Queensland
Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]
Legislative Assembly
THURSDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 1947
Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy
Coal Mining Acts Amdt. Bill. [13 NovEMBER.] Questions. 1335
THURSDAY, 13 NOVEMBER, 1947.
Mr. SPEAKER (Hon. S. J. Brassington, Fortitude Valley) took the chair at 11 a.m.
QUESTIONS.
BUILDI.'IG CONTROL: CHARGES OF PUBLIC CURA'l'OR. 3Ir. lUORRIS (Enoggera) asked the Secretary for Labour and Industry- '' Has any permit been issued by his department under the Building Materials Control Act conditionally upon the .Public Curator receh·ing a percentage of rentals paid?'' Hon. Y. C. GAIR (South Brisbane) replied- ''No.''
l"ORECLOSURES BY AGRICUL'£URAL BANK.
~fr. NICKLIN (Murrumba) asked the rrreasurer- '' From 1932-33 to 1938-39 inclusi\·e, what was the total number of cases in which the Agricultural Bank foreclosed and/or took possession of mortgaged pro perties under the provisions of (a) the Agricultural Bank Acts, and (b) the Dis charged Soldiers' Settlement Acts·?'' Hon. J. LARCO:liBE (Rockhampton) replied- " The reply is as follo·ws :- --~ ~:I~arged ---- Agricultural Soldiers' Dank. · Settlement Total. 1 Act.
1932-~~ 84 57 193S-3H 49 30 1946-47 9 4
''The figures for each intervening year are contained in each annual report of the Agricultural Bank.''
RADIO EQUIP~IENT IN STATE SCHOOLS.
JUr. ~!ORRIS (Enoggera) asked the Secretary for Public Instruction- '' 1. What standa"rdised types of radio equipment will, in future, be installed in schools by the department, and what >Yill be the total cost of each type~ '' 2. As this equipment is now to be supplied by the department, will school committees be permitted to install selected machines, and repay their share of the purchase price over a period of time? '' 1336 Questions. [ASSEMBLY.] Questions.
Hon. H. A. RRUCE (The Tableland) BOTTLING OF DRAUGHT BEER. replied- '' 1. In future, the radio equipment to lllr. WAN STALL (Toowong) asked the be supplied to schools by the department Attomey-General- will be made especially for the department. ' 'Will he draw the attention of the Licen In every case it will be a combination sing Commission to the substance of a radio-gramphone, giving facilities for the special article published in the '' Tele use of recordings made by the department. graph'' newspapel' on 11th instant, in which The approximate cost of the various types allegations concerning the bac,k-room will be-(a) Battery operated (small bottling and sale of draught beer are made school) radiogram, £28; (b) electric radio against some Brisbane hotel licensees, and gram (small school), £40; (c) electric will he take prompt action to stamp out radiogram for larger schools, £40, plus such unhygienic malpractices~'' £12 for amplifier and £2 per speaker. That is to say, a school equipment supplying the Hon. D. A. GLEDSON (Ipswich) replied- head teacher's office and six classrooms will cost approximately £66. In every case, ,' The Licensing Commission has sent me half the cost will be met by this depart the following statement:-' The LicC'using ment. Commission issues bottlers' licenses to hotelkeepers only when the room and '' 2. The type to be supplied to each equipment are suitable for bottling under school will depend on-(a) Availability of hygienic conditions_ There are fifty-two electric power; (b) size of the school. Each bottlers' licenses in the metropolitan area. school will be required to forward its There are three recognised methods of contribution in full when the equipment is bottling liquor-(a) Bottling machines, about to be installed. The installation will which are quite satisfactory and usually be carried out by the department. '' installed in the larger establishments; (b) syphon system; (c) jug and funnel. . The Sm.vrMER ScHooL, GATTON CoLLEGE. equipment (b) and (c) are penmtte(l usually in the smaller establi~ht~Jents_ ~Ir. ~IORRIS (Enoggera) asked the Bottlers' licenses were granted prmc1pally Secretary for Public Instruction- for the bottling of wine and spirits. The "In regard to the Summer Agricultural inability of brewers to provide bottled beer School for Primary School pupils at the has resulted in a demand by the public Queensland Agric~ltural High School and for the bottling of draught beer, and hotel College, Lawes, mentioned in his report- keepers now attempt to meet this public demand by bottling draught beer which is '' 1. What is the commencing and finish now in more plentiful supply. The news ing dates of the school to be held dming paper claims that some person (un-named) the forthcoming vacation~ saw an employee (un-named) at an hotel '' 2. What is the method of selection of (un-named) 'suck the beer through a tube_' pupils for this school~ In syphoning beer the only approved methocl '' 3. Are there any vacancies fol' the is to first fill the tube with beer, but if school to be held during the forthcoming the newspaper reporter did actually see an vacation? employee suck the beer, it would b~ helpful '' 4. Wha't are the qualifications neces if particulars of the alleged happemng were sary for selection 'f '' made available to the Commission. The Department of Public Health has already Hon. H. A. BRUCE (The Tableland) undertaken to make an early inspection of replied- all bottling premises.'' '' 1. The Summer Agricultural School at the Queensland Agricultural High School and College commences on 5 January and DECE)!TRALISATION OF INDUSTRY. finishes on 23 January, 1948. )fr. WAN STALL (Toowong) asked the '' 2. The intention of the department to Premier- hold such a school was set out in the ''Education Office Gazette'' for July last, " What action does he propose to take to and head teachers were a.sked to give implement the suggestions made by ~he publicity to the school and to invite nomina Prime Minister in his reply to the resolutiOn tions from boys desiring to attend. The of the House, seeking the co-operation of notice also pointed out that, in making the Commonwealth Government in decen selections, the department would take into tralising industry in Queensland, since the consideration the following:-( a) Boys who Prime Minister has made it clear that the live on a farm and who have taken part matter is the responsibility of the Queens in agricultural project work; (b) boys who land Government~'' have left school and who are working on lt farm and who attend manual training Hon. E. lU. HANLON (Ithaca) replied- ciasses at any rural or vocational training school; (c) boys who live on a farm and ,' To all new industrialists from abroad whose opportunities for participating in and the South contemplating establishing agricultural project work or for attending themselves in Queensland, the question of manual training classes are limited. commencing in country towns outside Brisbane is always placed before them. To "3. 'No.' date, a cotton spinning and weaving mill "4. See (2)." proposes to commence at Toowoomba, a Questions. [13 NOVEMBER.] Questions. 1337
furniture factory at Cairns, and a lime Hon. J. E. DUGGAN (Toowoomba) works at Rockhampton. Brick and tile replied- '1"orks have been established at various '' The result wa·s due to revenue in the country centres. From the defence point of Southem and Central Divisions decreasing ,·iew the decentralisation of industries is substantially during the second period of ~he concern of both the Commonwealth and seven years, whilst that in the Northern St2te Governments. The division of State Division increased.'' and Commonwealth responsibilities in the decentralisation of secondary industries was considered at the August, l945, Premiers' TREATME)[T OF ORES IN NoRTH QUEENSLAKD. Conference which adopted the following lUr. PATERSO~ (Bowen) asked the resolutions, inter alia :-Conference agrees Chief Secretary- that decentralisation of secondary industry "Referring to his statement on 6 ~ovem should be carried out by joint Common ber during the debate on the Est1mates wealth and State action based upon the for' the Co-ordinator-General's Department, follmYing division of Statp and Coml?on in which he said, in effect, that when hydro \l"ealth responsibilities-State Tesponslblh electric works are constructed on the ties: ( i.) The development of second~ry Burdekin and Tully Rivers, zinc and other industry to be guided by the respective concentrates from Mount Isa and other State Governments along the lines of decen parts of North Queensla'nd can be treated tralisation appropriate in each particular in X orth Queensland instead Gf bemg State; (ii.) each State Government to under shipped to Tasmania, what plans, if any, take to the full extent of its resources the have been made to have such treatment provision of services and the financial costs works constructed in conjunction with these of assista·nce 2nd concessions. (In cases hydro-electric works?'' where requests for assistance involve public works expenditure in order to provide Hon. E. JI. HANLON (Ithaea) replied- 2dditional services, the financial aspect will, '' The survey for the Tully Hydro-electric of course, be dealt with through the Scheme is now approaching completion, but machinery provided by the Loa~1 Council the design of the final scheme has not yet and the National Works Counc1l.) Com been put in hand. The Burdekin work is monwealth responsibilities: (i.) Close as yet in the preliminary stages of investi collaboration with State Governments in gation as to irrigation, flood prevention, Tegard to all matters of Commonwealth and possible hydro-electrification. The industrial policy which may affect the Govenunent 's plans for regional electrical development and location of inclustry, \yith development by water and coal power are particular reference to the means of brmg aimed at encouraging the maximum indus ing before industrialists the possibilities of trial development including treatment works decentralised locations for development; for concentrates.'' ( ii.) inwstigation, in association with State Gowmments, of the prospects of developing secondary industries in selected areas, EST.\BLISH~IE):T OF STEEL IKDUSTRIES IN particular consideration being given to the QUEE)[SLAND. disabilities requiring to be offset in those ::\Ir. PIE (Windsor) asked the Premier- areas· (iii.) advice to the States of '' 1. Ha's he been advised of the visit to clevel~pment of secondary industry desired Australia of Mr. E. C. Lysaght, the in order to provide more satisfactorily for Honourable H. C. H. Bathurst, .ioint defence needs; (iv.) provision of financial managing rlirectors of John Lysaght assistance to the States, especially in (England) Pty. Ltd., and Mr. A. Macbeth, respect of the capital and/or operating a director of Guest, Keen, and K ettlefolds costs of particular undertn kings, provided Ltd., London, which is associated w~th ( a) Examination reveals that the success of Lysaghts, who have a·nnoun.ced plan~ f~r the projeet is in the ;!!.'eneral ;1ational greatly expanding t118 steel mdustry m tlns interest and that the financml costs mvolvNl country? are substnntial in relation to the resourc''' of the State or States concernefl; ana (b) '' :0. If so, has he made any approach the State or States concerned unrlertake to to these industrial visitors \Yith a YiC\\' to provide such services and assistance as may inducing· them to investigate the po~sibility he agreed upon. '' of establishing their industry m tlns State? '' 3. Is he myare also, that Mr. S. E. RECEIPTS FR01I GREAT NORTHER)[ RAILWAY. Leppington, of Leppington (Cutlers) Lt(~., of Sheffield England has come to Austraha }fr. 3fArDONAIJD (Stanley). for ilir. to study th~ prospect~ o~ establ~sh~ng ~ local lUJSSELL (Dalby), asked the Minister for offshoot of his firm, wlnch spec1ahses m the Transport- cutlery ancl steel ceilings industries! '' \\'ill he kindly explain the reason for '' ±. Has he made nny approach to Mr. tllc remarkable improvement in the finan Leppington on the lines suggested in Part eial rctmns of the Great Northern Railway 2 of this question.' ' in the seven vears after 30 June, 1930, Hon. E. }I. HANLON (Ithaca) replied- hcing the best of the three divisions in " 1, 2, 3, and 4. I am advised that the contrast with the heavy losses incurred Yisit to Australia of Mr. E. C. Lysaght, prior to that date, when they were the the Honourable H. C. H. Bathurst, and worst of the three divisions?'' l\h. A. l\Iacbeth, is primarily in connection 1338 Questions. [ASSEMBLY.] Sttpply.
