession eering training at all levels. While we need should not be reduced, it should be liberalised. recognised fully-trained engineers it may I believe that every pensioner is entitled to a also be possible to have a lower standard­ ticket as often as he wishes at half the ord­ we could perhaps call it the certificate inary fare. These tickets could be obtained standard-which would combine mechanical on the production of the medical service and electrical engineering at a lower level entitlement card, thus ensuring that only from which students could progress to either invalid and old age pensioners got it. There are 80,000 pensioners in Queensland and most of the advanced separate branches. We need to encourage more people to go of them would not make many trips a year at present because of the expense involved. into engineering industries. We must get more skilled tradesmen. We have If they made twice the number of trips that had dissertations over the last few days are made at the present time there would be on the advent of automation and its effect. no change in revenue at all. The old people I could speak at great length about auto­ would receive a benefit, and it is our duty to mation but suffice to say if we want skilled make some contribution to their welfare in tradesmen as has been stressed we must alter the twilight of their lives. There would be the present system to encourage them to enter no great financial disadvantage to the State engineering courses. but it would be a great benefit to the pensioner. I am also vitally concerned in aged I wish to refer also to the position of ex­ and invalid pensioners' obtaining the best railway employees. There is a good case for possible benefit they can get from awarding a station-to-station pass for retired the community without, of course, over­ railway employees who have been honourably straining its economy. I congratulate discharged after 30 years' service. I believe the Menzies-Fadden Liberal-Country that 30 years is the period laid down in the Party Government on the very fine statutes as the equivalent of a lifetime of job they are doing with the review and service. These ex-employees should be increase of pensions wherever possible. But entitled to this concession of a station-to­ I believe there are ways in which the State station pass for one month every year to Government could assist pensioners immea­ enable them to travel anywhere in Queens­ surably without increasing expenditure or land. It would be a fitting reward for their decreasing to any extent the State's services. revenue. We have the Eventide Home at I am vitally interested in the progress of Sandgate. Perhaps everyone does not -realise Sandgate, and I am anxious that it should how big the problem of aged people really advance. A hospital is urgently needed there. is. This is essential to overcome the very long When the home was first built there were and arduous trip to the city. Sandgate is about 900 aged people housed there with a different from most other metropolitan areas. small number of beds for the sick. Today Although it is in the metropolitan area, it there are over 400 old people confined to is separated from the inner suburbs by a their beds. This is the result of progress green belt. by medical science and drugs giving increased Mr. Baxter: It could be termed a life expectancy. With the increase of the satellite town. average age at which death occurs there is a greater number of old people to be c~red for. Mr. AHEARN: That is so. Pressure has I believe that we should do everytlnng pos­ been brought to bear at times and sugges­ sible for the benefit of all the old pensioners. tions have been made to cut Sandgate from One way in which they can be helped is by the city area. Of course there would be rail fare concessions. At present there is disadvantages in such a scheme. only one class of people who have to pay full fare on the railways-the casual However, a hospital is badly needed. I traveller, which includes the pensioners. The was pleased to hear the Minister for Health other groups avail themselves of the various and Home Affairs say he recognised the need workers' concessions and seasonal tickets. for a hospital there and that decentralisa­ tion of hospitals was the policy of the Gov­ Mr. Wood: Did the hon. member say ernment. I hope it is not very long before that the pensioners have to pay in full~ a hospital is built. Address in Reply. (10 SEPTEMBER.] Address in Reply.

A C.P.S. office and courthouse are required clubs, and so keep the boys off the streetEi at Sandgate, too. I believe that the subject and help overcome the bodgie trouble. has been considered and approval given, but Others are interested in athletic and boxing no action has been taken. clubs, and they do valuable good work among the children. Scout groups organise Mr. Power: We were waiting for a many activities and functions of a similar building. That was the hold-up. nature. lUr. AHEARN: The present position These groups are much more active in should be remedied. Sandgate, like Wynnum, Sandgate, I believe, than in most other is away from the city. Wynnum has a towns. Sandgate has every reason to be C.P.S. office and courthouse. proud of the public spirit of its citizens. It lUr. Power: The former hon. member gets a lot of publicity from the Brisbane to for Sandgate, Mr. Robinson, made representa­ Gladstone yacht race, and the Brisbane to tions about it. I inspected the site and the Brighton veteran and vintage car rallies previous Government were awaiting the help to publicise the district. Rosebowl erection of a building. carnivals are conducted at Sandgate and some very fine displays by marching girls. lUr. AHEARN: The present police No doubt many hon. members saw the dis­ premises could accommodate a C.P.S. office. play at the Brisbane National Exhibition on I certainly recommend that a temporary office the final Friday night. The girls concerned be set up in that accommodation. are to be complimented on their display in this particular field of skill of which so little lUr. Power: I had a look at it, but there was not sufficient room. is known. These teams of marching girls do a very fine job, and so far as the metro­ Mr. AHEARN: I believe there would be politan area is concerned the Federal elec­ plenty of room if the problem was tackled. torate of Lilley is the only one that has these teams of trained girls. We have them in Mr. Power: The advice from the office Brighton, Zillmere, Sandgate and Nundah. was to the contrary. lUr. Wood: And Toowoomba. JUr. AHEARN: Furthermore the railway station at Sandgate is very obsolete. I know Mr. AHEARN: I was referring to the that there are obsolete railway stations Brisbane metropolitan area; of course, there throughout Queensland, but it must be borne are teams too at Toowoomba. Sandgate in mind that Sandgate does get some tourist certainly deserves some community benefits traffic, even if the tourists are travelling :md I intend to do whatever I can to see that only to Redcliffe. The railway station is Sandgate gets those benefits. the stepping-off place for those who go from the city to Redcliffe via the Hornibrook Mr. ADAIR (Cook) (12.11 p.m.): I Highway. Sandgate has a very good case for express my loyalty to the Throne and con­ a more imposing railway station, just as it gratulate you, Mr. Speaker, on the position is entitled to a better police station. I hope you hold and hope that you will carry out provision will be made for a better police your duties as they should be carried out. station when the building of a C.P.S. office and courthouse is being considered. In moving the adoption of the Address in Reply, the hon. member for Toowoomba There arc many other things I could attacked the Commissioner for Railways, Mr. mention, including the very fine boat anchor­ Moriarty. It was quite unwarranted. From age that could be available in Cabbage Tree my knowledge I know that Mr. Moriarty is Creek if the silting of that creek could be doing an p,xcellent job in the Far North, overcome by dredging or some other means. particularly in the area I represent from Brisbane to Gladstone yacht races are com­ Cairns north and to the A therton Tableland menced at Sandgate. It could be a very and the hinterland. He i~> always courteous fine yachting centre if the anchorage was and he gives me the impression that he is improved. It would be used by many more cloing an excellent job. He rose from the boats than at the present time. I recommend ranks in the department to the high office that the Government consider my suggestion. of Commissioner. He has a fine military Also, overhead bridges are required at record too. Zillmere and Geebung. A bridge at Zillmere is very necessary because of the very notice­ A diesel rail motor runs from Cairns to able traffic hazard there. The development Ravenshoe daily and the service is an excellent of the area is being retarded because there one, much appreciated by the people. There are long delays at these railway crossings by has been a rapid advancement in the North­ reason of the number of trains that pass ern Division of the railways in the last few through those stations. years. Sunlanders run to Cairns on five There is a great number of public spirited days of the week and sometimes there are people in Sandgate, people who want to put t'yo divisions. On many occasions travellers, Sandgate ''back on the map,'' to use an cannot get accommodation on the Sunlander,, expression in one of the letters I received they have to go by the second division. I from an association at Sandgate. These have seen people wait up all night in the­ people are very active in running football hope of getting seats or sleepers on the, 140 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

Sunlander. Failing this, they get accommo­ eight or nine hours, the two trips I made dation on the second division. This is recently did about £100 worth of damage brought about because of the number of to my car. It is not a suitable> road for the people who travel at say Christmas time or residents of the area. On the other hand the midwinter holiday period, when children the Daintree River-Bloomfield Road will be are going back to school. It is necessary to ideal and I strongly urge its early construc­ book a month ahead to get accommodation on tion. the Sunlander. As I say, the Sunlander runs from Brisbane to Cairns five days a week, In the ''Cairns Post'' of 16 July the and anybody who has travelled on it will Premier, Mr. Nicklin, was reported as readily admit that there is no better rail saying- service in Australia. ''As a contribution to the opening of Mr. Thackeray: Who introduced that the Peninsula the Liberal-Country Party service~ Wasn't it Mr. Duggan"l hacl placed among its top priority jobs opening of the road betwee-n Daintree and Mr. ADAIR: Yes. The railways of Queens­ Cooktown. vV e believe this has to be clone land are doing a good job, and I compliment and we will give it a very high priority Mr. Duggan on the improvements he made. with the idea of extending the Bruce The Cairns railway station is one of the finest Highway to Cooktown and further North. in Queensland, as modern as any in Australia. Such a road will open up a great timber I dispute the statement that the railway potential and large areas of agriculture service is slipping. 'rhe railways make it and grazing land that will bring tremen· possible for people to travel from Cairns to dons wealth to the State. '' such places as Mareeba, Alrna-den, Forsayth That is quite right, but it was given out and Einasleigh. I am not saying that the at election time. I hacl already been given trains are up to date, but the lines are helping £31,000 by the Labour Government-£10,000 those places to progress. I sincerely hope, as an outright grant for the construction of therefore, that the Government will not close the road, £10,000 to come from the Federal any lines in that part of North Queensland. aid money given to the Douglas and Cook If they do, it will probably mean the end of many small townships. Shires, and £11,000 loan and subsidy to be granted by the Government. I have travelled The Queensland railways did a marvellous the route on foot and horse-back and I ran service for Australia during World War II. assure hon. members that there will be no The employees worked long hour~ and the rolling stock was kept continually moving so diffiK:ulty in constructing the road. For one that war equipment and members of the armed thing, there are not the steep grades that forces could be conveyed to the North. That were e-ncountered on the Mulligan Highway, took a toll of engine power and rolling ~tock and, for another, the timber taken out from from which it took many years to recover. the crossing of the McDowall Ranges to I represent one of the largest electorates China Camp would alone pay for the con· in the State. It extends from Cairns to the struction of the road. Mr. Brennan is a man New Guinea coast and embraces Thursday well conversant with earth-moving equip­ Island and the other islands surrounding it. ment-he has the- best equipment in the I can leave Cairns in a DC3 at 6 a.m. and North-and he has assured the Cook and touch down at Cooktown, Coen, Weipa twice Douglas Shire Councils that, given £31,000, a week, and finally at Horn Island. The he could build an earth road to their require· journey takes five and a-half hours, but at no ments up to the survey, with drainage, time does the plane leave my electorate. That culverts and everything, fit for sedan car will give hon. members some idea of the size of the area I represent. traffic. During the four years that I have repre­ JUr. Gilmore: Did you spend the £31,000? sented Cook it has progressed tremendously, although much developmental work remains to Mr. ADAIR: He assured the councils be done. There are now graded roads from that he could build the road for that sum. Cairns to Coen, Wenlock, Port Stewart and I do not know whether he would have got Laura. the contract to construct the road. I believe Recently I went to Laura and Cooktown in tenders had to be called. my Volkswagen and the journey of 230 miles Mr. Gilmore: Did you actually spend the took from eight to nine hours. The roads are well graded. The Labour Government did money that you got for iU much for the progress and development of Mr. ADAIR: The Douglas Shire Council that electorate. had refused to take it because the Premier said Many important projects are in hand, the that if his Party got into power they would most important being the construction of the build the road. I hope that he will fulfil his link between the Daintree River and Bloom· obligation. The road is of vital importance field. It will bring Cooktown 80 miles nearer to the people of Cooktown. It would open to Cairns than by the Mulligan Highway. The building of the Mulligan Highway was begun up a vast area of good country carrying huge four or five years ago. Although the journey stands of timber. over it from Cairns to Cooktown takes only lllr, Windsor: What class of timber? Address in Reply. [10 SEPTEMBER.] Address in Reply. 141

J.Ur. ADAIR: All classes, hardwoods and cannery at Koongal was built on a similar softwoods. It carries some of the best tonnage. We also placed before the Govern­ timber in Australia, silkyoak, pine, even ment the year before last a suggestion for hickory. The arm has a great potential as a the canning of beef from the Queerah meat­ tourist attraction. The road from Bloomfield works, which was estimated at 2,000 tons. passes thTOugh 16 miles of the heaviest scrub Other fruits such as papaws are grown exten­ I have ever seen. On the side of the sively in the area and could be used for mak­ McDowall Range, Roaring :\1:eg fim, s into the ing fruit salad. Bloomfield River and there are wateTfalls larger than the Barron Falls. I understand JUr. Gilmore interjected. the water drops 650 feet. JUr. ADAIR: I know more about Mareeba A pineapple cannery is required at Cairns. than the hon. member does. The North can produce wonderful pine­ apples far superior to those grown in the Another matter that I wish to bring before South. The North has excellent soil to the notice of the Government is the erosion grow pineapples. The site for the cannery that is taking place at Yorkey's Knob, one has already been chosen at Stratford. of the most important pleasure resorts in the area. It is threatening its existence. JUr. Pizzey: What do the experts say about the suitability of the pineapples for I ask the Minister to have this matter canning? rectified. In the ''Cairns Post'' of 18 July the ;)Jr. AD AIR: They could not say other Premier promised the people of the area that, than that they arc suitable. if the Liberal-Country Parties were returned lUr. Gilmore: Why did you not build the to power, they would take steps to overcome <.:ann cry in the last four years~ the beach damage along that st>afront. It was a big statement to make, but that is the I\Ir. ADAIR: The C.O.D. had control of report. He is reported as having said also that. The Labour Cabinet did make a sug­ that the correction of the trouble was one of gestion to the cannery. A cannery was first urgency, and that he would send two experts of all established in Brisbane and as time from the Department of Harbours and went on the C.O.D. built another at Koongal. Marine and the Main Roads Commission The Government could now help to estal1lish there. I now remind him of his promises a cannery in the Far North. and I trust that this Governme·nt will honour them. The residents have done a lot lUr. Gilmore: The Labour Government of work, but it is a very difficult task. refused to build a cannery in Cairns. The Cook Shire is one of the largest in the I\Ir. ADAIR: The Government said that State. It has an area of 50,000 square miles, as soon as 4,000 tons of pineapple were grown and revenue of only approximately £16,000 a cannery would be built at Cairns and they a year. It needs a lot of assistance for promised that £500,000 would be available developmental work. The previous govern­ for the building of it when this tonnage was ment gave much help in developing the area reached. and constructing roads. Olililes of roads have lUr. Gilmore: Are you sure about that? been graded from Cairns to Cooktown, Laura, Coen, Wenlock, Batavia, and Ebagoola. lUr. ADAIR: Certain. In support of my The money came from Main Roads remarks I read the following from the "'Cairns Post" of 16 July- funds and Federal aid. The Shire receives £24,000 a year in Federal aid for the " Mr. Nicklin said his Government would honour the agreement already made in rela­ maintenance of these roads. I trust that the tion to the building of a cannery at Cairns. present Government will continue that policy The agreement approved by the Gair Gov­ of assistance. Brnment that when the required tonnage of In the Cooktown area the·re is a belt of canning pineapples were grown, 4,000 tons, 60 miles of rich, red and black soil country the Government would give a guarant

I suggest that the Government build a to the Government to allow Japanese divers sugar mill at Cooktown. If they want to to work the beds off Thursday Island. This develop the far North that is the way to do is a very serious matter. Many of the it. Cooktown has the soil, the rainfall and islanders fought for us during World War II, everything else for development. and the Government should hesitate before doing anything that will force them into 1Ur. Pizzey: What we want is a bigger unemployment. The claim has been made market. that only Japanese divers can recover pearl­ ~Ir. ADAIR: With the opening up of shell from deep waters, but I know at least the Japanese market extra assignments will half a dozen islanders who can dive equally be given. I trust the Government will con­ as well as the Japanese. It is merely a sider the building of a sugar mill at matter of training them to dive to 30 or 35 Cooktown. fathoms. I warn the Govemment that if they allow Japanese divers to operate in the Another problem causing much concern to waterrs round Thursday Island, they will the people is the closing down of the timber mill at Cooktown. Whether it was the fault for