with the development of theix existing PAPER. industries in New South Wales. Inquiries are being made in regard to the visit to The following paper was laid on the table: Australia of Mr. S. E. Leppington. In all Regulation under The Apprentices and cases of this kind, the Secondary Indus Minors Acts, 1929 to 1945 ( 6 November). tries Division endeavours to interest such industrialists in a visit to Queensland so that they might pursue their inquiries in SUPPLY. this State also.'' RESU1IPTION OF COMMITTEE-ESTIMATES ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH ALLOTTED DAYS. CONFEREKCE ON COMMONWEALTH-STATE RELATIONS. (The Chairman of Committees, Mr. Mann, :lfr. PIE (Windsor) asked the Premier---'- Brisbane, in the chair.) '' 1. Is he aware that the Premier of ESTIMATES-IN-CHIEF, 1947-48. Tasma'nia has announced that a conference of Commonwealth and State· Ministers DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. would be held early next year to discuss Commonwealth and State financial rela CHIEF OFFICE. tionships¥ Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-Secretary '' 2. Will he, in view of the Prime for Public Works) (11.18 a.m.): I move- Minister's statement that he could not see the value of such a conference a'nd would '' That £50,081 be granted for 'Department continue uniform taxation, outline the of Public Works-Chief Office.' '' views of this Government in regard to the It will be noted that the total amount holding of the proposed conference, anu proposed to be appropriated for Chief Office its attitude towarus the continuance of uni for the financial year 1947-48 is £6,096 in form taxation¥'' excess of the corresponding appropriation for the financial year 1946-47, which was £43,988. Hon. E. IU. HANLON (Ithaca) replied The increased appropriation is necessary to "1. No. meet snlary payments of additional staff '' 2. The attitude of the Queensland required for the efficient performance of the Government on the present taxation system work of the department. At 30 June, 1946, has been repeatedly expressed. I would the staff numbered 247, and an additional suggest to the hon. member for Windsor number is now required. The reason for that he seek to convert not only his own appointing an extra clerk-typist is the expan party in Queensland, but his confreres in sion of our works programme and the increase the Federal sphere, namely the Liberal in the returns, which require the maintenance Party of Australia, who are strongly in of a close internal check. favour of the present system of taxation. For the hon. member to assert otherwise It will also be noted that two chauffems is sham fighting, as he is perfectly well are to be appointed. Previously we had two aware of the solid support of the Liberal temporary chauffeurs. They have now been Party throughout Australia for the main appointed to the permanent staff. A mes tenance of the present system of uniform senger has also been appointed in connection taxation.'' with the work of the Local Government Branch. We require three more telephone DISSECTION OF HouSING FIGURES. switch attendants and two extra lift atten dants to comply with award conditions. Under lUr. CHALK (East Toowoomba) asked the Secretary for Labour and Industry- the telephone attendants award it is provided that certain rest periods must be taken by '' 1. Has his attention been dra\vn to members of the staff, and it is necessary that the fa'ct that the latest bulletin on housing two more attendants be appointed to ensure progress issued by the Government Statis that the provisions of the award will be carried tician does not provide any dissection of out. One of the new telephone-switch attendants figures to show houses built by Govern will be employed at the new switchboard for mental authorities and houses built by the fourth unit at Anzac Square. A quantity private builders~ surveyor has been appointed to the Architec '' 2. What is the reason for thiS' change tural Branch and a clerk-typist and two clerks in presentation of figures~ to the Clerical and General Branch. There '' 3. Will he assure the House that is one architect less in the Architectural instructions will be issued for future Branch and one supervisor less in the Inspec bulletins to contain this separation of torial and Construction Branch. figures~'' Those are some of the reasons for the Hon. V. C. GAIR (South Brisbane) increase in the vote. If hon. members desire replied- further information I shall be pleased to '' 1. The latest bulletin issued by the supply it. Government Statistician does provide for a dissection of figures to show the numbers lUr. KERR (Oxley) (11.21 a.m.): With of dwellings erected under Government the present Minister in charge of the Depart sponsorship. I would refer the hon. mem ment of Public Works I sincerely hope that ber to page 2 of Bulletin No. 27 of 1947. we shall see a definite improvement in the conduct of that department. The departiD'\nt "2. See answer to No. 1. could possibly be excused during the wat- for '' 3. See answer to No. 1.'' not being able to carry out the work required Supply. [ 13 NOVEMBER.] Supply. 1339 of it, particularly in regard to State schools tenders were called and the work would be and other public buildings. My experience carrie·d out just as efficiently and much more has been that there appears to be a lack of expeditiously than it is under the day-labour co-ordination and co-operation between the system. Department of Public Works and the Depart ment of Public. Instruction. I must say, lllr. THEODORE (Herbert) (11.27 a.m.): however, that since the new Minister assumed I desire to congratulate the Minister on his office there has been a definite improvement. appointment to the important portfolio of Probably the position with regard to materials Secretary for Public ·works, Housing and and labour has eased but I wish to pay my Local Government. It is a difficult position compliment to the hon. gentleman because to hold in a post-war period and it requires if a job is requested the work is done without a man of determination, capacity and courage delay, and that is only as it should be. I to do the job well. However, the Minister hope the new 1\finister >Yill do a great deal has all those attributes and great things can more towards the improvement of his depart be expected of him. Country people in ment; he is starting off on the right leg, so particular have it forcibly brought to their to speak. I am being fair in that regard notice that considemble difficulty is experi and I am giving credit where it is due. ence-cl in having jobs ranied out under existing conditions with the shortage of man From the experience of most hon. members power and materials. vVhen war broke out, the delay that has occurred in the department man,1· jobs were about to l>e begun but is unpardonable. There has been no co-opera they had to be held in abeyance and tion between the two departments and the toda;· many of them cannot be done delay that has taken place almost prompts because there is a shortage of paint, for me to suggest that -each department ·of the instance. There arc 3 7 or 38 schools in my (;oYernment should have its own independent electorate, all of which require painting to T'ublic \Vorks Branch. I see, of course, the some extent, ancl I suppose the same difficult,v r1ifficulty arising in connection >Yith the Rail exists in other electorates. Where it is IYaY Department, but the delay I speak of possible to obtain a small quantity of paint might have been a1·oided with an efficient and some painting work is carried out. Schools energetic staff in the Department of Public that can reasonably and comfortably house \Vorks. up to 40 children now have considerably over I notice that there has been an increase that number, and efforts are made to provide of roughly 50 per cent. in the Architectural temporary accommodation for them, either Branch of the department. That is a sub un·der the school building or by fixing blinds stantial increase and it seems to be out of to Yerandas. That is entirely unsuitable in all proportion to other. increases. It does wet districts like Tully and Innisfail, because not necessarily, however, indicate that public the temporary accommodation is ineffective works will be carried out more expeditiously against the strong winds and heavy rains that o l' that any more undertakings will be carried we get there. I am anxious to see some out in the future. It indicates that the improvements made as soon as possible so that planning of the Architectural Branch is the children will have the best possible probably moving in the right direction but education. We had hopes that the adoption ~;·e have to go a long way further to get our of the principles of area schools would have \YOrk up to date. Many schools throughout brought considerable benefit to the districts Queensland require attention, from the roof concerned, but we must not delu·de ourselves to the ground. I sincerely hope that the or our people into believing that they will be Minister will stir things up; I believe he is available in the near future. I do not think the right man to do it. that they will be, in view of the present I appreciate that the Secretary for Public. difficulties, and so we must do what we can Works is handicapped by labour conditions. to make the most of the existing facilities. There is a black-market in carpenters, brick JUr. Pie: Can we talk about area schools layers and builders' labourers and the opera on this vote~ tions of the department is hamstringed because it cannot go beyond the award rates. )Ir. THEODORE: Yes. The hon. mem Better conditions ar.e offered by outside ber can ask the Chairman. The hon. member employers and the men naturally gravitate to knows that is one of the schemes being those jobs on which they can get a better planned by the Government. reward for their work. The CHAIR~IAN: Order! Area schools 1Ur. Power: And the increased cost is eome un·der the vote for the Department of passed on to the jobs concerned. Public Instruction.
lUr. KERR: I know that, but I cannot ~fr. THEODORE: I thought this would suggest how the department can overcome the be the most proper department on which to practice unless it reverts more to the contract discuss that matter. We look to the Depart system and carries out less work by day ment of Public Works to erect the buildings. labour. I have had many complaints about various That prompts me to ask how many private Government buildings. We have not been tenders have been called by the department badly treated by the department in the and what were the conditions of tendering, Herbert electorate, although many other elec whether on the basis of a lump sum or a torates have been provided with some good percentage. I am sure that more work would public buildings. Recently a new court house be done for the department if more private was built in my electorate but there are many 1340 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. buildings in it that could be improved to June and July, before I came down to this niake the conditions of the people more bear session, I found most of the work passed to able. I have one in mind, the residence of a be done and most of the work arranged to sergeant of police. I made application to the be done there by uhe Department of Publie Department of Public Works for certain ·works had not yet been beguni although the repairs to be effected to it. An inspection department had the materia stacked at was made but it was impossible to effect any certain places. Under the Giru school timber repairs immediately because of the scarcity of and cement were stacked for eight or nine paint and materials. That is why many months, for the purpose of effecting repairs departmental jobs are held up an-d 1ve can necessitated by t·he damage caused by the expect that delay to continue until men and flood nearly two years ago, but the work had materials are in greater supply. I am confident not· been begun. When I went to see the that the Minister will see that all parts of Supervisor of Public Works in Townsville, the State will receive every consideration in he told me he had been fortunate-and he was the construction of public works and improve crowing considerably; I suppose he had ment of public buildings. reason to ·crow-in getting a carpenter to go to the Girru school and do the work. He said lUr. AIKENS (Mundingburra) (11.32 it was exceedingly difficult to get carpenters a.m.): 'l'his is a particularly difficult Yote on and t·radesmen to leave the city and go to which hon. members are required to speak. the country areas and do necessary work in When all is said and done, the Department of Government schools up to a good construc Public Works is merely a constructing auth tional standard. '!.'hat timber and cement had ority for every other depa1·tment. For been under the Giru school fo'l· several instance, if the Department of Public Instruc months, while the Supervisor of Public Works tion decides to build a school here or there, at Townsville had been exhausting every effect repairs to a school building, or avenue in an endeavour to geu tradesmen to construct a school building, it merely passes go down and do the job. The Anabranch the order on to the Department of Public school in the Ayr district is wobbling on its Works. stumps. The school was slewed round by the 1946 flood and it is in a very bad state JUr. S}Jarkes: They sometimes turn it of dis•repair. The Department of Public down. Instruction has passed the necessary estimat~ ~Ir. AIKENS: Not necessarily. for the work to be done and the Supervisor of Public W arks at Townsville is doing all 3Ir. Srmrkes: But they can. he possibly can to get down there and haYe the repairs effected. He was good enough The {jHAIRliAN: Order! to inform me that he will do the job as soon Mr. A IKENS: I should be very surprised as possible. For over 18 months that school to hear that if the Department of Public was not only out of alignment, but in my Instruction considered an estimate and in its opinion was distinctly dangerous to the wisdom decide·d to erect a school, the Depart teacher and the pupils. I went under the ment of Public Works had an overriding school with the headmaster and the secretary authority ,and rould refuse to proceed with its of the school committee, and I was able to construction. I take it that only the actual juggle the stump caps round the top of the work of construction is a matter for the suumps; the school was not resting on many Department of Public Works. 'J:he determina· of the stumps. Similar conditions obtain at tion whether a building should be constructed other country schools in my electorate. 'rhe or repaired is a matter for the relevant Ayrville school was in a deplo•rable state, department. particularly the lavatory accommodation. All that the Supervisor of Public Works at It is very difficult to deal with this -depart Townsville had been able to do was to effect mental vote because we can offer our some temporary repairs that fall into that criticisms or suggestions only so far as class known as bush carpentering. actual constructional work is concerned, and not as to a decision to build, or It reminded me of the time when a friend repair, or demolish, as the case may of mine went out to a Western grazier and be. I am not placing any blame on the asked him for a job. The grazier said, ''I shoulders of the Minister or on the shoulders am looking for a good rough carpent·er,'' or anyone in the department when I say that and the chap said, ''You have your man; I the condition of country schools, particularly am a •rough carpent·er." He went to work country schools I have visited, are in a shock and after the grazier saw a sample of his ing state of disrepair, consequently teachers work he said to him, ''Do you call that car have to teach. and pupils have to learn un-der pentering~" and this chap replied, "You conditions that are not desirable. Quite asked for a rough carpenter; if you can find recentl:v I made a tour of the Giru and Ayr anything rougher than that I will eat my districts in my electorate. I found that hat.'' (Laughte•r.) whereas the Departments of Public Works The Department of Public Works is in this and Public Instruction had tried to face up position today. It cannot get the men to go to their responsibilities a ~ertain set of out to the country areas and do the jobs. Of circumstances made it almost impossible for the men they do get t·o go out to the country any real work to be done. areas, some are good tradesmen, but not all In thau part of the State we had a huge are up to the mark. At the Ayrville school flood in March, 1946, nearly two years ago, I will tell you what I saw-I know you ~vill yet when I went through the electorate in laugh, but it is a fact; I uold the supernsor Supply. [13 NOVEMBER.] Supply. 1341 about this myself. I went out to the school rainfall we get in the North from time to and among other jobs they had decided to time, consequently ma'ny of the Northern poison the stumps under it. Most white ants schools have not got what, in my opinion, go up from underground and force their way is proper ventilation. They should have through the centre of the post and get into verandas back and front and, if possible, all the bearers and into the building. round. There should be a greater number of windows in Northern schools than in Southern An Opposition !\!ember: Not always. schools. )Ir. AIKENS: The real big North I had occasion to go to the Hermit Park Queensland white ants do that. The hon. school at which they had erected temporary me m bcr may have some anaemic types down rooms on a plan submitted from Brisbane. here that go up on the outside of the stump. The heaJmaster had taken the temperature Very few "·hite ants go up the outside of the roc.m;, befcre they were occupied and of the stump; most of them go •right up us a result of the representations we both through the stump itself. I will tell you how made at ihc time to the then Minister, men this particular gang attempted to poison the from the department were sent back to these ,;·hite ants in the stumps at the Ayrville rooms after they had been completed and they school. had to put in extra ventilation facilities. I One young lad went round with a hammer wish to impress on the Minister that a t;qJe and at every third stump he ducr a groove of school room that may be adequate for the in the dirt around the stump with the hammer southern part of the State is by no means head. He did not go to every stump. In this suitable for the northern part, where we have groove he poured some poison. Apparently long months of hot humid weather and at he thought the white ants came overland like times months of heavy rainfall. Consequently the meat and bulldog ants and this little I think the whole Department of Public moat would prevent the white ants from Works should he recast upon these lines as getting to the stump. As I have said, he to building schools and hospitals, particularly did not do every stump, so he apparently schools to suit the climate in which they are .lUdged which stump the white ants would go erected . to. I told that to the supervisor of the At the ~.a me time I again impress on the r1epartment at Townsville and he enjoyed it Minister, without indulging in any criticism just as much as I did. It is a rather tragic at all, that when I visited the schools in my trpe of humour, nevertheless; yet that kind Electorate I was shocked to see the state of of thing is going on. disrepair into which some had fallen, probably through no fault of the department. If some )lr. Power: But they eventually did the thing is not done quickly for the repair of job properlyf the country schools of this State they will )Ir. AIKENS: I must be quite fair. I be D total loss to the Government. ldt f~r BrisbanE) immediately after that, but Hon. S. J. BRASSINGTON (Fortitude I receiVed an assurance from Mr. McAndrew Valley-Speaker) (11.44 a.m.): I desire to that he would send men back to the Ayrville say a few words on this very important vote School to do the jobs that had not been done. but before doing so might I take this oppor I have also received word from him since tunity of congratulating the Minister on then that he is getting on as fast as possible taking charge of such an important depart and attending to the other jobs that were ment as the one we are discussing. I think necessary in the Ayr district. all hon. members will agree with me that the I am not here criticising Mr. McAndrew hon. gentleman is earnest and understands or the Minister. If I thought there was the problems of this department and I know room for criticism I should not hesitate to that d1lring the period of his charge of the say what I thought. If all the eoun'try department, which I hope will be long, he schools in Q.ueensland are in the same state will give very useful service indeed to this of disrepair as the country schools in the State. Mundingburra electorate then the schools in I could not let this opportunity pass with this State are in a shocking state of disrepair. out thanking also the Under Secretary and I do not lay the blame for that wholly at officials of the department for the . ready the feet of the Department for Public Works. courtesy and interest they have shown 111 any I have had personal knowledge of the difficulty representations I have made during the past it is experiencing in getting competent 12 months. Their thoughtfulness and interest carpenters and tradesmen. I rose today in points I have raised are greatly appre merely to urge on the Government the need for concentrating, as far as possible, on ciated by me. getting all the tradesmen and materials avail· In leading up to a discussion of the able to effect repairs to the country schools of achievements of the department I should like this State, because when all is said and done to flay that for many years during the war the country scholar is at a disadvantage period the Department of Public Works like compared with the city scholar. More often other departments and concerns throughout than not he has to go several miles over a the State, indeed throughout Australia, had bush road to the school, and the schools are to face great difficulties, but nevertheless not palatial affaiTs; they are usually a there has been a steady increase in the w?rk small building on five- or six-feet blocks, lt has achieved. There has been a monntmg sometimes with only one veranda. All schools expenditure, not only in the metropolitan area are built on a stereotyped plan. They do not but also in country centres, as I shall prove provide for the excessive heat and excessive as I go along. 1342 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
~fr. Sparkes: Not too much. State School. If he were here every day he would meet numerous people from the Wind j)Ir. BRASSINGTON: I shall give the sor electorate who come down here to see him. hon. member figures as I go along. 'rhey would take up his time without gi\'ing him the opportunity of worrying about the ~Ir. Sparkes: I shall be giving some, too, later on. Fortitude Valley State School. I understand that the Minister will give us an assurance }lr. BRASSINGTON: They will have to on this point. be very good to refute my figures·. In the I should now like to mention something year 1929-30 the department expended about the expenditure on schools throughout £348,673. The point of interest there is that, the State. The hon. member for Munding· if my memory serves me correctly, that is burra will be interested to know that for the period when the Government supported the year ending 30 June, 1929, £196,756_ was by hon. members opposite, an anti-Labour expended and for the year ending 30 June, Government, were in power. In 1933-34, just 1947 the amount has risen to £235,167. That after there was a change of Government, prov~s my point, that the activities of this £435,864 was expended on public buildings depa·rtment aTe always on the mcTease and as throughout the State, and there has been a much as possible is being done under the cll' steady upward spiral all the time since then. eum,;tances. The figures for the last financial year dis clos·e that whilst not spending as much last .illr. SJ>arkes interjected. year as during the years 1942-43 and 1943-44, lUr. BRASSINGTON: The hon. member the department expended the impressive total for Aubiguy cannot get away fron_1 the fact of £800,096 on the construction, repair, and that any cTiticism he might offer m connec maintenance of public buildings throughout tion with this department must to a great the State. It is estimated that the total cost extent be discounted by the fact that the of the programme of works for 1947-48 will depaTtment has been faced with great diffi reach the enormous figure of £3,825,000. culties in obtaining sufficient architects to That refutes the charges of hon. members carry out the programme laid down. How opposite who say that this Government are a can the hon. member foT Aubigny deny that city Government only. owing to the grave shortage of mateTials JUr. Sparkes: Is that all to be spent in during the war years, and for that matter the country? since the war, the department's programme ha's been seriously interfered with? 'l'hose }fr. BRASSINGTON: No. It is to be c1ifficulties are bcvond the control of the spent tlJToughout t11e State. I propose Minister and are n'ot peculiar to Queensland, quoting figmes• to show the amounts spent in but as the Queensland Housing Commission the country. For the moment I wish to refer rep~rt shows, face every State in the Com to a matter that apparently has agitated the momYealth to-day. When we put up a case mind of the hon. member for Windsor-the for the department this morning >Ye did it Fortitude Valley State school. in the hope that our friends opposite will j)lr. Pie: It is a disgrace to a civilised give to the department the credit that is due community. to it and will readily understand the obsta;les and difficulties in the way of I\'Ir. BRASSINGTON: It is not as big a realising its programme completely. disgrace as some of the things for which the I thank the department for the recent addi hon. member has stood. Suffice it to say that tion to the 'Women's Hospital at Bowen over a long period of years an a'gitation has Bridge. You, :Mr. Mann, had the pleasure of been ea rried on for the erection of a new being present with me and others when the ~chool at Fortitude Valley. I think that at Premier opened that \l·ondeTful building present it is the oldest and perhaps the some years ago. At that time there were most backward in the State. many sceptics amongst the people nnd many It ·was decided by the Government to erect prominent public men in this State otfercd a new school there just prior to the outbreak the opinion that the venture would not be the of wa·r, and if the hon. member for Windsor success that the Government intende
I am very happy to subscribe to the policv without any justification. The details that I which has given thousands of young mother"s have given show plainly that the hospital in this State an opportunity to obtain the requirements of country people have not been best medical and scientific skill in the most overlooked. critical hours of their lives. It is a policy that is well worth while and one that shoul~ ::IIr. Sparkes: Country bumpkins you be applauded and not one that should be call them. subjected to ca'rping criticism by hon. mem ::IIr. RRASSINGTON: The hon. member bers opposite. Recently the Government is trying to be facetious awl I want to tell completed the fourth floor of the Brisbane him that I never engage in personalities in Women's Hospital at a cost of about £45,000 any speech that I make in this Chamber. His and haye under way the construction of attempt to embarrass the GoYernmcnt by quarters for the nursing staff of that hospital. using the term ''country bumpkin'' cuts no These achievements are very satisfactory to ice with me because I am acquainted with quite us and they show that the spirit of progress a number of aldermen and councillors in the still animates the Government and that the country and I can honestly say that they are people are very much better off as a result. honourable men. I pay them that tribute. There is something in the departmental I invite hon. members opposite to disprove report that I feel I should bring under the the facts I have submitted. I want them to notice of the hon. member for Aubigny. disprove the fact, for instance, that in the llir, Sparkes: I hope you are in a better south->Yestern district you can go to a base moo~ than when you made your speech on hospital at Charleville erected by this depart banlung. ment, that is a credit to it and the Govern ment and a boon and blessing to the people 1Ir. RRASSINGTON: Just in passing let lhing in that al'ea. If one tra•·els through me say that I made a very thoughtful contri the country that the hon. member for Aubigny but!on to the discussion on the banking issue, knows so \Hll, one will see up-to-date hospitals unhke that of the hon. member for Aubigny, and maternity wards, as well as all the other who made one composed of misrepresentation facilities that are necessary in the interests of an_d abuse. I cannot discuss banking on the health of country people. Those build tins vote but events will prove the justice ings have been sanctioned by the Government of our cause, and >Ye are not afraid to canv and erected by this department. The hon. on the fight to justify it. · member has very little basis for his charge that the GoYemment have neglected country Hon. members opposite have complained dlstricts. that the Government have not provided public building facilities for country people and I · 1 \Yish the Minister continued success in think it is appropriate that I should refer disch:nging his duties in the very important to the hospital buildings completed by the office he now controls. I hope, too, that· the Government throughout the State in the last present shortage of professional men, financial year. Here are the details- materials, &c., from which his department is £ suffering, in common with all others, will be Atherton-Ad;litions to maternity largely overcome in the next 12 months and ward • 1,660 that the building programme of his depart Ba binda-Erection of new mater- ment will reach record levels in the near nity ward 16,557 future. Biloela_::_Additions to maternity ward 4,578 llir. EV ANS (Mirani) (12.2 p.m.): At Blackall-Additions to maternity the outset I desire to congratulate the Minis ward . . 1,650 ter on being elected to the important port Camooweal-ImprOYements and folio of Secretary for Public Works. l too repairs to maternity ward . . 1,073 am very happy to see him back again in this Gympie-Alterations and ad;litions Chamber, enjoying normal health. to maternity ward and supply If I have to differ with Ministers or hon. of equipment . . . . 16,804 members in this Chamber, I differ with them Herberton-Erection of new mater- in this Chamber alone; any difference I may nity ward and supply of have had with them ends when I walk out equipment and furniture 12,183 of it. Ipswich-Supply of equipment and At 12.3 p.m., furniture to maternity hospital 7,649 Kilcoy-Erection of new maternity Mr. HILTON (Carnarvon) relieved the ward and supply of equipment 7,934 Chairman in the chair. Miles-Erection of new maternity buil·ding . . 7,350 ~Ir. EV ANS: I will endeavour to offer Rockhampton-Additions to mater- constructive suggestions. As I said, the Min nity ward 7,758 ister has jnst taken over this very important Tara-Additions and alterations to portfolio. It is indeed a difficult one. The maternity ward 2,843 position is particularly difficult at this time, not only for the Minister who is in charge of That is a rather impressive achievement by public works, but also for individuals and the department over a period of 12 months small concerns who are endeavouring to catch and refutes the allegation that the Govern up on the depreciation of their buildings, ment are erecting public buildings only in the which increased during the war years. I know city. Such allegations are ill-founded and the position of our hospitals. For many years L344 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
I have been a member of a hospitals board industry suffered very severely by supplying and I know that our hospital is seriously sugar at a: reduced price. The following overcrowded. I know, too, that while I was table emphasises the point:- a member of the board the department did everything possible to relieve that position. Tons of It consented to the board's suggestion to sugar Inade Local Export engage outside architects to draw plans and Year. into price price alcohol. per ton. per ton. specifications to give relief and reduce the ------congestion in the wards and make the neces £ s. d. £ 8. d. sary enlargement of the kitchen. I know 1941 .. .. 40,000 9 0 0 10 18 9 th:.~t everything is being done that can be 1942 .. .. 70,000 9 10 0 10 16 3 1943 .. .. "0,000 () 10 0 13 2 6 doiJe to get materials in order to relieve the 1944 .. .. 2i,OOO 9 10 0 15 0 6 very congested condition that exists in the 1945 .. .. 25,000 9 10 0 17 5 0 ~fnckay hospital. 1946 .. .. 