areas of the back country. I am afraid we (who may not even be a good Crown tenant) do not breed orators out there; we call a gets the benefit of the outgoing selector's spade a spade. However, we do breed sheep energy and years of labour. and cattle-and some pests. Most important I have no hesitation in arguing that this of all, though, we breed good Queenslanders. is all grossly unfair and unjust. Surely hon. members will agree that the selector should Of course we have our problems. Mo~t grazing land is held under the leasehold tenure. have the right to contest the new rental as he Large estates are gradually being sub-divided was allowed to contest the rental of each and with that policy I agree. Indeed, closer successive seven-year review! I ask the settlement is the policy of my Government. Minister for Public Lands to give early con­ Our districts, although sparsely settled and sideration to the introduction of legislation away from the hurly-burly of the city, are embodying my suggestion, thus giving very important to the economy of the State. tenants the justice that they so richly deserve. Most of the wealth of the State comes from As I mentioned, the selectors concerned have the back country. For that reason alone some proved themselves to be good tenants of the encouragement should be given to the men and Crown and valuable assets in the economy of women-and I include the working people, the the State. I think hon. members will agree wage earners--who elect to make their homes that I am entitled to speak with some and rear their families away from the amen­ authority on this subject when 1 mentioned itieb available to the more favoured city that the Balonne Shire, of which I have the dwellers. We have to fight for our rights. honour to be a councillor, depasturcs about The most important matter, perhaps, is the one-tenth of Queensland's sheep. rc•nt of the lands so very important to our Another matter to which I wish to refer is livelihood and the economy of the State. I the pests with which our grazing industry is am sorry to say that the policy of previous beset. These are legion, but I refer to two in Governments was, figuratively speaking, to particular. First, there are the kangaro?s lonc1 the willing horse until it was on the point which have become a menace and an econom1c of breaking down. I refer to the method of burden. At one time before an avaricious determining rentals. A grazing homestead, and an unjust Labour Government came into in particular, carriPs a 28 year lease with a this picture, men who worked on stations and living area priority at the end of t?e ten~. men who were temporarily out of employment Rentals are re-assessed at seven year Interva,s were able to shoot kangaroos as a sideline and by the Land Court comprising men trained thereby earn some extra money which surely in their particular sphere who act on the best they are entitled to do, as some reward for advice available, including that of the officers their decision to remain in the back country. of thP Crown and the lessees' representatives. But about three years ago the Government of All this is in order, but up to the present all the day saw where they could gain some extra the valuable work of the re-assessment tri­ revenue at the expense of these men and they bunal has been cast aside when the renewal placed a levy of about 6d. per head on each rental for a priority lease has been kangaroo shot, and also made it compulsory determined. In the past, renewal rentals for a kangaroo shooter to take out a shooter's of priority leases have been unfairly permit. These men resented what they con­ and arbitrarily determined by the Minister, sidered to be an unfair restriction on their forgetting that the lessees are the people liberties, and refused to be regimented, with who, at great sacrifice to themselves the result that the kangaroo menace got out and their families, are producing the wealth of hand and numbers have since increased to which is the backbone of the State's economy. an alarming degree until today kangaroos When deciding on the rental which the lease are seriously affecting the economy of the will carry over the new priority period the wool industry. The .303 bullet is virtually Denartment of Public Lands completely dis­ unprocurable. They are so costly that it reiarcls the previous decisions of the Land hardly pays to shoot a kangaroo, even if Court and fixes an arbitrary rental which is bullets were available. The numbers are always a very steep increase on the last rental multiplying to an o l-:;zning extent. The :fixed by the Land Court which itself has pro­ other day I s~ w the manager •'" Wilcox Mofflin and he agreed that it is almost impos­ gressively increased the rental at each of the sible to get .303 bullets. One skin-buyer m four previous seven-y<:>arly reviews. Further­ St. George has this year paid for 50,00€1 more, the more the selector has developed his skins, and his contribution is only a sma,• selection the higher the rent is fixed which portion of the number shot in this distrie<­ means that a man is taxed on his industry. Today kangaroo skins are so low in value that A selector may spend half a lifetime devel­ they are scarcely worth shooting. oping his selection and bringing the land into productivity. It has become his P<·,me as well As further evidence of the difficulties con­ fronting the wool industry, I should like to as his livelihood, yet he is faced with the tell the House about the destruction of sheep alternative of accepting the Crown's arbitrary and lambs by wild pigs. The Waggamba rental or getting out without adequate Shire is a rather restricted area as shires go, recompense or means of redress. If but this year the council paid for 10,000 pig he does not accept the new rental snouts; the Balonne Shire Council, of which without question the land is made -I am a member, also paid for 8,000. As many available by ballot and somebody else graziers set poison baits for pigs all the year 144 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply. round and do not bother to collect the snouts, lUr. BEARD:liORE: That is for the the 18,000 paid for by the Waggamba and Government to decide. Balonne Councils would be only a small por­ tion of the number destroyed. Hon. members Mr. BURROWS (Port Curtis) (2.23 whose electorates contain pig-infested coun­ p.m.) : I endorse the expressions of loyalty try know that the losses cccused by wild pigs by other hon. members. I too congratulate among Jambs and lambing ewes are hard to you, Mr. Speaker, on your appointment. I calculate. feel sure ;·ou will discharge the duties of your office with credit to ;wurc:Jlf and Wild pigs are found on river flats and in benefit to hon. members. the best of our lambing aml wool-groiYing coun trv. It is hard to get anyone let alone Many promises \vere heard during the profes~ional shooters to shoot \Yild pigs at reecnt election campaign. To repeat a remark 2s. a head. In this instance also the cost of I made during that period, it was the most ammunition is a faetor. ''promising'' campaign I have ever paTti­ cipated in. Many, if not all, of the promises A .303 bullet costs 1s., so that at 2s. a were irresponsible statements made without snout, pig-shooting is ' 'on the nose.' ' Hon. thought of consequences. 'l'hat is to be members will realise that the destruction of regretted, but they n·ere mnde and if possible pigs by shooting is not economic. They will will have to be fulfilled. I doubt that thev continue to d•stroy sheep as at present unleEs will be fulfilled, but I hope not onl;Y for th"e a greater inducement for their destruction sake of the GoYermnent but also for Queens­ is offered in the way of a bonm on pig land that some will be carried out. There is, snouts at least double the present bonus. however, one promise that I sincerely hope Before concluding I should like to read will not be fulfilled and it deab with the from a letter that I received from one of my freeholding of land or the offer of the constituents. It is elated 4 September, 1957, Government to freehold land. and is as follmvs:- :ilfr. Roberts: You can bet that that ''·Dear Mr. Beardmore, \Yill be fulfilled. '' I<'ollowing on seeing you at Parliament House a few days ago on the kangaroo :illr. BURROWS: The hon. member for question, there are a few further points I Whitsunclay says that it will be fulfilled. want to make reganling the menace in this 'l'hat is most disappointing because the onlv district. l,erson who can possibly benefit is the very "I did not mention that I had to take \Yealthy person. agistment on an 8,000-acre tlock almost adjoining here. This freshly-rung country lUr. Roberts: Rubbish! now has more kangaroos on it than I have got sheep on the place. I was acro~s to :illr. BURROWS: If the hon. member have a look at my wethers yesterday, and will be patient I shall put forward some reckon I will have to shift them in another sound reasons why that policy cannot help month. I have nothing to add to Tihat I the little man. It can only help men like told you re m:· own place 'Naldera,' but the hon. member for Aubigny and those I am paying £70 agistment per 1,000 per fortunate enough not to be worried about month to feed these 'roos on the above­ economics. The freeholding of land is of no mentioned place. advantage. I have written down a few of ''Kangaroo-shooters have taken approxi­ the reasons why it should have no appeal to mately 1,100 'roos per year off this plaee the ordinary genuine primary producers. I in the last two years, but only a fe"\v have not enough tears to be able to shed any hundred this year-they complain that they for men in the class of the hon. member for are too thick for good shooting.'' Aubigny and the big companies who O\Tll large tracts of freehold throughout Queens­ To explain the last statement, I mention that land. when a shot is fired the whole paddock of kangaroos shifts, and it is then difficult to Jir. Sparkes: Who said big companies follow them. The letter continues- own freehold~ "Why don't you \Yait and learn something~ " \Ye certainly have more kangaroos toc1ny that I have seen heTe in the L•st 10 3Ir. BURROWS: If I had to wait until years. I learned something from the hon. member ''The above statements are hue and I would be older than Methuselah. I pro­ correct and can be used with safety any­ pose to enumerate some of the reasons why where.'' I submit freeholcling is not advisable. They are- That is the picture. If the Government will 1. It does not add to the fertility or gi,·c some nlief, it \Yill be of l'eneflt not the production value of the soil; only to the industry but to the ecollomy of 2. From the taxation 1 oint of view it the State as well. has a number of disadvantages; 'h·. :\I ann: ~Why not strike a levy on the 3. Freehold land can be resumed with whole industry indead of asking the Go~.-. no less facilit:· than comparable land held ernment to come to its aiel W under other tenures; Address in Reply. [10 SEPTEMBER.] Address in Reply. 145·

4. From an economic or business point to perpetual lease. As everyone will admit, of view it has no attraction in view of Mr. Forgan Smith was very astute and was over-capitalisation; more concerned about public revenue than 5. As security for bank accommodation about large freeholders. He would not con­ it is not recognised as being any better sider the proposal and when I asked him why than perpetual lease tenure-- he said, "vVe get more out of that man now in income tax and land tax than we would ]Ur. Sparkes: It is optional from rentals under perpetual lease.'' ~Ir. nURROWS: I have had experience A further point to support my argument is and I speak from experience. I do not come that the owner of freehold land is no more to this House with a lot of tommy-rot. The immune from resumption than is a leaBe­ last reason is- holder. If for example, the authorities 6. It is an undesirable relic of the old wish to build a road through freehold land, feudal system whereby the individual it can be resumed with the same facility as instead of the State becomes thG landlord. leasehold land or land held under any other When I read out the first reason the hon. form of tenure. The Government may want member for Aubigny said that I did not the land for a paTk or for some other purpose. know what I was talking about and had Upper Burne·tt land was resumed for closer stated something that >Yas obvious. I do not settlement and in more recent years two think if I spoke for 10 hours I would be properties in my electorate were resumed for able to convince a man who would dispute soldier settlement, and quite rightly, too. that proposition for one second. Therefore From the business and economic point of it is unnecessary to elaborate on it. As to view, freeholding has no attraction but rather the taxation point of view the hon. member has it a strong tendency to bring about over­ for Aubigny will realise that freehold land capitalisation. Perhaps I could best illustrate is subject to land tax >Yhereas perpetual that by citing a hypothetical case. A man leasa is not. Despite what anybody may has a piece of land with an unimproved value say, there might be a different GoYernment of, say, £1,000. He would need £1,000 to in power tomorrow. freehold it. On that capital value he would Jir. Sparkes: Ha, ha! pay a 3 per cent. rental, or £30 a year. Not many farmers have £1,000 in cash, but if he JUr. nURROWS: The hon. member for had the money or could borrow it from the Aubigny can laugh. but when the Federal bank he could earn 5 per cent. or 5i per Government abolished land tax he told me cent. interest if he invested it in the State that it meant £10,000 a year to him. Why Electricity Loan or some other gilt-edged should I waste tears on him when there are security-£55 a year! Why should he use the thousands of homeless and unemployed for £1,000 to save £30 a year and miss the oppor­ whom I can be sorry~ tunity of making £55~ If a farmer did not have the money he would automatically go to lUr. Sparkes: Are you worried about the the bank. Not every farmer is a business fellow who is paying the taxes~ man. He probably knows a great deal more than other men about growing vegetables or JUr. nURROWS: I am worried about the crops or about the fine points of a cow, or a man whom the Government will lure into con­ horse, or a sheep, but when it comes to busi·· verting his tenure from leasehold to free­ ness practiee he is a babe in the woods. He hold. They will eventually make him feel would go to the bank because he would have very sony for himself, just as their counter­ been told by the Country Party and people parts did in 1929-1932. I have seen men put like the hon. member for Aubigny that that millstones round their necks under the system was the thing to do. They have so much of conditional purchase. They have under­ money that it does not matter to them if they taken a burden from which they have never earn only 1 per cent. or 2 per cent. interest. really recovered. The farmer would go straight to the bank and Another argument in favour of perpetual borrow the money to freehold his land. lease tenure is that payments made towards Later on he might want further moneys but, freeholding land are not a deduction for as he had borrowed the money to freehold his income tax purposes, whereas perpetual lease land he would not get any and so would have ren tals are. to g~ without an implement or something else ~fr. Ewan: Do you suggest that free­ that he could well use in the course of his holders should convert to le-asehold~ business. I think that well illustrates the dangers of over-capitalisation when free­ Jir. BURROWS: The hon. member had holding land. better not ask me what I suggest. It may not be complimentary to him. If he has l'I'Ir. Sparkes: You go along to the bank enough mate·rial for a speech, he ~Can make one with a freehold property and a leasehold later on. property and see what they have to say about which is the better security. Some years before I was elected to Parliament, a grazier who owned a large 3Ir. nURROWS: As to security for bank tract of freehold land sounded out the late advances, I have seen it not once, but dozens Hon. \V. Forgan Smith about converting it of times. If hon. members want a good 146 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