5,000 19 10 0 21 10 0 The same position exists in the schools and Those figures show that £667,000 was it must be difficult for the Minister to decide sacrificed by the industry in allowing that which work shall receive priority. We must sugar to be made into power alcohol when it consider homes for the teachers too. Some could have been exported at an increased teachers have resigned because they have had price. to travel too far or their living conditions :ur. Brand: Another subsidy to another were bad. industry. ilir. Power: The Department of Public 3Tr. EV ANS: That is actually what it Instruction decides where schools are to be \ras. Alcohol production has suffered to the built, not my department. groat extent it has because there is so much industrial spirit, rum and methylated spirits. lUr. EVANS: I quite realise that. I Only recently we received an increase in the know; too, that when the Department of price for the molasses distilleries are obtain Pubhc Instruction decides upon certain work ing to make alcohol. Some of the distiller' there are occasions when the Minister'~ \Yill not pay the increased price of £2 a ton depa~tment cannot carry it out. In con and \Ye depend on the distillers of industrial side~mg priorit.ies of work due regard should spirit to buy that alcohol from us. be given to residences for teachers. With the The Minister controls local government and need for providing educational facilities we J shall deal briefly with that subject too. should l.ink the need for residences for teadhers A statement was made in the House yester as an mducement to get them to go to the day-not seriously, I think-in connection country and not leave the Department of with the centralisation of control of public Instruction. I suggest-and I know the Pu.b~ic \Yorks. ¥Imst~r a~d the Secretary for Public Instruc tiOn Will give the matter consideration-that 3Ir. Sparkes: It is serious all right. as a means of retaining our teachers, resi ::llr. EVANS: Local authorities are doing dences for them should have a No. 1 priority great work in Queensland. There may be as well as the schools themselves when it is decided to erect them. ' grievances and proposals may have been sub mitted but I repeat that they are doing great· We talk about the drift to the cities and wo•rk for Queensland. In the local authori WP ~hould endea':'ou.r to st?p it. One w~y of ties thB people and the Government have the helpmg to stop It IS to give the children in advantage of organisations consisting of local the . outba.ck a reas?nable opport;unity of citizens. Very few people who are in public gettmg a good education. I believe that the life as members of local authorities are not Government-! do not mention the Minister at a financial disadvantage for that reason. particularly; I know what he said is correct )fr. Power: You will admit that they -should put the building of schools on an are assistBd by the Government considerably. equal priority with homes. If you do not have schools ~or the chi~dren to attend many 3Ir. EVANS: It is the people's money peopl~-especially '':'orking people-will not that they receive, but I do not intend to deal stay m those outlymg areas; they will go with that point this morning. It is money back to the city although there is a dearth from the development tax and they are of homes there, whereas in the outlying areas entitled to have that money spent for the there may be homes on the farms that are purpose for which it was collect·ed. This vac&nt. The people will remain out there if morning I intend to make some constructive their children have the opportunity to get a suggestions for the purpose of helping local good education. authorities and the Minister's department. Firstly, I refer to the procedure in connec One part of the report of the department tion with obtaining loans. That is very diffi deals with motor-spirit vendors. It says:- cult and eventually very long-winded, if I "The Australian National Power Alcohol might use the term. I can only speak of Mr. Co. Pty. Ltd., Sarina, had extended its Chuter and his staff very highly, and I have ~istillation units until its productive capac received eve•ry courtesy and help from t~em; Ity was in the vicinity of four and-a-half it is matters of procedure, the reference from million gallons per annum.'' one department to anothBr, to which I refer. A local authority makes application to this I will deal briefly with that question. The sub-department but a letter is received asking company did extend its works but the sugar the local authority to make application Supply. [13 NOVEMBER.] Supply 1345 through another channel. For many years That is the fi•rst point. ThBn their staff I have thought that consideration should be must be taken into consideration, their plans given to having a section attached to the must be considered and finally, it has to be Local Government Branch to deal with pro remembered that they are paying for it. cedure. That would facilitate matters. An When I was chairman of a local authority application for any other matter could be for many years I had the cost returns of all finalised in Brisbane instead of, as now, going works carried out by the shire placed in my backwards and forwards between the local office every week-end. I checked them over authority and Yarious clepartments and some just as the supervising engineers of the Main times being held up for 6, 8, or even 12 Roads Commission do, and if costs appeared months. to me to be unduly high I called in my engi neers and asked for an explanation. Another I will give the Committee an illustration. impo•rtant point· is that if we adopt that My council \\as undertaking the provision of suggestion the shires will havB the respon amenities on sports grounds and beaches. \Ye sibility of deciding whether they tan ca1'l'Y wrote to the DirBctor of Local Government out the work, whethBr they have the plant, ancl received a prompt reply, a'nd I think a suitable foremen, and so on. I put it for correct rBply that as the land was helcl under ward as one who has had long pract1cal Bxperi the Land Act we should have to transfer it ence of these matters. 1 emphasise that 1 am so that it could come under the Local GovBrn not aclvancing the suggestion from the politi ment Act. This is an illustration as to the cal point of view, that I am offering it in the advisability of having co-ordination betwBen interests of obtaining value fo•1· monBy and these two departments. I do not know the doing what is best for Queensland. reason but this matter went on for about six months. Eventually a sports ground was Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-Secretary transferred and we proceeded to o·et our loan for Public Works) (12.17 p.m.): I thank and build the amenities. As to the amenities the hon. member for Oxley for his congratu for the beach, we were told eventually, after lations upon my attaining the office of Secre almost 12 months, that the Treasurer would tary for Public Works, and I take this l'efuse to grant the loan unless it was under oppoTtunity of informing the Committee that thB Local Government Act and that if we in my present position I intend to be fair had the land transferred to the coimcil anrl to all parties. The other clay I facetiously held under the Local Government Act and remarked to the hon. member for Dalby, when submitted our application to the Treasury he \Yas speaking, ''You be careful or you it would be considered. Later we were told will not get any works at all.'' The hon. that if we resubmitted our application the member for Aubigny endeavou•red to urge the Treasurer woulcl give consideration to it as hon. member for Dalby to go ahead and make an application for a loan under the Land some political capital out of that, but the Act. My point is that had there been a hon. member for Dalby realised that my department in Brisbane to co-ordinate proce remarks were said facetiously. All hon. dure it would have helped local authorities members opposite must agree that during the ~;nd other people who are doing a dashed good time I ha•-e been MinisteT I have encleavoured .Job for Queensland. I make this submission to be fair with respect to all requests sub in the hope that the Minister will consider mitted to me and I have dealt with them as whether it is practicable. quickly as possible. Hon. members on both sides have been informed of any work that The centralising of authority in the expen has been done or that is about to be done, diture of public moneys, under any central or that has been approved in their elector control, in particular in the construction of ates, and I intend to continue that policy. roads, is very unwise. l<'or instance, the Public Estate Improvement Branch was I agree that at times the department has had spending lm·ge sums of money in various some difficulty. During the war a great deal areas in past years and I contend that the first of maintenance and construction work that thing to be considered when expending public should have been done was not carried out, money is to get value for the money. If but hon. members will appreciate that the WB are not getting value for the money we obvious reason was that our technical staffs should alter our system so that we do. I were engaged on waor work. The result was can say quite definitely that what I am refer that routine work had to be put aside and ring to has been altered. I repeat that with thBre is no doubt that we now have an accumu centralised control the peoplB of Queensland, lation of work. New buildings require to be the Government, did not get value for their erected and maint·enance work needs to be money. done. I might add, too, that because of the increased salaries that havB been offered a The TKUPORAitY CHAIRj)IAN: I should large number of our technical staff-and I like the hon. member to connect his remar],s clo not blame them for it-have resigned and accepted positions with out·side employers. with the vote under discussion. Hon. members will understand that it is not possible to do a job unless plans are properly j)Ir. EVANS: I intend to connect them prepared. In order to relieve the position, with shire control and was leading up to the Government brought out a number of the point by showing that with cent·ralised architects fTom the Old Country. Unfortu control we do not get value for our money. nately, one of them, a very good architect, I am pointing out how necessary it is to \Yas accidentally drowned. 'Ne are doing all take advantage of the knowledge of the people \Yl' possibly can to oycrtake the lag that in the shire itself, who know local conditions. developed during the war years. 1346 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
I have not been and I am not now satis each clay, whereas working men and women fied with the way in which the Department -particularly the \vives of working men-are of Public Works has been run generally. in their homes for almost 24 hours each day. I am not casting any reflection upon the They are entitled to have their homes built under secretary of the department because I before we go ahead with the building of believe that if you travelled the length and extensive public works. We are erecting only breadth of Australia you would not find a the essential buildings-the number is reduced more competent or more conscientious man to the minimum-because we are concentrat incr our efforts on the construction of homes than Mr. Lyons. He cannot accept the respon sibilty for the work of other officers. I have fo~ the people and I believe that that policy meets with the general approval of hon. in mind-and Cabinet has agreed-that there should be a general reorganisation of the llll'm!Jers of this Chamber. Department of Public ~Works, and if neces The hon. member for Oxley wanted to sary I will bring in the best man I can get know whether \VC had called tenders for any from outside and put him in charge of the work by private contract or \vere doing the teclmical side of the department. This \Yhole of the work om·selves. \Ve called reorga~nisation is long overdue; the costs tenders on more than one occR.~ion in an have been out of all proportion. A general endeavour to have certain works carried out reOl'ganisation is to take place and Mr. Lvons in many parts of Queensland, but we received has been given the assurance by me that if he no tenders for those \vorks. can get a good man to take charge he may get him. 11\f e must have efficiency. I told the officers )lr. I{ err: Large works or small works? of the department at the time I took over that I wanted efficiency and I wanted it at }Ir. P01YER: Large works. the top. I told them "that if I did not get 3fr. Ii:err: What do you mean by large 1t at the top I could not expect to get it at works? the bottom. ~Without threatening anybody 1 say that I am going to get efficiency even if }fr. POWER: Up to £5,000. We have it means a change in a number of officers in not been able to get anyone to do the jobs. control of various sections of the department. I am not blaming prh·ate enterprise, because I can assure the hon. member for \Yinr1sor, I admit "that private enterprise has clone an who has mentioned the laying of foundation excellent job, it has pla'yecl its part, but it stones, that I shall be laying one on Satur has the same difficulty as the Government in day week at Stafford and if he cares he can not being able to get the requisite labom come along and watch me do the job. Let and materials. Super-visors have been asked m? be quite f:'i~·; if .anything has been wrong to carry out \York that has been approved with. the aclmnnstrabon of the department in thr-oughout the length and breadth of the previous years I am not accepting the respon State, but they have been unable to get men sibility for it. Nobody is going to put on me to go to the various pa'rts of the State to t~e biame attributable to somebody else. 1 do it. vY e have been unable to get private mll accept the responsibility for anything contractors either. that takes place dming the time I am )fr. Kerr: You are not excluding them }linister, but I am not responsible for mis in the metropolitan area? tnkes that may have been made-and I am not admitting that thev have been made-bv llir. POWER: We are not excluding any.bocly else who was ·in charge prior to m~· anybody. takmg control. I can assure hon. members that I am a young man, capable of doing a There is a deal of truth in the remarks of lot of hard work. I do not mind hard work. all hon. members concerning the condition of n s I am out to do the best I can in the many of the public buildings, but the fault interests of the majority of the people. cannot be placed a't the door of the depart ment. The condition has been brought about The . hon. member for Mundingburra hit bv circumstances over which the Government the mnl on the head when he said that the have no control, and private enterprise iinds Department of Public Works was a construct itself in the same difficulty. ing authority. The department does not decidr where work shall be carried out and what The hon. member for Herber-t stressed the "·ork shall be done. The v:nious departments need for painting school buildings. Many of the Government make recommendations-- such requests have come in, bnt there is a ,-ery grave shortage of paint in Australia ilir. Aikens: You cannot veto those to-day. Indeed, we have been told by the recommendations~ Co-ordinator-General of Public Works that paint must be used only for painting the out· )fr. POWER: We do defer the execution of works when there is a sound reason for it, side of buildings and not for internal work, because it is in very short supply. mch as a shortage of man-power or materials. It must not be forgotten that the policy of }fr. Kerr: You will get more now that this Government is to provide homes whei·ever the sorghum has been sold. possible for the people of this State. When requests are received for the erection of iUr. POWER: I sincerely hope that we buildings for the use of public servants in shall. The only jobs that we can do today many parts of Queensland, we must take into are those that cannot be delayed, thos·e that eonsideration the fact that public servants must be carried out so as to preserve the nre in those buildings for only a few hours buildings. Supply. [13 NovEMBER.] Supply. 1347
Reference has been made to the construc to the fact th:;tt schools are in a deplorable tion of area schools. As soon as thct Depart position in many parts of the State. The ment of Public Instruction submits a request department has endeavoured to correct that to my department for the erection of these position. Let me show what has been done schools, it will be seriously considered. in this respect in the last 12 months, or what The hon. member for Mundingburra works are in progress during the present • referred to the Ana branch State school and :financial year. Additions have been made to suggested that nothing had been done in the Ashgrove State School at an authorised connection with the matter. expenditure of £8,871. I can assure the hon. member who made reference to this matter ::!fr. Aikens: No. that he will be very weary by the time I 1Ir. POWER: It is true that the build finish quoting the schools and the cost. I can ing was forced out of alignment on account see the hon. member for Toowong smiling. of a flood, but the supervisor in the district As a matter of fact, he has done very well so found it impossible to get a staff of men to far as schools are concerned. go out to do the job immediately, but he went llir. Wanstall: I realise that. out and secured the building. The job has now been completed, and the school is in lUr. POWER: I recognise that the ihst-class order. children are entitled to what has been done. Additions, new laYatory accommodation and )[r. Aikens: I am very glad to hear it. septic work also were carried out at the :IIr. POWER: Then the hon. member Ashgrove State School at a cost of £3,114. went on to refer to the Ayrville school, A new school building was erected at Bardon where he said a boy simply dug a hole and at a cost of £6,000. Additions were made to poured the poison into it instead of injecting the Camp Hill State School at a cost of it into the building blocks. I am going to £2,814. Additions were also ma.Qe to the have inquiries made about that, and if the Cannon Hill State School at a cost of £2,796. statement of the hon. member for Munding lUr. Wanstall: Are those works com burra is true, I shall want to know why a pleted? boy was sent to do the work and why the foreman in charge of the job did not send lUr. POWER: They are either completed someone to supervise hi~. If the statement or are in progress in the current financial of the hon. member is true, then someone year. is going to get his walking ticket. This Work has also been or is being carried out department is not going to haYe Government on the following schools- money wasted. i£ 969 ~rr. Sparkes: This kid had poison. Cooper's Plains-Additions Enoggera-Additions 775 .'\Ir. POWER: The statement was that he Hendra-Installation of sewerage Jwd poison and he was simply pouring it and construction of W.C. into the ground. cubicles and storeroom 1,246 Holland Park-Additions 2,983 Jir. Aikens: Will you take the matter np with the head master of the Ayrville State Ironsi.Qe-Additions 5,538 school~ Ironside is in the electorate of the hon. member for Toowong. The work at the .:ur. POWER: I am not denying what Kelvin Grove State School, in my electorate, the hon. member has said. I do not know was approved before I became Minister- whether it is true or not. I shall want to Kelvin Grove-Installation of know why the supervisor sent a boy to do sewerage and construction of the job, without any supervision at all, and concrete retaining wall and why he did not send an adult. If the fencing 5,006 supervisor sent a lad to do it without proper Moorooka-Additions 2,738 supervision to see that it was properly done, then the supervisor should be removed. Newmarket-Additions and instal lation of sewerage 4,295 If the foreman sent out a leading hand Stafford-New school building 35,500 with the boy and the leading hand allowed the Toowong-Improvements to light boy to do the work or instructe.Q him to do ing, ventilation, &c. 1,015 it without showing him how it should be done Wynnum Central-New school I should regard that as a waste of public building 27,465 money and that man also must have his Yeronga-New lavatory block and walking ticket. I must have efficiency in this installation of septic system 3,284 department. Acland-New residence 1,427 The necessity for verandas on northern 'rhat brings me to the point made by the sehools was advocated. I believe they should hon. member for Mirani as to the construction be constmcted. I was not the architect who of resi":lences for school teachers. The Depart drew the plans for the school mentioned and ment of Public Instruction decides where a therefore I cannot accept the responsibility, teacher's residence shall be built; we are only but when plans for schools are being drawn a constructing authority. The Department of the matter will receive consideration. Public Instruction has sometimes asked my It has been suggested that no work has department to prepare plans and then changed been ":lone on country schools. Quite a num its mind. It must decide what it wants us to ber of hon. member's speeches made reference do. The time of the Department of Public 1947-2vr 1348 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