example let them go to the Monto area Mr. BURROWS: I will deal with that which I represented for some years before point later. I sincerely hope that one o£ the electoral boundaries were altered. Take the promises made by the Liberal-Country two adjoining farms which are as near as Party at the elections-that, if returned, they possible to being equal in every respect would ease or greatly relieve or completely except one is a freehold and the other per­ overcome the housing shortage-will be ful­ petual lease. Their sale price and security filled. If they only greatly relieve the posi­ value for the purpose of borrowing money tion I shall be the first to congratulate them. from a bank are equal. No discrimination This is a very serious problem. I sincerely is made. hope that the Government have not been just Mr. Sparkes: What are you doing with stirring up hope in the minds of people who freehold in that place of yours up at Glad­ are looking forward to occupying their own stone J It is freehold. homes. It will be to the discredit of the Government if the hopes of these people are Mr. SPEAKER: Order! to end in bitter disappointment. Last week I was shocked when I got a letter from the Mr. BURROWS: The only piece of free­ Treasurer and Minister for Housing in reply hold land I aspire to is 6 feet by 3 feet. to one I l)ad written asking him to have more homes built at North Bundaberg and Glad­ Mr. Sparkes: You would not need a stone, two of the areas which I represent, tell­ piece 3 feet wide. ing me that no homes would be built by the Mr. Aikens: They could fold you up Housing Commission in those areas during and put you in a butter box. this financial year. Needless to say none has been built during the six weeks of this finan­ l'lr. BURROWS: If the hon. member cial year. I made inquiries from the Court happened to be Treasurer he ·would \Vant to House at Gladstone as to the number of appli­ tax me even then. cants waiting for homes, and I was informed The financial houses of the State make no there were 62. 'l'he number would have been discrimination between freehold and per­ greater but for the fact that many people, petual lease for security purposes. Any intel­ finding that there were 62 applications in ligent person who reads a sale list of farms already did not put one in. I sincerely hope will find that there is no difference in value thnt these people will find something more in comparable freehold and perpetual lease than disappointment at the end of 12 months. properties. Freehold land is an undesirable I did not make the letter public because I relic of the old feudal system when the indi­ felt that there must be some mistake some­ vidual and not the State was the landlord. where. I took the first opportunity to button­ There are men who would like to own big hole the Minister for Housing in the lobby tracts of land where everybody would have to and he said to me, ''I am afmid it is correct, do what they were told by the landlord. They but what is wrong with getting in touch with would like to be able to kick people out when­ some of the building societies~'' If the Gov­ ever it suited them as they did in England ernment are looking to the building sociflties a few hundred years ago. to solve the housing problem then, if they did the decent thing, they would resign immedi­ JUr. Pizzey: On your argument it is ately and apologise to the electors. I rang better to rent a home than own one. the Darling Downs Building Society, one of the biggest building societies in Queensland, Mr. BURROWS: I am referring to the which has agencies throughout the State, and tenure of land. asked them ·what their terms were and they Mr. Sparkes: It is optional. Nobody is told me the interest rate was 6it per cent. I going to have it forced on them. asked, "How much per £100 would that be over a 30-year loan)'' Mr. BURROWS: Leave things as they are. The people own the land. The Mr. Aikens: Are you speaking of interest Almighty gave the land to nll the people, not or interest and redemption~ a £ew. If the Government are going to advise people to freehold the land let them tell the lUr. BURROWS: I am speaking of people the disadvantages of freehold land. interest. I said, ' 'What would be the repay­ ment per £100 for a 30-year loan W'' I Mr. Sparkes: Tell them the advantages was informed that they did not grant loans too. for 30 years as is done by the Housing Illr. BURROWS: The hon. member is at Commission. I was informed that the loans liberty to debatp the matter and put the were for a 10 to 11-year period and that was advantages as he thinks there are. But I have the limit. To my question about repay­ given it serious thought and I do not see any ments I was given the information that it is advantages. I see many disadvantages and I only 5s. a week per £100, that is, £13 a year. particularly warn the small man not to over­ The repayment in respect of a house costing burden himself with the liability of freehold­ £2,800 would be £364 a year. My inquiries ing his property. lead me to believe that house purchasers cannot get homes much under that figure. Mr. Aikens: Would you not rather own On top o£ the payment of £364 the purchaser the allotment on which your home stands~ would have to pay rates, insurance and Address in Reply (10 SEPTEMBER.) Address in Reply. 147 painting eharge-s every five years, and if he }fr. BURROWS: A man would be was a prudent person with a sense of responsi­ required to pay £300 or £400 for an allot­ bility he would have to make provision for ment on present land values, and that is not sickness, unemployment, life assurance, and an exorbitant figure, and if he was borrow­ a holiday. 1'o meet those costs a wage earner ing from a building society to build his home would need a basic wage of £20 a week. If and had to pay off the price of freehold land, that is the height of the Government's he would commit himself for a further £300, ambition on the problem of housing, they and he would have to pay 6} per cent. on would be doing the decent thing if they the £300 as well as find a sum each year resigned and apologised to the electors for towards redemption. On the other hand, if putting them to the trouble of voting for he got a piece of perpetual lease he would them. pay only 3 per cent. of the capital value as As a matter of interest I compared repay­ against 6} per cent. for freehold. ments by purchasers of homes through the Housing Commission on 30-year loans at 4} 1'\Ir. Aikens: You are forgetting that every 15 years or so the Department of per cent. The repayment per £100 is Lands would jack up the value of the land £6 2s. 9}d. and make him pay more on it. }fr. Aikens: Interest and redemption? Jir. BURROWS: That is possible and it Mr. BURROWS: Yes. Assume that is also possible that the value could come 30-year loans were available from building down. We must also remember that the societies. At 6} per cent. interest the repay­ freehold land could be subject to land tax. ment per £100 would be £7 13s. ljtd., or a There are hon. members-and I will not difference of £1 lls. 4±d. a week per £100. mention names-whose home sites in the city That is the difference between the interest of Brisbane are subject to land tax. of 4} and 6} per cent. On a loan of £2,800 the difference is £43 17s. lld. a vear. The }fr. Aikens: Are they not going to significance of that high interest rate will be abolish land tax~ appreciated by hon. members. I was told by the Treasurer in good faith Mr. BURROWS: No. that the banks were given a charter to enter }fr. Aikens: They opposed it bitterly the savings bank field on an arrangement with when your Government introduced it. the Federal Government that they would apportion some of their savings bank deposits Mr. BURROWS: I want to refer to the to home-building. Instead of dealing necessity for better roads throughout the directly with home-builders and in order to State. This problem is cast from one Gov­ save the detailed work involved, they have ernment to another and as a result we do not offered to lend that money in bulk to building get the roads we want. I believe our roads societioo at 5 per eent. if the State Govern_ are distintegrating or deteriorating at a ment will guarantee the loans to the building societies. In that way the banks will be saved faster rate than they are being built as a a great deal of trouble. The average interest result of the interstate and heavy transports on deposits in savings banks is about 2 per travelling over them, particularly in the cent., and the banks have offered to lend that southern part of the State. It is no good money to building societies at 5 per cent. if beating about the bush-we must have money the Government guarantee the loans. Their to build roads and neither this Government intere.gt rates vary from nothing to 2! per nor any other can build roads without money. cent., but assuming it averaged 2 per cent., I was astounded to read the amount collected they would lend it out wholesale and the in taxation from the motoring public by the money they lend is guaranteed by the State Federal Government in the last five years. Government. One can understand what a The following amounts were collected from racket the banks have and what a price the motor vehicle users by the Federal Govern­ Federal Government are paying to the banks ment for the three years to 30 June last:­ as a pay-off for the assistance they give in £ obtaining loans. Petrol tax 153,900,000 ll'fr. Aikens: Not including donations to Customs duties on vehicles and the Country-Liberal Party funds. parts 36,300,000 llfr. BURROWS: That is part of the Sales tax on vehicles and parts, pay-off, and I do not doubt that those dona­ etc. 174,000,000 tions are more than amply recovered by the stranglehold they have on the money market. £364,200,000 Touching on freehold and connecting it with housing as I promised to do, I point Only a fraction of that huge sum was given out that if a man had to borrow money, and to the States for the construction of roads. I suppose there would only be an odd work­ I tried to ascertain the exact figure, but I ing man who would not have to borrow any was not able to· get the details. However, to build a home today-- on information that I have gathered from }fr. Aikens: He does not have to borrow reliable sources I should say that less than money to buy a home site. £100,000,000 has been spent on roads. The 148 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply. remainder of the £364,000,000 has been used incurred in going to and from work; the by the Federal Government for other remainder were for injuries actually sustained purposes. at >YOrk. I should like to quote Sir Earle Page, JUr. Baxter: They might have been then Dr. Earle Page, in 1926, when, as incurred in such a way that no safety Federal Treasurer, he introduced the petrol appliance would have been able to avoid them. tax. This is what he said- '' The State Governments, lacking the lUr. HERBERT: I was coming to that. power to impose Customs duties, are That is something that cannot bo done by unable to effectively reach all road users. government regulations for safer machinery The Commonwealth, therefore, is because injuries caused by machines are rela­ co-operating with the States in a national tively few in industry. roads policy and will impose special Cus­ I selected an industry in Queensland PIJrres­ toms duties which will be hypothecated for ponding roughly to the average in the road construction. The imposition of these American figures. In that industry out of duties at the source will ultimatel;v result 239 cases of injury in 12 months only two in road users paying their special tax pro­ were caused by maoehinery. Fifty-three of portionately to their use of the roads.'' them were the result of slips, trips and falls. Sir Earle may have been sincere in what he So the regulations relating to safety in said, but how conscienceless he has been industry could improve the position in that proved to be! That was in 1926, and the ~n~ns~ry by only two accidents a year. The further the Federal Government went the lllJunes from slips, trips and falls were less they paid out for the building of roads. purely the result of carelessne·ss such as No class in the community is taxed as heavily faulty stairways and placing things in the as the motorist, and no class gets less wrong places so that people might fall over service from Governments. them. America has made an extensive study of the problem and I have with me quite a (Time expired) . number of American publications on the subject. The Australian figure for firms Mr. HERBERT (Sherwood) (3.3 p.m.) : I should like to associate myself with other that have branches in both America and hon. members in their declarations of loyalty Australia are approximately four times as to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I high as the corresponding American figures, should like also to congratulate you, Mr. which shows the effect of education on Speaker, on being elected to your high and employees. Here is a list of the losses to the noble office, with the full realisation that you .community or the employer through injuries- will carry out your duties in accordance '' 1. Loss of output of injured employee. with tradition. 2. Loss of time occasioned by foreman or fellow employees rendering assistance. It gives me very great pleasure to take part in this debate and to have the hearing 3. Disruption of regular routine of of a sympathetic ministry who will give care­ factory and possible delay in filling orders. ful consideration to all matters brought for­ 4. Damage to machinery, equipment or ward, irrespective of the politics of the hon. material. member who makes the suggestion. 5. Psychological effect on other employ­ I intend to say something about safety in ees, which reduces outputs for periods industry, something that is above politics; running into several days. it should be of interest to every section of (This has been proved by actual records.) the community. It affects management 6. Payment of wage,; or compensation because it has an influence on profits, and involved while employee is incapacitated. it affects the worker because of the suffering he has to endure if he sustains an injury at 7. Reduced production between date of work. employee's return to work and his restora­ tion to normality.'' To show how much industrial accidents lUr. Baxter: That does not give the full cost the community, for the year ended picture, because human life is far more 30 June, 1956, the State Government Insur­ important than time lost. ance Office paid in workers' compensation the huge sum of £3,709,919. The total paid lUr. HERBERT: I am listing them all. during the year, including claims for previous That is the attitude of management. Apart years, was £5,307,363. That gives an indi­ from the usual humanitarian attitude that cation of the cost of injuries to the State. any good management should have, one cannot After all, the State Government Insurance assess what it means to an employee who has Office is a State instrumentality and, as all been injured. Even if he is off work for compensation claims are paid through it, only a short time he may suffer greatly in his we have a very clear picture of the actual ability to enjoy his recreation and normal costs involved. Claims during the year, aoetivities. I dare say there is not a normal which included 268 for deaths and 412 for person on compensation who would not rather permanent injury, totalled 57,747-a tremen­ be back at work and in good health. dous number for one year. Incidentally, only Insurance payments cannot compensate for 3?! per cent. of the claims were for injuries suffering. As well as the financial commit- Address in Reply. [ 10 SEPTEMBER. J . Address in Reply. 149

ments involved there is also the social prob­ every claim for compensation there are many lem of individual suffering, an important injuries to employees that do not go as far thing for the Government to consider. as a compensation claim. Therefore the To handle the huge subject of industrial actual loss must be considemble. safety in Queensland we have the organisa­ JUr. Hanlon: Vlould you say that tion known as the National Safety Council injuries have decreaseu since the decrease in of Australia, Queensland Branch, and differ­ hours; ent bodies like the Standards Association and the Australian Institute of Manage­ ~Ir. HERBERT: No decrease has taken ment. The National Safety Council has a place at all. I assume that the hon. member total membership of 33 in Queensland. is l'eferring to the reduced working hours There are only 33 members of an Associa­ from 44 to 40. There has been no appreci­ tion which has to handle the problem that in able decrease in the accident rate. The America needs huge organisations producing Queensland division of the Council is com­ all sorts of books and statistics. Lack of pletely autonomous. Its function is to act industrial safety costs the State millions of as a clearing house for the parent bodr in pounds yet we have only 33 people belong­ Melbourne and to assist with a wider distri­ ing to the National Safety Council. There lmtion of the industrial safety educational are one or two other similar organisations. service, which is an offshoot of a separate I am not attempting to include road safety Council in the South. Subscriptions are of because this is being competently handled no moment when you consider the overall by a separate expert body. problem. The material comes from the The problem of industrial safety is even South, free. 'l'he main function of the greater than road safety so I should like to Executive Committee here is to give particu­ see the Government set up a body of people lar attention to all safety matters for actually trained in industrial safety. I do Queensland, with the exception of road not 'Yant the Government to introduce any safety, which comes under the jurisdiction of more regulations to strangle industry but the Queensland Road Safety Council. This the appointment of one or two experts in report deals at length with the figures which the Department of Labour and Industry is I summarised from the State Government warranted. These experts could advise Insurance Office. Some very interesting industry on where accidents are likely to figures are contained in it. The la test happen. They should be men who are information available shows that in Queens­ rapable of going through statistical records land the losses due to injuries for the year nnd "'Orking out which industries are hav­ were 915,739 man-days, an increase of 27 per ing an overall greater accident rate than cent. on the previous year's figures. They are they should. There is a tremendous field for indeed staggering. The man-days lost that sort of work. through industrial accidents for the year 1955-1956 were equivalent to the loss of About nine years ago the State Govern­ approximately 3,874 man-years. In other ment granted the magnificent sum of £300 words, Queensland lost the equivalent of to the National Safety Council to help them 3,874 men for a full working year. That is in their work. Despite repeated requests for an indication of how much injuries cost this further assistance not one penny has been State. The great majority of these acci­ made available. In the absence of a section dents could be prevented through an educa­ of the Department of Labour and Industry tional process. ThPse figures are taken to handle it I should like to see finance from compensation cases, but cases in which given to the National Safety Council. I have compensation was claimed, but not paid, are their annual report here. Last year from not included. It is a problem that requires their own resources they had an income of very careful consideration. 27.5 per cent. of £185 and an expenditure of £168. In a State the. fatal accidents for the 1955-1956 year like Queensland, to spend £168 on such a big were due to motor-vehicle accidents and nroblem is not even scratching the surface. objects being handled. The report deals with That is all the money they have been able percentages of major industrial accidents to get. caused in works. They are as follows:- Mr. Baxter: How long do you say they Fall of persons 13.7 have been in operation~ Hand tools 12.9 Stepping on or &triking against ~fr. HERBERT: This is the lOth annual report so I take it they have been going for objects 11.6 10 years. All that they are doing in Queens­ Machinery 8.8 l:mi! is distribute literature from the South. It is not the machinery which is the danger They are not initiating any rPsearch at all to the workman. In many cases accidents here. They have 48 subscribers to the are due to the carelessness of the ·worker or serYice. In other words, there are 48 firms his mates. These main figures are related to rereiving the various advertisements. ApHrt the human element. Ten per cent. of our from tho State Government Insuran"e Office Queensland work force were absent for an report there is absolutely no substantial average period of 18.44 working days as a rercnl to be found of the injury rate in result of industrial accidents. No doubt that Queensland. All we ran work on are the losR must have had a detrimental effect on actual figures of compensation paid, but for the production capacity of this State. 150 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