Works is wasted in preparing plans at the have not been completed, and when a letter instance of the Department of Public Instruc comes down this year, some that were con tion and then altering them when that depart sidered important last year are not even on ment changes its mind. This time is wasted the list-and we have the plans for them. through lack of co-orilination and co-opera lUr. Wanstall: Probably they thought tion between the two departments. The offi you had finished them. cials of the Department of Public Instruction are going to be told, and told very plainly, :iUr. POWER: They know we have not that in future they must make up their minds built them; they would have been told. There as to the type of building they require. We must be better co-ordination and co-operation are short of architects and our time is not between those two departments, especially going to be wasted in duplicating work. because we are snort of technical men. It I have in mind a letter submitted in regard would mean better working between the departments and save ti1e State a good deal to the erection of new school residences in of money. many parts of Queensland last year. Some of the plans have been prepared and others The list continues-
Place. Building. Particulars. Expenditure Authorised. £ Ayr State School New school building for infants 4,137 Biloela ditto New residence .. 1,627 Ditto ditto Additions .. 1,200 Bluff Colliery ditto New school building 1,S63 Bororen .. ditto ditto .. - .. 926 Bundaberg South ditto Installation of sewerage 879
That shows that we are not confining our ~Ir. Luckins: Are you sending it up activities to the city area; we have gone from Brisbane~ throughout the length and breadth of Queens ~Ir. POWER: If the hon. member for land to provide amenities that we believe the Maree had any brains he would not ask such rountry people and children are entitled to. a stupid ques.tion. It is too stupid for me to give an answer. JUr. Smith: What about the school at Coen? )Ir. Pie: Do not forget you are a Minister now. )Ir. POWER: The hon. member knows ~Ir. POW.ER: During the time I am a approval has been given for a school to be Minister I will !lit as hard as when I was erected there and that this month the timber on the back benches. for that school will be placed on the boat and sent to Coen; and the work will be Government lliembers: Hear, hear! undertaken during the summer recess. :iUr. POWEI~: The list continues-
Place. Building. Particulars. Expenditure Authorised. ------l------1------Bundamba £ State School New lavatory accommodation and 2,628 installation of septic system at school Emu Park and residence ditto New school building .. Esk ditto 2,471 Etowri Erection of new school buildings 3,316 ditto New residence Gladstone ditto 1,595 Humpybong Additions 1,028 ditto .. ditto Iunisfail .. Rural school 3,752 Ipswich West New residence . . . . 1,460 State school Installation of sewerage .Jambin ditto 1,693 Kallangur Additions .. 932 ditto New residence ...... 1,448 Kuranda ditto ...... Mackay New school building and residence 4,380 Victoria Park State School Additions, &c. Mackay West State school 1,935 MarI borough Additions .. 2,240 ditto New residence .. Millchester ditto 1,403 Moggill New school building 2,886 ditto New residr.nce .. 1,365
:M:oggill is in the electorate of the hon. mem any member of the Opposition can provide ber for Toowong. the department with carpenters we are quite lUr. Wanstall: It took a long while; prepared to employ as many as we possibly the other one was burnt down. can. Furthermore, on behalf of the Depart ment of Public Works and Housing, I am Mr. POWER: I admit that it is a long willing to give contracts to any builders who while. \Ve are in the same position as any will erect homes for the people, if the price ~oc1y else. We cannot get man· po>Yer. If is reasonable. Supply. [13 NOVEMBER.] Supply. 1349
An 0})position li'Iember: You cannot talk lUr. POWER: Let the hon. member ask about housing. the Chairman about that; I am not the Chairman. To continue with the list-
Place. Building. Part-iculars. Expenditure Authorised. £ Mossman State School New lavatory blocks and installation of 1,561 septic system at school and residence, &c. Mount Morgan ditto Removal of building from Walterhall, 1,330 re-erection and improvements Netherdale ditto New residence . . . . 1,66~ Peranga .. ditto Additions and improvements, &c. 89~ Pozieres ditto New residence 1,490 Richmond ditto . . . . Improvements, &c. . . 758 Rockhampton .. The Hall State School Alterations and additions 4,~73 Rockhampton North State School Additions 3,056 Rocky Point ditto New residence . . . . 1,74~ Sarina .. ditto Remodelling and additions 1,787 Scarborough ditto Additions 1,235 Southport .. ditto ditto 1,3~5 Surfers' Paradise ditto ditto .. 1,189 Tinana .. ditto Remodelling, &c. 848 Toowoomba .. Various .. Ground in1provements 1,030 Toowoomba South Girls and Infants . . . . Additions 3,290 Townsville Hermit Park State School. . ditto . . . . 5,506 Townsville West State School Fencing and concrete pathway 827 Winton ditto New school building 4,94~
From the figures I have quoted, hon. members JUr. POWER: As a matter of fact, we will see that the department has endeavoured appreciated that point. If my memory serves consistently to look after the requirements of me right we passed an Act to enable local the children in the northern parts of Queens authorities to establish a fund for that pur land. pose, and properly so. The Government had The hon. member for Mirani made reference a similar fund that is proving very beneficial to power alcohol. I must admit that I know at the present time. Many deferred works Yery little of the ramifications of the power and maintenance can now be carried out by alcohol distillery at Sarina. So far I have local authorities. It is the duty of local not had time to devote much attention to it, authorities to provide roads and bridges for but the price of sugar has nothing at all to the benefit of farmers in many parts of do with this vote and consequently I do not Queensland. I regret very much, that in propose to reply to the hon. member on that Conondale, for example, there is what is point. known as a spider bridge, over which one has to drive on two logs. There have been a Local government comes closer to the couple of accidents. In fairness to the hon. hearts of the people than any other form member for Stanley I must say that he has of government in Australia, or for that been very anxious that something should be matter, any part of the world. Let us take done to improve it. But not only in the the metropolitan area, for instance. When Conondale district do we find spider bridges. you rise in the morning, if you are a shift As the Leader of the Opposition has said, worker, you turn on the electric light. That they are to be found in other parts of is controlled by local government. When Queensland. you go for your bath and turn on the water tap, the water you use is controlled by local One of the most important duties of a govemment. When you open the front gate local authority should be to give farmers and step onto the foothpath, that too comes proper access to their properties. In some under the control of local government. Then places it is impossible for farmers to get to get to your work you take some form of their cream to the road to be picked up by transport, that also is controlled by local the carrier. government. Local government plays a very JUr. Sparkes: They are suffering the important part in the welfare of the State, same inconvenience as you are in that they but there are some local authorities that also find it difficult to get men and plant. perhaps we could well do without. No local authority should take more from the people Itir. POWER: I agree with that. in the form of rates than it gives in return in services. It is the duty of a local authority :ilfr. JUacdonald: Some of those spider to balance its budget and not make a profit. bridges are of a great age now. It should not create highly paid jobs for Itir. POWER: And it is about time some people and at the same time increase the rates of them fell over. The Government of the imposed on the ratepayers. day day realise the importance of the local lUr. Sparkes: I should not say many of authorities and have made provision for sub them made a profit. sidising various works that must be performed by local authorities. The hon. member for Itir. Evans: Even if they made a profit in war years they could not spend it. Mirani says it comes out of the State develop ment tax. I remind him that there is no At 12.44 p.m., such tax today, that the money all comes from The CHAIRMAN resumed the chair. the one tax now. He must realise also tha~ 1350 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. the Government's expenditure is increasing that his well known energy and his direction from day to day. If the local authorities will have a marked effect upon the adminis require more revenue they will have to look tration of that department. for it themselves but I believe that we should I want to deal with one or two minor continue the policy of providing subsidies for matters, which are nevertheless important in various works to be undertaken by local authorities, although the local authorities must various directions. Other speakers have referred to the condition to which our State not lean too much on the Government. They, school buildings have deteriorated. The too, have a responsibility to their people and they must acce12_t it. Secretary for Public Instruction has promised that he will see to it that greater co-operation JUr. Sparkes: I am glad to see that you is obtained in future between his department do not advocate the abolition of local and the Department of Public Works. authorities. I suggest that in order to overcome some of the deterioration that is taking place, lUr. POWER: I might advocate that either the Department of Public Works or too, but I am not going to tell the hon. mem~ the Department of Public Instruction provide ber just now what I propose to do. a man with a roving commission in districts The hon. member for Mirani put forward with schools close to each other to carry out what he considered a constructive suggestion. minor repair work and thereby prevent small He suggested that when a matter is referred defects from developing into costly jobs, as by local authorities to the Director of Local they ilid during the war period. Examples Government the director should then be able of this are to be found in the metropolitan to finalise the matter with all other Govern area at present, and they probably exist to ment departments. a lesser extent in provincial towns and cities. JUr. EYans: That is so. Such a man would also be able to order the keeping of school grounds in a proper con lUr. POWER: I do not think that is the dition. Hon. members will pardon me if I duty of the Director of Local Gowrnment work the parish pump a little, but I have although I appreciate that he has been very in mind a school in the metropolital area helpful to local authorities. The local where the grounds are over-run with bushes, authorities have a responsibility of their own. suckers, blady grass, and lantana, which 'rhey should make themselves conversant with creates a great fire-risk to adjoining private what is required in the first place. The properties. The grounds are also infested Director assures me that if a local authority with snakes, rats in their thousands, and seeks advice from him as to what should be other vermin. done he replies immediately giving that ad ,·ice, but I do not think the Government Jir. Power: What school is this? should be called upon to set up an mg<.nisa tion to deal with matters sent down c1J lotal Jir. JIARRIOT'f: The Bulimba State authorities. If the local authority wa,1ts to school. The fire-risk can be appreciated, deal with a matter affecting the Department particularly as the summer months are of Public Lands there is nothing to pre1·ent npproaching. The children run the risk of its doing so. If it wants a loan the director rontracting rat-borne diseases and being will advise it as to what should be done. bitten by snakes. I have seen the snakes I believe that all town and shire clerks there myself. should make themselves conversant with the I notice from the report of the under various requirements and deal with the depart· secretary that the department is doing a ments concerned direct. good job in the matter of taking over appren J\'Ir. Evaus: I emphasise that the case I tices. In by-gone years I had something to mentioned had nothing to do with your do with the taking over of apprentices by department. the department, where their employers had gone out of business. Yesterday afternoon JUr. POWER: If the hon. member will it was brought to my notice that possibly give me particulars of the matter he has in the Minister, his under secretary, and super mind I will have it investigated because I visors will be inundated with requests to take do not want a repetition of any mistake that on apprentices in the plumbing trade. I has happened in the past. notice, according to this report, that the Jir. Evans: Your department was not department has done a good job during the to blame. past year, and it is recorded that 28 appren tices had been allotted on probation at 30 ~Ir. POWER: The hon. member said my June, 1947, and that the number employed department came into it to a certain extent. on temporary transfer was two. Jir. Evaus: I did. Yesterday afternoon it was brought to my lUr. POWER: Then I should like to notice that one of my constituents had been know to what extent. If the hon. member searching the city to get an employer to will give the informatio.n to my private whom he might apprentice his son, who is secretary I will have it investigated to ensure leaving school very shortly, in the plumbing that there is no repetition of these things. trade. This man discovered that the Master Plumbers' Association had decided by resolu ~Ir. lUARRIOTT (Bulimba) (12.50 p.m.) : tion not to take on any more apprentices in With other hon. members I desire to con the plumbing trade, and the reason advanced gratulate the Minister on taking charge of was that it was done as a protest against the Department of Public Works. I am sure Mr. Chifiey. Whether they are right or Supply. [13 NOVEMBER.] Supply. 1351
wrong in that attitude is a matter for them, carrying out of their programme of works but I ask the Minister to take a note of the and any step towards greater efficiency or fact. any introduction of new methods to increase efficiency must be to the good of all those The CHAIRlUAN: Order! The adminis tration of the Apprentices' and Minors' Act departments. There is some merit in the comes under the Department of Public suggestion that sections or sub-departments Instruction. of this important department should be established within the department, for iUr. ~IARRIOTT: I am well aware of example, a section for the Department of that, Mr. Mann, but I want to remind the Public J nstruction. Under such a sub Secretary for Public Works that his depart department works could be carried out by ment will be inundated with applications by officers experienced in educational works, apprentices and that department does take such as new schools and school houses. apprentices to the plumbing trade as well Increased efficiency might be obtained by as the electrical, carpentering, and other having such gentlemen in charge of these trades. That fact is set out in the annual sectional departments. report and I had it in mind when I was During the war maintenance of Government speaking. buildings, including schools, had to stand I was sorry to hear the Minister take over. That was through no fault of the umbrage at the query by the hon. member for Minister. Maintenance WOl'ks are now pro Maree who wanted to know if the material ceeding. In addition to repair and painting required for the school at Coen was being works and the remodelling of some of our sent from Brisbane. Another vote that the old sdhools such matters as ventilation, light and heatin'g, should be s_eriously considered. Committee has already agreed to contains provision for the payment of £6,500 to a Throughout the countryside we ;find school buildings that have been m existence for shipping company plying between Brisbane nearly a century. They have served a very and Thursday Island and the Gulf ports. We useful purpose, but considerati?n . should be know what shipping company that is. given to remodelling those bmldmgs, both The CHAIRlUAN: Order! The Com from a lighting point of view, which is . an mittee has already agreed to that vote. important one affecting children, and ven!Ila tion. A week or ten days ago representatiOns lUr. MARRIOTT: I am linking up my were made to me by a teacher who remarks by referring to the answer given demonstrated that a child at a school desk by the Minister to the hon. member for always threw a shadow on the book in front Maree. I also am interested to know where of him, although the light might come from the timber is being purchased. Is it being any one of many angles. On the othm· bought in Brisbane and sent by this sub hand children facing windows that are not sidised shipping line, .John Burke & Co. Ltd., protected are affecetd by both li15ht and from Brisbane on the s.s. '' Wandana'' or glare. \Ve all know how we aclJ~St our some other vessel belonging to the company positions when reading to get the hght at to, say, Port Stewart in the far North. the back of us. Children studying in out-of date conditions for hours at a time must The CHAIR~IAN: Order! That matter have their eyesight detrimentally affected. does not come under this vote. In these enlightening days we should give expert consideration to t~i~ point i~ desi~n llir. MARRIOTT: It is a question of the ing school . buildings. _Smular consideratiOn supply of material. I was surprised that the should be g1ven to heatmg. T_he ~emperat~re Minister should have taken umbrage at the in some schools in the colder districts remams inquiry by the hon. member for Maree. very low, consequently children must suffer a certain amount of discomfort. The CHAIRlUAN: Order! I have noticed, however, that many_ of our lllr. lliARRIOTT: I will get the informa school buildings are not constructed m such tion in some other way. Over a period of a way that it would be very easy to heat years material has been obtained in the them. All those factoTs should be ta~en South, and perhaps on this occasion it is il1to consideration when renovations are bemg more convenient to ship it fl;'om Brisbane to carried out. the northern ports for Public Works jobs. I hope the Minister will take a note of the )lr. Power: That is being done. matter and perhaps later on say where the )fr. )£ADSEN: I have noticed that i_n material is being bought. I have no objec some of our schools maintenance work IS tion to its being bought in Brisbane although carried out without attention to those fa!)tors. I should have thought that it could be I do urge that the greatest co~sideration bought cheaper in Cairns and shipped from should be given to these matters m country there to Port Stewart, Portland Roads, or schools. one of the other ports in the far North. There is also the matter of delay in hav ~Ir. lUADSEN (Warwick) (2.15 p.m.): ing the recommendations of the department This is a very important vote. The Minister carried out. I have had experience on school has shown a very sincere desire to set up committees over a number of years and I efficiency in his department. It is an urgent know that where works have been recom necessity that the greatest possible efficiency mend~d considerable delay has occurred before should prevail. Most Government depart they w~re carried out. The section of the ments depend on this department for the Public Works Department that attends to 1352 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. that work may be able to overcome much of have of a particular district there would be the delay. As materials become more plenti a better chance of getting uniform valuations ful I think we shall see a great improvement throughout the State, at any rate fairer in that direction as well as others. valuations, which would free us from much The decentralisation of authority for of the dissatisfaction we have had in the repairs of a certain kind also may be very past. I feel that by setting up such a helpful. At times urgent work, such as formula for the guidance of many valuers in broken windows and steps and other small the State we could have the valuations expe repair jobs, is delayed because the person dited and I am sure the result would be to on the spot has not power to get the work the satisfaction of the landholder, the local done. If inspectors had more power to employ authority concerned, and the department. lr.bour or engage builders to give estimates As one interested in local-authority matters for this work, it would be expedited. I notice that the landholder has the right of appeal against a valuation. Such a right ilir. Power: What will the supervisor be doing if you bring somebody else in to could well have been given to local authori give the estimates~ That is his job. ties. I understand, although I may be wrong, that under the new Act a local authority has }Ir. JUADSEN: An inspector could have not such a power. Valuers can make mis power to have repairs up to a certain figure takes, and I think the local authority shou.ld carried out if he thought they were urgent. have a similar power to the landholder m I realise the danger of applying it to work that regard; if it thinks a certain property of any considerable size. has been undervalued the local authority should have some right of appeal. ~Ir. Power: It is quite a good sugges tion. JUr. Power: It appoints its own valuer. 1Ur. lUADSEN: I have noticed that the lllr. lUADSEN: With all due respect to police stations and houses provided for police the hon. gentleman, unless the valuer has in areas where the climate is hot are not some knowledge of the productive potenti:l;li suitably designed. Many of our police ties of a district it is very difficult for him stations and police houses are the most out to assess the values as between one property of-date in the street. I believe that the and another correctly. I say that with all department should endeavour to embody the sincerity and think that is the trouble. It latest in architecture with comfort in their is not high valuations or low valuations but plans for housing these public servants. In the capability of being able to assess pro many country areas the court houses are very ductive potentialities as between one part hot buildings. They are built very close to of a district and another. the ground and the need for modemising them This morning the Minister mentioned the and improving the ventilation and lighting right of local authorities to create reserve conditions has been commented on by magis funds in the war years. The hon. gentleman trates and members of the legal profession. said also that the Government too created I wish to make brief reference to the such a reserve fund and depended largely on matter of uniform valuations. There is much it now. Local authorities would very much to be said in favour of them. It appears that appreciate the right to create a reserve fund there will be considerable delay before the for the replacement of plant. It sho~ld be Government have sufficient valuers to cover the possible each year for a local authonty to whole of the State. The local authorities make some small provision from the rates generally are very anxious to have a new for the replacement of depreciating plant. valuation made as early as possible. I\Ir. Power: We do not stop them from llir. Power: They can make it them doing it. selves, you know. l\Ir. JUADSEN: I know that during the ~Ir. iliADSEN: They would like an war years we were given authority to create a assurance. We heard the acting Minister reserve fund. I may be wrong but I think give an assurance on the floor of the House that practice is not permissible now but a some time ago that he would promise three local authority should be allowed to create a years. The point arises however of the quali I eserve fund, especially for the replace~~nt fications that may be considered necessary in of plant. This would relieve local aut~ontieS the valuers. For instance, in the taking of of many of their difficulties in trymg to costs in certain industries men are not replace equipment. specially trained in Brisbane or anywhere else, but Government departments, have cer I offer those suggestions believing that tain · principles set out in accordance with they are constructive and helpful. They hav.e which these costs or valuations are made. occurred to me as the result of my expen ence in local-authority affairs. I should like :'\Ir. Luckins: A formula. in particular to support previous speakers who have suggested speedier procedure Mr. JUADSEN: That is so, and I think between Government departments in finalising something similar could be adopted in regard matters brought forward by local authorities. to valuations. A certain formula could be set out from which any qualified valuer could Hon. H. A. B.RUCE (The Tableland d«termine the valuation of land. As one Secretary for Public Instruction) (2.31 p.m.): experienced on the land, as I have stated in At the outset, I congratulate th<; Minister this Chamber before, I believe that with such upon his appointment, and upon his restora a formula plus the knowledge a valuer would tion to health. Supply. [13 NOVEMBER.] Supply. 1353
My association with the Department of We were unable to go ahead with land Public Works over a period of 15 years has valuations because of the lack of suitable been very pleasant indeed, and I desire to men. pay tribute to the staff of that department. The granting of permits to open pictU're First of all, we had as Under Secretary, shows comes under the Department of Public Mr. Smith, a brilliant financial man, who, Works and has entailed a considerable amount unfortunately for the State, died at an early of work and will entail more in future when age. He was followed by Mr. Colledge, a the position as to materials is straightened brilliant architect, who retired on reaching the out. age limit, and now we have Mr. Lyons. We also have Mr. Chuter, Mr. Richardson, and The war prevented us f·rom going ahead others. Every executive officer with the excep with the building of the Fortitude Valley tion of one, who was dealt with by the police, State School. It is, I believe, as stated by has done an excellent job. t·he hon. member for Fortitude Valley and by way of interjection by another hon. mem Even from the discussion that has taken ber, one of the worst in the metropolitan place so far, hon. members will have obtained area. some idea of the ramifications of the DepaJrt ment of Pubic Works. With the exception liir. I~ us sell: The Minister said that there of ·railway buildings, the Department of was no co-ordination between yoll'r depart Public Works constructs all State buildings ment and the Department of Public Works. in Queensland, and that is an enormous job. lUr. BRUCE: I do not think those were In every part of the State may be see1_1 his exact words. Every department has to public buildings that are a monument to the apply to the Department of Public Works Department of Public Works. It is only to have work done and what the Minister natural that hon. members should ask for did say, if I remember correctly was this: more of this work, but even the present the Department of Public Instruction had buildings are a monument to its work. sent out a request and later on altered its During the war years every one of our ideas which involved the preparation of inspectors, supervisors, carpenters, and brick fresh plans. He said that every effort would layers was engaged on war work. Actually, be made to prevent that from happening these men fanned the nucleus of the great in the future. I know that before I 'relin body of men who carried out the work done quished control of the departnHmt we had by the Allied Works Council. had conferences between the Under Secre 'l'he hon. member fm Mundingburra spoke tary for Public Works, the Under SecretaTy of the condition of certain buildings. This for Public Instruction, and the under-secre department has been my responsibility until taries of other depa•rtments, with the Tesult the present Minister took over, and I know that work was carried out. 'l'he Minister quite that with almost the whole of our staff rightly mentioned that something had engaged on war work such a state of affairs happened and said that every effort would be as that referred to by the hon. member can made to rectify the position. As Secretary not be avoided, but I have no doubt that the for Public Instruction I will do everything position will be rectified ultimately. I can to co-operate with him. Everybody knows that where you have stTong-minded Until the present Minister took control, the capable men in charge of departments friction main difficulty with the department was to is likely to occur because one wants to do obtain tradesmen. Shortage of materials has this and another wants to do that. That been mentioned, and we also are handicapped friction occurs in everyday life but it is there. To illustrate my meaning, let me the Minister's job to see that the work say that the department might become aware is done in the interest·s of the Government of a pile of timber that it would like to and that no work is held up because two buy. To get that timber it has to buy men differ. Very often, when such men get through the State Stores Board, but while together, troubles can be honed out and if the matter is before the State Stores Board they cannot be ironed out in that way the somebody else has come along with the Teady job becomes the Minister's. ·cash and bought the stockpile that we had earmarked. Of course, so far as material JUr. Kerr: But there has been delay. generally is concerned, we saw in last night's liir. BRUCE: I have been trying to ''Telegraph'' or this morning's ''Courier explain to the hon. member the steps that Mail'' mention of the short supply of piping should be taken to prevent it. of various kinds for the installation of gas services. We have had houses built and Jtir. Pie: It is all the red tape? tenants have occupied them long before the gas could be installed. Jtir. BRUCE: It is not red tape. There may· be a man in charge of one, section, Apart from building operations this depart naturally a man of ability and weight by ment is concerned with matteTs affecting virtue of the fact that he is in charge, and local authorities. As a matter of fact, the a: man of similar calibre in charge of another Department of Public Works is really two section. If they cannot get together and iron or three departments in one. Local-authority out their differences amicably and quietly then work in itself is quite a big job. So far as the Minister must stamp them out. I take it I am concerned it was only because of the that is what the Minister had in mind today. efficiency of my staff that' I was able to cany out t_he work of the department. Mr. Lyons liir. Power: Quite right. was m charge generally and Mr. Chnter was Mr. Kerr: I think you are in the in charge of local-authority matters. wilderness. 1354 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