JUr. Houston: What about the illumina­ Under the system in other States, indus­ tion of workshops~ tries with a low accident rate are called upon to pay a lower premium, but that is not so in JUr. HERBERT: That would come under Queensland because compensation rates are the Factories and Shops Acts. We need payable on an industry basis. No incentive educational powers to educate our manage­ is given to an individual employer to reduce ment and employees on safety in industry. the accident rate in his industry. Any The Victorian Government make a large benefit gained by individual action would be annual grant to the Victorian branch of the spread over the whole of industry. If the organisation, so that we get a considerable Victorian system of relating the premium to amount of material from the South. In the accident rate in the industry is intro­ addition to the National Safety Council, there duced here, there will be a tremendous is an accident prevention group of the Bris­ upsurge in interest. bane division of the Australian Institute of Management has been operating for four JUr. Power: Would the employer not be years and it delivers six lectures annually. interested in the safety of his workers~ Many business exe.cutives attend, but we could with advantage encourage attendance by foremen, workers, union representatives ~Ir. HERBERT: Yes, but he would take and others who come in contact with large a greater interest if he knew that any _acti~n groups of employees, so that they in turn taken by him would mean a reductiOn Ill could impress upon employees the fact that workers' compensation premiums. That in many instances accidents are the result of would be an additional in•Ce·ntive. It has their own or their mates' carelessness. been proved in the other States that if rebates are allowed for reductions in the The problem will snowball. It is all very industry accident rate in a workshop, greater well to say that compensation is paid, but the safety me·asures will be taken. premiums are tacked onto the overall cost of production and are passed on to each and lUr. Aikens: Can you give the reason every consumer. why compensation payments t_o Ne':' Aus­ tralians are so high in companson With old A comparison of American and Australian Australians? :figures reveal that accident rates here are three to four times as great as in America. lUr. HERBERT: That is a matter for That is sufficient proof to my mind of the the Insurance Commissioner to work out. What research into industrial accidents and the I have said covers most of the facts I wanted education on safety in industry carried out to mention in relation to industrial safety. in America. The decrease in the accident I have outlined the problem as much as it is rate in that country is proof of the bene:fit necessary at this stage. of the .campaign. If we could introduce this type of education in Queensland, compensa­ 1 mentioned that road safety had no bearing tion premiums could be reduced considerably. on this problem but there are one or tw(} That would be of benefit to industry points relating to road safety that I want generally, but the most important benefit to mention. The first is the construction of would be a reduction in the number of clover leaf crossings. This is a construction workers injured in industry. It is poor com­ that has been used in overseas countries for pensation to get a few pounds a week for an many years; America and Germany. in par­ injury. The most important result of the ticular have used them, and they w1ll C(}me campaign would be a reduction in the number here eventually. I should like, however, to of injuries. see ''eventually" taken to mean "now". As part of the centenary celebrations, an Such crossings have started in the South and industrial fair is to be held in 1959. An it is time Brisbane started too. I make the industrial safety conference is to be convened suggestion that the first one, looking at the by the National Safety Council in conjunc­ tniffic potential, be at the junction of Ipswich tion with the Australian Institute of Manage­ Road and Oxley Road. There has been con­ ment and the Standards Association. Queens­ siderable Press publicity of late to accidents land will be the host State, but we will have in that area. The area is not heavily indus­ nothing to offer other delegates. We will trialised and resumptions will not be costly. have to admit that we are babes in the wood Fortunately, at that junction the removal. of on this subject and that we desire to be the existing buildings would not be particu­ taught the elements of the subject by the larly costly as the hotel has to be remodelled, other States. nnyway, and the other buildings could be removed without much damage to them. The I suggest that the Department of Labour geological layout is such that it commends and Industry get experts to carry out investi­ itself to a clover-leaf type development, and gations, .collect material and prepare informa­ it could be used as the initial testing ground tion for that convention. In that way · in Queensland for that type. It is one which Queensland would be making some cop.tribu­ has a heavy accident rate; a number of deaths tion to a solution of the problem. The other have occurred in the last 12 months and it is States are not tackling it to the same extent an ideal place for the first attempt at clover­ as America, but at least they have made a leaf crossings. They are expensive but they start. must come in the development of traffic in Address in Reply. (10 SEPTEMBER.) Address in Reply. 151 this State. I should like to see a start made JUr. Jesson: Are you referring to in the near future in queensland in that type children of all ages, or only those of Scholar­ of construction. ship standard~ 'l'o work the parish pump a little more, I lUr. HERBERT: They test children of mention the Coopers Plains rail crossing, and all ages, but they concentmte on those of the desirability of boom gates. Last year a Scholarship age because that is when they semi-trailer loaded with stock was caught at are about to start secondary education. that crossing, but if it had been a semi-trailer of children there would have been an outburst Requests have been made to the Public of public opinion. The crossing is used by Service Commissioner for a reclassification of residents of the Coopers Plains housing settle­ the Research ancl Guidance Branch. Repre­ nwnt. Eventually there will be a serious sentatives of the Commissioner carried out fatality at that piace involving children and an inspection last year, but so far no word we will ge a move in a direction that should has been received of the result. have taken place years ago. That is some­ thing which could be considered in the near ~Ir. Davies: Was the department con­ future. sidering re-classifying the guidance officers~ I vmnt to touch on my pet hobby horse of Mr. HERBERT: Yes. It is preferable €ducation and direct a few points towards for a guidance officer to have as a qualifica­ Tesearch and vocational guidance. The tion an honours degree in psychology. reason I kept quiet on this subject is that up until re~ently I had a close relative in the Mr. Davies: Are the guidance officers department and I did not want my comments seeking a higher status~ to LE' construed as having come from family .:IIr. HERBERT: Yes, That is the only connections. As my sister has gone oversens way to attract really good men into the to get married, I can mention a point which service. has worried me for some time. I am sure that all hon. members know what vocational lUr. Davies: Are you saying that the guidance is. Psychologists travel from school decision on their classification has been held to school testing children of scholarship age up for some time~ and advising them of the type of education they should continue with. They can tell the ~Ir. HERBERT: The Branch has heard parents of childl'en of scholarship age whether nothing, although the investigation was made the boys, for instance, have an aptitude for early in 1956. It is about time that some­ c•ugineering or not. A parent might think that thing was heard about the result of the the boY should be a doctor but the vocational inspection. guiclm{ce experts tell the parents that although thev would like the child to become a doctor ~Ir. Davies: If the decision was in he ;,.ould make a very good engineer. They their favour, they have lost a considerable can tell also whether a child is capable of amount from the delay. mH1erbking a secondary school education. llir. HERBERT: That is so. Another The Research and Guidance Branch is a point is that the permanent guidance officers H'rv import:mt section of the Education work Public Service hours, whereas the DeiJartment, but unfortunately it has been seeoncled teacher enjoys the same salary ancl neglected during recent years, There are very holidays as the secondary school teacher. few vocational guidance officers, and lack of Although the permanent officer gets £30 a adequate staff is the main problem. At present year more than the seconded teacher, he does there are only six permanent vocational not enjoy the benefit of seven weeks' leave guidanre officers for the whole of Queensland. at Christmas. I should imagine that anyone That is absolutely ridiculous. would prefer seven weeks' holiday to £30 a year. After two years in the branch a An Opposition Member: They are doing a wonderful job. seconded teacher has to decide whether he will be come a permanent officer or return ~Ir. HERBERT: They are doing a to teaching. Naturally, rather than lose the \Yonclerful job. In addition to the six benefit of the seven weeks' leave, most of permanent guidance officers there six them go back to teaching. seconded teachers. Those 12 officers are The Research and Guidance Branch should supposed to handle all the pupils in Queens­ land. According to the department's annual not have to clepencl on teachers for its staff. report, during 1956 they interviewed 15,000 A great deal of the work of the guidance young people ancl adults. That was a officers is clone during school holidays, when tremendous number of interviews, an increase parents with children who attend schools that of 22 per cent. on the previous year. are not visited can interview them. iUr. Baxter: Was that over the whole llir. Houston: Are the teachers who of Queensland~ joins the staff teachers of academic subjects'

lUr. HERBERT: Yes. Although 11,500 Mr. HERBERT: Yes. Generally they are children were tested, in fact it was merely Arts graduates who have taken a specific scratching the surface. interest in psychology. 152 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply.

lUr. Houston: I take it that the officers and a future problem to the State into some­ who offer guidance to lads as to what one contributing to thP national welfare. industry they should enter know something Everything possible should be done to extend about that industry~ the ;ervice. We shall have to go outside lUr. HERBERT: That is part of the Queensland because up till the post-war years course they have to do. The Research and we had no graduates in psychology from the Guidan~e Branch is a very vital part of the Queensland University. It was a relatively Educatron Department and its officers are new subject here, but it is becoming increas­ doing a very good job. I have a list of the ingly important. Many graduates from the seconda.ry and primary schools in the metro­ South would be encouraged to come if they politan are.a ~hat receive guidance. By a were given a little more than normal school strange comc1dence, none of the guidance wages. We cannot expect men of that calibre officers go into my area. They work on a to accept a job at a low salary. system with high schools as the base as follows:- i\'Ir. Davies: You made a serious state­ ment before about their classification. I Banyo High-Eagle Junction Nundah hope the Minister will investigate it. Sandgate, Virginia, and Ascot. ' ' Indooroopilly High-Milton, Ashgrove, ~Ir. HERBERT: I hope the Minister Ithaca Creek, Ironside, Indooroopilly will investigate it fully. Many things should State, and Taringa. have been done yearR ago, but they were not Camp Hill High, Wynnum High and done. My approach to safety in industry Intermediate-Camp Hill Coorparoo, and vocational guidance is non-political. Morningside, and Greenslop~s. They are both problems that go beyond State High, Mitchelton High-Newmar­ politics. There are no politics in them, but ket, Kelvin Grove, Mitchelton State they are matters touching the welfare of the Enoggera, and Oakleigh. ' people and should be so accepted by an Kedron High-Wilston, Stafford, Wind­ responsible members of all political bodies. sor, Wavell Heights, Chermside, and All that is required is a sympathetic hearing W ooloowin. by the Minister and proper direction. Very little money is involved when we consider the Cavendish Road High-East Brisbane overall advantage to be gained. West End, Cavendish Road, Intermediate; Mt. Gravatt, and Buranda Boys. Let me deal with the parochial subject of Salisbury High-Brisbane Central high schools that so often crops up in the Yeronga, Junction Park, and Moorooka.' Address in Reply debate. I have had a num­ Those are the only schools they do directly ber of appeals for high schools in the Sher­ in Queensland. That does not even scratch wood electorate. On the Southport line there the surface. It merely takes in the biggest is no high school between Salisbury and schools in the metropolitan area. The Beenleigh and a high school at Sunnybank branch does send out an odd guidance is an absolute necessity. I spoke at length officer on a flutter up the coast, but it does last year on the possibility of a high school not give them an opportunity to bite into at Wacol because there is no such provision the real problem. You cannot sit a child at between Indooroopilly and Ipswich. The a desk for 10 minutes to do a test and then kiddies at Inala have to leave home at decide whether he should be a doctor, an 7 o'clock in the morning to get a serondary engineer or a plumber. The problem is much school education. The hon. member for greater than that. The child's whole future Bremer would be very interested in the estab­ may depend on the decision. Parents nowa· lishment of a high school in this area. days accept scientific aids to such decisions. I hope to see the Minister for Housing move It is of the utmost importance that the on the drainage problem at Inala. The hon. Research and Guidance Branch be expanded member for Chermside spoke at length about and improved to attract the best officers. the borers at Zillmere. I am quite sure that lUr. Davies: I agree with you that it any borers at Inala would drown in the drain­ should be expanded, but the guidance officers age sumps. ~Whoever conceived the bright have done good work for the towns on the idea of building a satellite town in the scrub coast. forgot that every one of the houses would dis­ charge a considerable amount of water and ~Ir. HERBERT: Admittedly, the guid­ ance officers deserve all praise. I hope no­ he did not decide where that water was to one will think I am criticising the branch go. Many people have been condemned to live at all. They are doing a wonderful job, but at Inala, to pay £1 a week to get to Brisbane, they suffer from the natural restrictions due with nowhere to go for recreation, to have to manpower shortage. They cannot possibly household water discharged into yards, and if do nJl the cases justice. For instance, they it does get out of the yards by illegal drain­ could spend days on one case. If a guidance ing into the concrete gutters it runs down the officer comes across a borderline subnormal hill and wanders through the creeks and gullies case he may spend days and days on it and to Oxley Creek only to create further nuisance possibly a great deal more of his own time. It is a challenge to him to try to convert a all the way to the river mouth. child who may be a problem to his family (Time expired.) Address in Reply. [l 0 SEPTEMBER.] Address in Reply. 153

Mr. WATSON (Mulgrave) (3.44 p.m.): North, one called the Eight-Day Tour; it I wish to associate myself with the sentiments caters particularly for people who travel at of loyalty to the throne and person of Her leisure. This tour, which costs £33, affords Most Gracious Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. tourists an opportunity to see a great deal. I am sure that the electors of Mulgrave would Most of the attractions are in my electorate, desire me to so express myself on their behalf. with the exception of the Barron Falls and Let us cast our minds back to the Queen's some in the Innisfail area. Seventeen visit to North Queensland. The hon. member hundred people went on the eight-day tour at for Mundingburra once said that I would have a cost of £33 each in the last few months. very little chance of ever getting our gracious Although one steamer was taken off the Queen to visit North Queensland. tourist run, it has been a very productive year. There have been 10 boat trips to the lUr. Aikens: I got her there. North and just over 1,000 people from those boats ha\'e made the three-day tour. Most ~Ir. W ATSON: No. I am pleased that I metropolitan residents do not realise the was able to get the Queen to visit North tourist attractions of North Queensland. I Queensland. The people of the North very hme had an opportunity of visiting the much appreciated her presence. Southern points of interest, but in North I congratulate my Leader on taking over Queensland we see nature at its b<:>st. I the Premiership. Mr. }<'rank Nicklin is held have said that tourists are the ambassadors in very high regard in North Queensland as of the North. I am confident that they a man of undoubted honesty and integrity. appreciate the points of interest and realise It is indeed a privilege to see him sitting in the great potential of North Queensland. the Premier's seat. I congratulate the mem­ They must realise the opportunities of the bers of the new Cabinet on their election. North available to them, or to their children. From 1 .January to yesterday During the debate on the Appropriation Bill the Leader of the Opposition endeavoured to J 0,450 people have visited the tourist resorts surrounding Cairns. The half-day and one­ create the impression that this was a Queen day tours are very popular and cover attrac­ Street Government. If anyone had cause to tions rarely to be seen elsewhere. I refer be upset it would be the people of the North, but I have just returned from that particularly to the trip to Green Island. I cordially invite those hon. members who have area and I can assure the House that the people up there are indeed very proud of the not made the trip to visit Green Island and see from the underwater observatory the Cabinet. There were three Cabinet Ministers representing the North in the previous Gov­ wonders of the Great Barrier Reef. This ernment, but they saw very little of the underwater observatory is a round cylinder built at Cairns and taken to Green Island. North during their term of office. We have been in office only a few weeks and whether It is set in the centre of the coral. It holds approximately 25 people and enables them to it is due to my representations or not, we are having visits from our Ministers. The see the beautiful coral and fish of all colours. It is something that cannot be seen in any Minister for Public Lands and Irrigation is to visit the Mareeba-Dimbulah area, and the other part of the world. Premier is to visit the North in a week's time. I have discussed problems of the tourist trade with officers of the Tourist Bureau and llir. Jesson: To open the Tully Falls I am informed that the main criticism of Scheme~ tourists is the lack of suitable hotel accom­ modation. There is a need in all towns for lUr. WATSON: I remind the hon. mem­ second-class hotels, but there must also be ber that the Premier will also be visiting hotels to give tourists the service they Cairns to meet several deputations. He will require. I am not advocating extravagant visit other great projects now being carried accommodation, but tourists require reason­ on in North Queensland. I am sure the hon. able amenities. To improve service in the member for Hinchinbrook does not know Cairns district I suggest a training course what he is talking about. We are not at all for hotel managers. Most managers are perturbed at the composition of the Cabinet; only interested in the bar trade. Training on the contrary, we are proud of it. During in courtesy, tact, and method of approach to our term of office a new era of prosperity clients would create a greater feeling of will be ushered in. friendliness with tourists. Some hotels give Government Members: Hear, hear! reasonable service, but in the main hotel managers look on the bar trade as the most lllr. WATSON: I was particularly important aspect of the hotel business. interested in His Excellency's speech relat­ ing to decentralisation; it will be of great I am proud to be associated with the importance to the North. Yungaburra Hotel, one of the best in North I am very interested in the stimulation of Queensland. There is little at Yungaburra the tourist trade and I pay a tribute to the apart from the sawmill. There is a surround­ Queensland Tourist Bureau for its particu­ ing population of 500 or 600 residents, but, larly good job. Its officers stationed in the hotel caters for tourists and provides all Cairns are very keen to carry out their job. the amenities of southern hotel5. That service There are three very popular tours in the is greatly appreciated by tourists. The ]54 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Address in Reply. cuisine is greatly appreciated. If hon. mem­ recovery per acre without exception in the bers should have the opportunity of visiting Mackay area is greater than any other the North they must not miss the Yunga­ area m Queensland. Not only has it a burra area because there we have the Tully reasonable tonnage per acre, it has one of and Malanda Falls, and the beautiful lakes, the highest c.c.s. figures in Queensland. Eacham and Barrine. Tourists must become From the point of view of economical cane­ ambassadors for all the· beauty spots. growing, the Maekay district would be as good as any other cane-growing area in the ~Ir. Aikens: Do you believe in the erec­ State. Of eourse, I am not opposing the tion of a sugar refinery in North Queens­ suggestion of the hon. member for Cook that land W a sugar mill should be established in the Bailey's Creek area. I am sure that if the Mr. W ATSON: The hon. member for Treasurer was in the House he would agree Mundingburra is endeavouring to make my with what I am about to say. In 1952 I had spePch for me, but he knows me well enough the pleasure of taking several members of to lmow that I shall speak on the sugar Parliament through that part of North industry as I see it and not as he wants Queensland. There are thousands of acres me to. of excellent land there and, as the hon. JUr. Aikens: I was wise enough to know member for Cook said, its timber wealth is that you would shy off that one. outstanding. We travelled from Bailey's Creek to Chinaman's Camp, to Bloomfield, to Mr. W ATSON: I listened with great the Mcivor River area and the Black interest to the speech by His Excellency the Mountains, and everything that the hon. Administrator of the Government in open­ member for Cook said is true. However, after ing Parliament on 28 August last, and I a full investigation of the sugar industry, a was particularly pleased to hear him say- royal commission recommended against the '' The new Government is fully cogni­ opening of a sugar mill in that area. sant of the fact that available capital ~Ir. Jesson interjected. resources from the usual channels are wholly inadequate for the proper develop­ ment of the State, and that the future lUr. W ATSON: The industry was granted advancement of the State to a place of an increased area and in the Abergowrie high prominence in the Australian economy district, which is in the electorate of the hinges on the ability of the Government to hon. member who has just interjected, a mill attract to Queensland the huge capital was duplicated. If the hon. member for investment necessary to fully exploit and Hinchinbrook had wanted to help the hon. develop are unparalleled natural resources member for Cook, he could have supported of our State." a proposal to build a sugar mill in the Cooktown area instead o:f duplicating a mill Every reasonably-minded member knows that in his own area. our financial resources are limited and that to get the expansion so necessary in this The sugar industry plays a vital part in State we must have outside resources. I the economy of North Queensland, particu­ am sure that the Minister for Labour and larly along the coast. Without it, North Industry is fully cognisant of that; his Queensland would have a sorry tale to tell. recent visit to the South will attract capital Along 1,300 miles of coastline, including part for the expansion of our industries. of New South Wales, there are approxi­ mately 9,500 cane farms with varying In previous speeches I very clearly out­ assignments, on approximately 600,000 acres lined the benefits derived by the sugar indus­ of assigned land. As only 75 per cent. of try from the • Menzies-Fadden Government assigned land can be harvested it can be and it is not my intention to go over that said that 450,000 acres of land are harvested ground again. My remarks are in "Hansard" annually in the sugar industry. The industry of 1952 and 1953. I gave a complete out­ produces approximately 9,000,000 tons of line of the sugar industry and explained cane annually from which 1,200,000 tons of the price subject from the time of William sugar valued at £50,000,000, are manufactured. Morris Hughes up to the present time. I do not intend to repeat them today. I was During the last five years a considerable rather perturbed to hear a remark by the hon. amount of money has been spent m increas­ member for Cook, a close friend of mine, ing the capacity of the sugar industry. which I hope was not made in earnest. If I Australia is now the fourth largest sugar­ understood him correctly, I think he sug­ producing country in the world, and although gested that the Mackay area should go out of we compete with many countries that use cultivation in favour of a mill in the Bailey's black labour we can sell sugar at a price Creek area. comparatively less than that for which they can sell it. Mr. Adair: That is not right. Along the 1,300 miles of coastline to which lUr. WATSON: He said that after looking I have referred there are 31 sugar mills, at the cane grown in the Mackay area he more than half of which are co-operative was sNre that it should go out of cane and mills. It is a feather in the cap of the the assignments transferred to Bailey's co-operative mills that in addition to paying Creek. Let me make it clear to him that the their growers the award rate for cane, they Address in Reply. [10 SEPTEMBER.) Address in Reply. 155