. Mr. BRUCE: The hon. member is in the JUr. PIE: That is so. I am merely draw Wilderness. If he would only become fully ing attention to the fact that we are not awake, not only ha!f awake dreaming a'nd allowed to discuss matters associated with talking in his sleep, he would get on much housing. better. The CHAIR~IAN: Order! .T~e CHAIRMAN: Order! I ask the Mimster to address his remarks to the Chair lUr. PIE: The Minister is now a changed and I call upon hon. members on my left man. He has now become a big boss and is to cease interjecting. threatening people with dismissal, from the boy who put the poison round the posts to ~r. BRUCE: I am dealing with the the person who allowed him to put that poison mam vote and I am trying to help hon. round the posts-if the hon. member for members on a matter that they will probably Mundingbmra is correct. They are going to debate later on. I am singing my swan song be sacked. ~s far as the Department of Public Works IS concerned, after being there for 15 years lUr. POWER: Mr. Manu. I rise to a and the hon. member will not allow me to ad point of order. I did not say the boy wh'o even that. put the poison round the posts would be sacked. I said that if inquiries showed that I do not think there is very much more for the supervisor allowed him to do so he should me to say. I know that members like the be sacked. hon. men;ber for Mundingburra will talk about wh~te ants in public buildings, about JUr. PIE: I said the boy. The point is others that are not exactly perpendicular and made by the Minister himself. He has now about new schools that are requiTed ' and become a big boss and he is going to sack that some hon. members will ask th;t all people. He will learn as he goes along that court houses should be air-conditioned. Quite people will always make mistakes. You can a number of things will be mentioned. Ho·w forgive a mistake if it is made a first time. ever, I am sure that the Minister in charge I hope no-one is sacked for putting poison of. the department can reply to all those round the posts. pomts. The Minister in the -debates on practically . I _want to conclude by expressing my a·ppre every Estimate, particularly the railways-and cmti?n to every ?fficer in the Department of I have a very good memory-said that he Pubhc Works, With the exception of the one believed in seniority before ability. That is that I mentione~, and to say that I have in ' ' Hansard. ' ' Now we have him as a never worked With a finer body of such Minister getting up, and rightly saying that capable and straightforward men. ability will come before seniority, and that he must get better men in the department. Jir. PIE (Windsor) (2.43 p.m.): on I and every other hon member agree with behalf. o_f my party I want to congra'tulate him there, but it is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. the Mmister on ac~ieving what he told me Hyde attitude. I am only pointing out how before t~1e. last elections was one of his great changed circumstances alter a man's view est ambitiOns-to become a Minister of the point. I believe that he will get the best Cr.own. _Everyone has ambitions and it cer brains outside the Government service if he tamly gives much f!atisfaetion to achieve pays sufficient salary to !):et those brains. I them. However, I think it must be admitted hope that the Minister Will carry into effect that the Mini~ter is now a changed man, that what he says in this Chamber and get brains h~ has c~me mto the House on this occasion from oiitsi:de to bring to the Government with a. different personality. We knew him something really worth-while in the construc as a pnvate member on the Government back b_enches and we knew how he could make cut tional side of his department. Yet we find tmg remarks in no uncertain way from his the Minister condemning the previous adminis tration in no uncertain words. In fact, he place th~re, but '' Hansard'' records the fact that durmg the last Parliament we indicated said, "I will not take responsibility for what very clea.rly that he would become Secretary happened previously.'' for Pubhc Works and Housing should he be ilir. Power: I will not, either. eleded to the new Parliament. lUr. PIE: Is that not a condemnation O_ur prediction has come true. It was of what has gone on in the past~ That is obvwus that the hon. member for Baroona what we have been saying on this side of the who was not then the Minister, always cam~ Chamber. The Minister by his own utterances to t?e help of the Minister in charge of has shown utterly and absolutely that in the ~ousi,ng when ?e ;reeded help. But the Min past his department has not been run effi Ister s portfoho IS the Minister for Public ciently. Otherwise why would he say, ''I am Works, Housing and Local Government. going to reorganise the whole of the depart Today, even though he holds that portfolio ment from top to bottom, starting at the top, ;ve are n?t allowed to <:iebate the matter that getting the best brains and carrying that right IS. most Important to the national future of through to the bottom." We congratulate thiS State-namely, housing. him on adopting that attitude. We <:io not take the Secretary for Public Instruction The C~AIRlUAN: Order! I would draw the attent~on of the hon. member to the fact seriously. His own successor condemns his that . housmg comes under the Trust and rrevic us administration of his department. Spe.cial Funds, on pages 86 and 90 of the lUr. Russell: He condemned the Secre Estimates. tary for Public Instruction too. Supply. [13 NovEMBER.] Supply. 1355
Itir. PIE: As the hon. member for in Queensland. We hope all those ::menities Dalby says, he condemned the Secretary for and facilities the Minister now thmks are Public Instruction. inadequate will be improved. I was really amused at the Minister's The CHAIRliAN: Order! That matter apology to the hon. member for Dalby. He comes under the Factories and Shops Acts Baid quite openly to the member for Dalby administered by the Department of Labour that he would not get a hospital at Dalby, and Industry. but now he says it \VUs facetious. Now that he is a Minister he should learn that he shoul-d lUr. PIE: I was referring to the not make such facetious statements in this Minister's own report in which he sai-d that Chamber. The hon. member must remember State-owned buildings are deficient in these that he is a Minister and not a back-bencher. respects. I agree with the hon. member for Dalby Now we come to educational establishments. that at the last electiiJD this Labour Party On page 7 of the report it is shown that did make the pv~nt tlnt unless the people put last year, 1946-47, the State spent £155,488 the Labc,m membn back into power they on educational facilities; in 1945-46, £105,141 ; w·Jnlrl llclt get the consideration that they and in 1944-45, £93,702. would get ir' they returned him. It was in an advertisement and it can be produced. The I maintain that the schools in the poorer Minister is only carrying out, by his interjec areas of this State are being grossly neglected. For instance, take the Valley school. As I tion, what was publicly advertised. I hope have pointed out in this Chamber before, what he says is correct. I know the facts £155,000 was expended last year on schools are against his statement to the contrary. He at Ashgrove and other parts of the State, has proved that we are getting equal treatment and enough money could not be found to and I hope that will continue. I do hope expend in the poorer-class areas of the V alley that the hon. member will not make such and Breakfast Creek. Breakfast Creek is in thrcrrts, even frrcetiously, to members of the my electorate, and I will take the Minister Committee. to it at any time he wishes. The rooms there Honourable l\Iembers interjecting. are a disgrace. I should hate to have my children educated in them. The Secretary for The CHAIRitiAN: Order! Public Instruction has condemned the V alley Honourable Itiembers continuing to school as being the wOl'st in the metropolitan interject. area, but we find that although the Govern ment spent £155,000 last year on State schools The CHAIR:iUAN: Order! I ask hon they did not worry about the poor people members to obey my call to order. I will who are supposed to work for them and put name the first one who does not obey my call. them into power. The hon. member for Fortitude Valley Itir. PIE: The hon. member for Oxley struck a very important note in this debate. mentioned the foundation stone that was laid He said that there must be greater co-opera in front of the Valley school, and if I might tion between the Department of Public crave indulgence, I should like to reply to him. Early in this session I asked this Instruction and the Department of Public question of the Secretary for Public \Vorks- Works. The Secretary for Public Instruction has a-dmitted that he intends in future to '' 1. Have plans been completed to work more closely with the Secretary for replace the State school in Brooks street, Public Works. Valleyf '' 2. If so, when does the Government On page 6 of the report of the Department intend to implement such plan~'' of Public Works we find this statement: To which I received this reply- ''As has been pointed out in previous annual reports o.f this department, the ' 'Proposals with respect to the erection a.ecommodation available for administrative of new school buildings at Fortitude Valley oftices in State-owned buildings is inade have been placed before me by Mr. Speaker, who, as the hon. member for Fortitude quate.'' Valley, is fully conversant with require Not only is accommodation ina-dequate but ments, and is thoroughly capable of looking the amenities provided are inadequate; and after the interests of parents and children the Minister knows that. Yet every private in that electorate. Plans of the new build industq-it does not matter what it is-has ings will be prepared as soon as the to obey the laws of this State; and the State services of an architect can be made department admits that the facilities are available for that purpose.'' inadequate, that canteens are not available, The last sentence is important, ''Plans of and that everything else that private enter the new buildings will be prepare<} as soon prise is expected to put in is not available. as the services of an architect can be made I should like to hear the Minister say that in available for that purpose,'' but a week future the Government will provide every before the election a foundation stone \Vas State public servant with adequate canteen laid, and it is still there. I ask the Press to facilities an-d adequate amenities, and every go and take a photograph of it. It still thing else prescribed by the Factories and stands there in all its glory, with a wooden Shops Acts. We agree with the union that cover over it-about 150 bricks. This is at the State is the worst employer. The A.W.U. the Fortitude Valley school, for which no condemned the State in that regard in its plans have been prepared, but the inspectors report. The State should be the best employer have recommended that the school be placed 1356 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
in another area, because of the train and l\Ir. Ro!Jerts: You told a deliberate tunnel nuisance at the present site. We have untruth. this business of laying foundation stones before elections and before plans are prepared. JUr. PIE: I ask that the hon. member It was done at Gympie also; in fact, I came withdraw that remark, because the statement across two laid there, and a third is to be is incorrect and his assertion is objectionable found up the coast. I bring the facts before to me. this Committee to show the absurdity of the practice. '!'he CHA!RJIAN: Order! There is no point of order. The hon. member for Fortitude Valley said that between sittings of the House I was not liir. PIE: I believe they are taking this available to my electors. I crave indulgence, Breakfast Creek area out of my electorate Mr. Mann, because I am replying to the when the redistribution takes place. hon. member for Fortitude Valley; I know that it is not within this vote. Certainly I The CRAIRIUAN: Order! The hon. do not come to Parliament House regularly member is a long way from the matter before between sittings of the House but everv the Committee now. day people come from my elect~rate to m;. office in the Valley, where I have an efficien"t i\Ir. PIE: I hope that when a Labour secretary, paid at my cost to look after them. member-probably it will be a Labour That saves them the trouble of tramming it member-takes over that area the Govern all the way into town and down to the House, ment will look after the Breakfast Creek where probably they would not find me. That State school, because the committee has done is my reply to the hon. member for Fortitude everything in its power. It has between £400 Valley, and I told his working friends at the and £500 available a'nd it has effected every Colonial Sugar Refining Coy. some other improvement that has been made there. Hon. things with regard to that. The Windsor members can see the house next door unr1er State school is not in my electorate, but which the Government are putting new stumps before subletting it to another tenant. ~ost. of the children attending that school hve m my electorate. We had a deputation I come now to the Queensland University. to the then Secretary for Public Instruction, \V c must clo something about the education the Hon. J. Larcombe, and asked that the of our children. The University must be tin shacks be taken away from that school. pushed ahead with a No. 1 Priority. The The hon. member for Fortitude Valley was Minister himself admits that uni,·ersity to lead that deputation, and I also was to education is spread all over Brisbane and it come in. The committee duly came, but there can never be satisfactory until it is cen was no appearance of the hon. member for tralised. l<"ortitude Valley. Notwithstanding this, the hon. member says it is I who am neglecting Xow take our hospitals. vVe all know what my duty. It was I who in the end took that is happening down at Bowen Bridge. Founda deputation. tions are going in for more and more build ings, aml in the centre of them all is the I should like the Se
s~hools. He suggested that a roving super accepts the responsibility of paying the VIsor should be appointed to attend to minor whole of the cost of the lighting of the repairs to schools. I do not agree with that Ym·ious schools throughout Queensland; suggestion. If any repairs to school build that responsibility was recently taken over ings are required they are brought under the by the department. I remind the hon. mem notice of the department by the head teacher ber for Warwick that all new schools that or committee. Action is then taken on that are being constructed are designed to give to Tepresentation. There is ample room for the the children all the amenities and natural complaint made by the hon. member respect light that it is possible to provide. ing the school at Bulimba. A report has been made in connection with the grounds. A I came in to conflict with an architect some 1:ecommendation has been made to spend time ago. He had a proposal in the paper £433 10s. on those grounds. The matter is for a school, and I referred to it as a cle Teceiving consideration. His statement that luxe racing stable. I am not going to accept the grounds were in bad condition is borne outside architects as authorities on the type out by the officer who made the inspection. of school that should be erected by the Instruction has been given for the grounds department. Recently one architect made the statement that the department should to be _cleared UJ? a~d ~he matter is receiving attentwn. Agam It IS a question of man change the type of schools every 15 years. power and material. What a stupid statement to come from any technical man! ·where are we going to get The hon. member for Bulimba mentioned the money to build new schools ev,ery 15 the number of apprentices employed by the years~ When a school is being planned it is department. I am anxious at all times to important that due consideration be given make provision for the employment of as by the architects of the department to the need man:y apprentices as possible, but the award for providing the best amenities a'ncl the most proVIdes for one apprentice to two journev natural lighting. 'l''his is always done. I u:en. We have our full quota of appren agree entirely with the hon. member that tices at present. We cannot increase our many of these schools are out of date and number. were built without clue consideration to Another hon. member sought information :unenities, but I remind him they were not as to where the timber for the construction built by a Labour Government, but by an o! a new s~ho_ol at. Coen was being obtained. anti-Labour GoYernment. Again, I am not N atmally 1t Is bemg obtained from North accepting any responsibility for what was Queensland. It would not be forwarded from done by those people. Brisbane. That would mean increased costs. 'l'here is a good deal of merit in the The hon. member for Warwick made a suggestion of the hon. member in regard to suggestion that I think is not practicable. the carrying out of urgent jobs and the He suggested the various departments should engaging of labour for that purpose by the have th~ir own section w_ithin the Department local supervisor. That practice operates at of Pubhc Works. For mstance, he said the the present time. The supervisor can expend Department of Public Instruction should have up to £5 for the repair of broken windows a su?-department within the Department of and other minor jobs, without 1·eferring the Pubhc Works. That would not be practic matter to head office, but he must make a able. It would be unwise to attempt to report stating what he has done. Supervisors introduce anything of that kind. The dutv have been knon·n to spend more than £5 to of the Department of Public Works is to carry out urgent jobs that should be, done, pr_ovide plans and a?t as constructing auth and when they reported the matter to the onty. After the bmlding has been erected, department they were commended for taking the Department of Public Instruction is the initiative. What is required among our responsible for the manning of the school and Public Works supervisors is initiative. If seeing that the children are educatedl in any man has initiative and is prepared to accordance with the curriculum approved of by do the job, I am satisfied those in control the State Government. I cannot entertain o:f the department will help him. the suggestion. The hon. member also mised the matter I want to assure not only the hon. member of valuation. Some time ago this Govern for Wanyick but all_ hon. members, that any ment passed an Act appointing a Valuer co_nst:ructlve suggestion that may be sub General, who was to value tl1e whole of the Imtted to my department will be closely lands of the State, but it has been difficult investigated, no matter which side of th'e for him to cany out that job because he has Hous·e it came :from. not had the staff to do it. Recently an The hon. member for Warwick rPferrecl amendment of the Act was made giving a also to the necessity for renewing a number local iauthority the right to make a fresh valuation and there is nothing to prevent o~ schools throughout Queensland. I agree w1th t:he hon. member that it is important them from doing that. that these schools must be renewed as soon li'Ir. Sparkes: There is nothing to stop as possible. them from doing that, I agree, but the period The hon. member then referred to the fact is not long enough. that the lighting in the schools is not what it should: be. I again agree wit!h him, lUr. POWER: I do not think that comes because we have received reports from time into the picture. The local authority can to time as to the bad lighting in schools. make the valuation. It prepares its budget The Department of Public Works today on its valuations for the period of 12 months. 1360 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