can pay their shareholders a reasonable bonus. 1\Ir. W ATSON: That will be realised at It is very gratifying that year after year the end of the year; at the moment it is eo-operative, semi-co-operative, and privately­ indefinite. We are more perturbed at the owned sugar mills are playing an important sugar price today than we were six or eight part in developing Queensland's coastal weeks ago. At one stage we were confident areas. The total value of the sugar mills, that with the overseas price we should including land and equipment, is approxi­ realise from £50 to £55 a ton overall. As the mately £140,000,000. That is a colossal hon. member has interjected, overseas prices figure. Of that sum, £50,000,000 has been have dropped as low as 3.9 cents but I am spent in the last five years on expanding pleased to say that in the last few days they production to supply the overseas market. So have risen to 4.2 cents. I am quite confident the cane-growers in particular are playing that the sale of the 1957 crop at a reasonable a great part in the development of the State. price is assured. Eighty thousand people are directly inter­ ested in the sugar industry and, assuming The dairying industry in my electorate that each one supports two and a-half plays a very important part in the economy others, there are now about 200,000 people of North Queensland. The whole of the dependent on the industry for a livelihood. Tableland in my electorate, from Yungaburra to RaYenshoe, is under dairying, 660 dairy­ The average annual consumption of sugar men rely solely on this primary industry. per head in Australia is about 120 lb. The There appears to be some doubt in the mind price is very stable and uniform throughout of the Commissioner for Prices whether there the Commonwealth. Higher prices of most should be any increase in prices. From my <·ommodities have made it hard for the house­ practical knowledge of the sugar industry holder, but sugar has not increased in price I can say that we are very careful about to anything like the same extent as other production costs. We can provide 20 per eommodities. In 1920, for instance, the basic cent. of the growers' costs of production wage was £4 5s. a week and sugar was and so we can submit a clear-cut £30 6s. 'ld. a ton or 5d. a lb. Today the basic case based on production cost. It is wage is about £12 a week and sugar is about a different story in the dairying indu&try £42 a ton or 9d. a lb. Grower's returns have because the dairy farmer not only milks cows risen by 40 per cent., wages by 180 per cent., himself but usuallv his wife and children and sugar by only 80 per cent. help. This saves iabour aml offsets a cost Mention was made this morning of the sale that would otherwise show that he was oper­ of sugar to Japan. I do not want hon. mem­ ating at a loss, It represents a costing bers to assume that there is an assured mar­ difficulty \Yhich the Commissioner for Prices ket in Japan. What happened this year may should take into account. never happen in the industry again. Because of certain climatic conditions Cuba's produc­ Mr. Power: You could overcome all tion fell. Japan clamoured for more supplies that by not opposing the Rural Award. and we were able to make a good sale. lUr. WATSON: The hon. member who lllr. lliann: Do you agree with the trade sat on the Government benches for many agreement with Japan~ years is now getting a little sympathetic, but no sympathy was shown to the dairyman lUr. WATSON: It has no relation to when his Party were in government. the sale we made in this instance. Dairymen cannot be expected to carry on JUr. Lloyd: The sale was made before under present conditions, they must be the agreement was actually ratified. encouraged with reasonable prices. llir. W ATSON: Absolutely. It was a lUr. :lliann interjected. " stab " sale. ~Ir. WATSON: Butter prices in my llir. Uoyd: I think it was 100,000 tons. area are not as unreasonable as the hon. llir. WATSON: Yes, simply because member would have it appear. It is milk Japan was clamouring for sugar and Cuba that we are worried about. In Malauda last could not supply it. There is no reason to year 1,957,842 gallons of milk were produced. believe that it will happen again this year or What a colossal figure! A total of 112,000 in the future. people are supplied with milk from that area. Milk is distributed as far west as Jllr. Lloyd: You disagree with the Mt. Isa. This is something I shall have to experts on thaU They say they could take bring to the notice of the Minister for 500,000 tons. Transport-apart from fresh milk supplies, lllr. WATSON: The sugar industry is in all the milk supplied to Townsville right ?ut ~o a somewhat different position from other Mt. Isa is carried by road. A earner IS industries. Not only are we producing all receiving about £70,000 a year for the trans­ the sugar for Australia's requirements but port of pasteurised milk; the Railway we are also supplying 314,000 tons to the Department is losing all that money. The United Kingdom and about 286,000 tons to first problem to be faced is that the milk the world market. would have to go from Millaa Millaa and Malanda on a slow train whereas direct road Mr. Mann: What is your export price? transport to Townsville is much quicker. 156 Address in Reply. [ASSEMBLY.] Questions.

:ilir. Davies: You must admit that the which it could be proud. At the present time Australian Labour Party Govemment gave the residents of Innisfail are at the mercy you good roads on the Tableland. of Townsville and Cairns. I am proud to be associated with a Government who have JUr. WATSON: The hon. member is out promised to develop Mourilyan harbour. of touch. Mr. Bruce M.H.R. said he was responsible for these roads. During the war I come now to the recent valuation of the millions of pounds were spent by the Ameri­ Innisfail district by the Valuer-General's cans on these roads; the Labour Government Department. Figures from the books of the made no iinancial contribution. It is pure Jolmstone Shire reveal that there has been bunkum to suggest that the Labour Govern­ an overall increase in valuations of 91 per ment were responsible for these good roads. cent. In some instances valuations were There is one way to overcome the difficulty. increased by 500 to 600 per cent., while in A rail transport could be provided from others the valuations were not increased. Innisfail to Townsville. The railways could Prior to the work being undertaken by this provide the tanks and the milk would be department, shire councils called tenders to taken by road from Millaa Millaa to Innis­ have valuations made. The previous cost of fail :md then sent to Townsville by rail. valuing the Johnstone Shire was £900, paid to 'l'h? railways would get about £50,000 a year, a Mr. Purdin. The recent valuation by the wh1ch would be very good business. I believe department cost £2,000. Under the former that the Minister for Transport is anxious to system an appeal court was set up to hear get this revenue. In the past all representa­ appeals by individual owners. Today the tions on the matter were brushed aside, for department is a law unto itself and the what reason I do not know. The dairymen on people have very little oehance of successfully the Tableland would be very glad if the appealing against valuations. Railway Department would do it. In the It has been said by hon. members opposite Millaa Millaa area about 130 suppliers that the free hospital system is to be dis­ provide milk for Innisfail. They do not continued. This Government regard free pasteurise it, but they chill, it, and they do hospitalisation as essential, and the Minister a good job in a limited time. has already improved on the former scheme. I am happy to know that during the elec­ I suggest in respect of hospitals boards tion campaign the Premier gave a pledge to throughout Queensland, particularly in North the people of Mulgrave and Mourilvan to Queensland, that they are controlled by those develop Mourilyan Harbour. In 1951 ·I went with union affinity, and the result is that to the trouble to look up reports of Royal the public generally are not getting satis­ Commissions on the development of the faction. harbour and I found that as far back as 1923 one reported that the Mourilyan Harbour (Time expired.) could be opened up with advantage to the Debate, on motion of Mr. Ewan, adjourned. town of Innisfail, but Mourilyan Harbour has gone backward instead of forward. In The House adjourned at 4.24 p.m. 1929 we had a better service in goods to Innisfail, but today the harbour is only taking away sugar. Why has it been left undeveloped for so long. It eosts the sugar industry approximate!;;· £220,000 a year to dispose of the sugar from Mourilyan and Cairns and that cost is spread over the whole of the sugar industry. There must be some reason why a harbour like Mourilyan is left undeveloped. JUr. Jesson: Why is not the freight on the cane from the Ingham Line to Giru made a charge on the whole industry~

:illr. WATSON: The hon. member is asking me to make representations on behalf of other electorates. If he is not capable of doing it, I shall have to get one of our own members to do it. Over the years a trust fund was built up and today it amounts to approximately £200,000. I urge the Premier to hasten this development. Tully is receiving a subsidy to have its sugar sent to Towns­ ville while the South Johnstone sugar is brought back to Mourilyan Harbour. Goondi sugar is shipped by freighter. That sugar amounts to about 120,000 or 150,000 tons annually. If Mourilyan Harbour was developed, Innisfail would have a harbour of