When the Valuer-General transmits his valua that hon. members sil.bmit the proposal at tion to the local authority it can prepare its the annual conference of local authorities, budget on that valuation for the following at which it can be considered, and that the 12 months. I agree that the local authority decision made be sent on to my department. will have to pay for the valuation, but it Of course, there is no guarantee that the still has the right to prepare its own budget request will be acceded to. I would point out and can do that on the valuation. that valuations made by the Valuer-General will be used also for the purpose of land tax. J\Ir. Kerr: But what about the expense? Why _do you 11ot give a fixed period of, At 3.30 p.m., say, three or four years~ Mr. DEVRIES ( Gregory) relieved the C:11airman in the chair. JUr. POWEit: I am not prepared to tie the hands of the Valuer-General. not by any 3Ir. POWER: No right of appeal lies means. with the Land Tax Commissioner so far as J\Ir. Pie: Your predecessor gave us an those valuations are concerned. assurance. I think I have dealt with the matters raised so far and I await with interest the J\Ir. POWER: I do not know that my comments of the remaining members of the predecessor did give his assurance. I have no Opposition. evidence. I will not allow the hon. member to ram down my neck that he said something Jir. SJHTH (Carpentaria) (3.31 p.m.): he cUd not. In any case, that cuts no ice It is with the greatest pleasure I have with me. I will not repudiate anything my experienced since entering this Parliament predecessor has done-I make that quite clear that I congratulate the present Secretary -but I am not going to tie the hands of for Public ·works, but in congratulating him the Valuer-General. If the local authority I am only eulogising something that .I helped wants to make a valuation it can go ahead to create in that I am one of h1s many and do so; >Ye are not stopping it. We are colleagues who •·oted to place him where he speeding up the matter as much as possible. is. I believe that already in his new office During my illness an amendment of the Act he has shown promise of becoming one of our went through that instead of waiting for greatest Queenslunders. As hon. members a declaration of the valuation of the division, know I represent the most remote electorate immediat·ely the valuation was made it in the State. It takes in the Gulf country would be declared and that would be and all the Peninsula as far as Thursday the valuation for the shire. I can assure Island. As I travel round the electorate I hon. members that I will not tie the hands see the needs of the people, and it is gratify of the Valuer-General. It may be two or ing to know that when they are placed ):lefore three years before valuation could be made, the Minister he takes such speedy actwn as because it is impossible to get staff. We will ensure the rapid satisfaction of these have appointed a number of men who have needs. recently passed the examination. If it were not for the fact that ·we are busy and a I wish to lodge a protest today against number of our valuers are engaged in con the Federal Government in connection with nection with the soldier-settlement scheme we a very important matter. As hon. members might be able to speed this matter up. We know, local authorities are responsible for have now introduced a cadet system into the the building of aerodromes. In north-western department. Queensll:md we have something that gives the people of the area, the mothers and c~ildr~n :rur. Sparkes: Can you not see the in particular, a great sense of secunty m position:. the local authority pays £750 for matters of health. I refer to the Flying a valuatiOn and the Valuer-General comes Doctor Service, and I wish to lodge an along next year and we have to pay out emphatic protest here at the attitude of the another £750. Fedeml Government, through their Minister for Air, in closing aerodromes in the small J\Ir. POWER: That is a set of circum towns of the \1\f est and so making them stances over which we have no control. I unavailable to the Flying Doctor Service. do not propose to tie the hands of the Valuer General. lUr. Jiuller: It is a Labour Federal Government. The hon. member for Warwick put for ward the suggestion that a local authority }Ir. SThiiTH: The hon. member has sucl: should have some right of appeal against a a small mind that a mosquito could not land valuation. This is the first time that point on it. As soon as one says anything he has ever been raised. I haYe never heard comes back with, ''It is a Labour Federal before that a local authority should have the Government.'' I am too big to drag in these right of appeal against a valuation. small issues. I speak for the people who J\Ir. Aikens: An amendment was moved will suffer in health because of this action. on those lines last year. The Premier was correct the other night when he referred to some of these hon. members J\Ir. POWER: I was not here when that opposite as small-town country bumble-bees was done. Such a principle might suit and bumpkins. They cannot see any of the the Warwick local authority, or even one or broad issues in this Parliament. Their sole two local authorities, but not all. Others objective is to bring in the Federal Labour might have different views, and I suggest Government. Supply. (13 NOVEMBER.] Supply, 1361
In my complaint I am supporting the pro It is the policy of the Northern Australia tests of another great Queenslander, the Development Committee to give security to :l"ederal member for Herbert, who also attacks the people in the northern part of the State the Minister for Air. The man who I am in the shape of aerial medical services to supporting has been an executive of that help towards the rehabilitation of the popula great industrial organisation, the A.W.U. He tion in those outback areas. Let it not be has travelled extensively over Queensland. forgotten that our Premier is a leading hand He, like me, grew up in the \Vest. He and or the instigator of this Northern Australia I went to school together as boys and worked Development Committee. I will read one of in tl.e mines and smelters of the West the suggestions made by that committee to together. I support him as a big Queens the Federal Parliament through the Prime lander. We like to have these men in the Minister. It was- Federal Parliament to place our complaints '' Th0 establishment of fully equipped before our Governments. They are not little health and medical services at Port Head bumble-bees or pumpkin-eaters who throw land, Onslow, \Vyndham, Darwin, Alice out a finger and say, ''It's the Federal Springs, Cloncurry and Cooktown. J-'abour Government.'' ''The fullest encouragement of the aerial Let me get away from that for a moment medical servicei.'' and speak of some of the troubles from How can we carry out , the suggestion to gh•e which the western people are suffering. I the people living in these parts the fullest have said in this Chamber on many occasions: aerial medical service when the Commonwealth that no matter what Government are in Civil A Yia tion Department is closing aero power-whether a Labour Government, a dromes; How can we in such ci'rcumstances Liberal Government, or a Country Party give them the benefit of the Flying Doctor Government-we shall have our saboteurs. Service~ 'l'he benefits of that service are When a thing is brought before a Minister known everywhere, especially in Queensland. controlling a department he does not hesitate Queensland was the first State to inaugurat0 to right the wrong that might have been ari aerial medical service but the Common created. I am voicing my protest against wealth Civil Aviation Department is trying the closing of aerodromes on the floor of to kill it. this Chamber, because no-one knows better than I the great work the Flying Doctor 'fhe 'fEJIPORARY CHAIRJUAN: Order! Service has done in the northern and western I should like to draw the attention of the parts of Australia. hon. member to the fact that it is compet ent for him to discuss the construction of M1·. 1Unl12,r: Your party is closing them aerodromes but the closing of aerodromes down; don't blame anybody else. does not come withi_r- the scope of this vote. lUr. SliiTH: The last thing that I want :;llr. SJUITH: I do not want to have to ask the Minister to give the boy the hon. mem to do is to disagree with a Chairman's ber for Mundingburra mentioned another job. ruling. I have many things to bring up on the floor of this Chamber and I do not want We speak of white ants getting into build to be expelled from the House without doing ings; it is time the hon. member moved on iL The aerodrome is closed and the McKin and got away from his stagnation, because lay Shire Council has been put to the expense once you break the contact of the white of building and re-opening another. That is ant with the ground he no longer lives. how I connect up my remarks with the vote. The closing of aerodromes is depriving Time marches on pretty quickly when one the people of the western areas of the medical has only 25 minutes in which to speak on services they so richly deserve. I have the vote. I propose to read a letter of vital correspondence with me on this subject, and importance to this subject. This letter came I shall mention only one of the little town to me afte·r I had made my speech on the ships concerned. There was an aerodrome Address in Reply and this is the first oppor at McKinlay where at any hour of the clay tunity I have had of having it published or night any call for the Flying Doctor by in '' Hansarcl'' and of voicing my protest any human being over the telephone or over on the floor of this Chamber for and on the pedal wireless was answered. He did behalf of the people of the outback who not hesitate, nor did the pilot who piloted depend on the ]'lying Doctor Service. I am his plane hesitate, about going to the remote concerned Yery much about the mothers in outback parts of this State to attend to black the Gulf country and other remote parts of or white-colour did not matter-alld the State. Did we not recently read in administer medical attention to the sufferer. the Press that an aboriginal at Mornington The Department of Civil Aviation has closed Island had been mauled by a shark and down this aerodrome at McKinlay. McKinlay that ,lwithout hesitation the flying doctor is only one of the many places I could went to his assistanc0, operated on him when mention, and you, Mr. Devries, know that the plane was in flight and brought him to as well as I do. If we do not raise our the Cloncurry Hospital~ He is aliYe today. voices in protest other aerodromes in similar Wihat ~vould be the posit,i.on of \mothers small country towns may be closed. I was facing confinement if the McKinlay Shire astounded when I received a letter from the Council had not decided to •rebuild an aero Premier, who made representations to the drome and make it available for the flying Prime Minister for and on behalf of the doctor with his aerial medical service~ If people of McKinlay to have the aerodrome I have time I shall read the whole of the reopened. letter that I ment,ioned and it brings to my 1362 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
mind the good services of that great Queens and impose a bar on the safety and health lander in the Federal Parliament, Bill of the men and women in that area. Edmonds, the membe•r for Herbert. I repeat ''Based on present standards, the existing that we are lucky to have such men in the ground is too small for use by mrdern Federal House, men with a vast knowledge airc'1·aft •and would require considerable of life in the remote parts of the State, men development before its use by such aircraft who' spent 'the'ir youth n'nd lgnined their can be approved. As indicated, this can education under t·he auspices of that great not be accepted as a Commonwealth Aus~ralian industrial organisation, the Aus responsibility.'' tralian Worke•rs' Union. vVe are lucky to To hell with our mothers, and our futme have such men in the Federal Parliament to generation! Evidently they are not the enter strong protests on behalf of the people responsibility of the Civil Aviation ::mthori in the far North-west. ties, who made this report to the 'Minister This letter, which comes to me from the for Air in the Federal Parliament. I read Under Secreta•ry, Chief Secretary's Depart on- ment, :!vir. Hope, says- " The Premier feels that the ma ttcr '' Dear Mr. Smith, might be of interest to the McKinlay Shire ''I am directed by the Honourable the Council a nil the council's attention might Premier to inform you that representa be drawn to a circular letter dated tlw 4th tim-.s have been mad€ to him by the December, 1946, addressed to them by this department. :E'lying Do~tor Service of Australia, Queens land Sectwn, concerning the decision of "In this letter it is pointed out that the Department of Civil Aviation to close there was a possibility that in another the aerodrome at McKinlay. The Presi decade, centres without modern aeTodronie dent of the Flying Doctor Serviee of Aus facilities might be isolated from moclc! n tralia in Queensland asked the Premier to means of transport, and it was suggcstc
There he will find that not only is this· pro reasonable safety. I suggest that they go hibited V-jointed pine of superb quality being to such a stage of solidity of construction used for the partitions and linings of that that they border on the prodigal. We cannot building but when he goes out to the open afford to continue to work to the same speci veranda he will find this superb-quality pine fications as were laid down in the age of being used to ceil that veranda. I feel cer timber plenty and still use timbers of the tain that the Minister will agree that if the unnecessarily great dimensions laid down in overall timber position of this State is so almost every Public Works specification to.day. desperate that it is necessary to prohibit the use of fin't-quality pine for general purposes I believe that if the Minister studies the it is right that the same prohibition should report of the Director-General of Forests and extend to timber buildings erected by the considers its implications, he will feel bound Department of Public Works, to say something to his departmental officers, he will feel bound to ask them to consider That is one illustration but I ha've another. whether some of what impressed me as being Again because of the shortage of supplies the over-size specifications of timber construction Co-ordinator-General has declared certain in the Department of Public Works could not areas in which the use of galvanised iron prudently and without risk to the building is prohibited, for example, for roofing pur or to the occupants of the building be shaded poses. The building of roofs· in black -soil in their dimensions. areas of either fibro or of tile is a waste of time and consequently, and very properly so, Much has been said of the methods residents of Brisbane must not use galvanised employed for initiating these jobs. My utter iron for the roofs of their dwellings; they conviction is that wherever the fault may must use either fibro-cement or tiles. This is lie there is far too great a gap between the to enable galvanis·ed iron to be available in realisation that the job is needed and the the black-soil areas which, goodness knows, administrative to-and-fro steps that are taken are in troubla enough. But what do we find~ before that work is finally proceeded with. In the la'st 12 months the department has I further make the complaint that the. red built additions to schools in my area-I am tape rigmarole of going from department to very grateful to it for that-but in every case department, from officer to officer, is carried galvanised iron has been used for the roofs. through to the point of absurdity, having 1·egard to the size of some of the. jobs. I liir. Burrows: Matching the existing >Yas interested in both the suggestiOn made roofs. by the hon. member for Warwick and the tone of the Minister's reply with regard to }lr. HILEY: That may be so. These giving greater authority for expediting small are new wings simply joined by a gantry to ;fobs. The Minister seemed to view it with the old building. At Camp Hill may be seen favour, but he told the Committee that the an entirely new wing. At Holland Park an limit of authority is £5 on repair work. If entirely new wing of three classrooms has the Minister is served by quality officers been erected, and the same thing is true of and I hope he is-I suggest that the £5 Moorooka. In each case the Department of limit of authority is altogether too low. Public Works apparently does not observe the rule the Co-ordinator-General of Public Whilst I believe that in practice the officers ·works has laid down. I suggest that if the quite frequently will go beyond the £5 limit Government, very properly, recognise the laid clown in theory, I think that while the need to restrict the use of pine in limit is at £5 every officer who goes to £10 certain cases and galvanised iron in others, will feel that he is going outside the limit. they should observe the same rules in their I suggest that a limit of £50 would not be own construction, and I suggest that when unreasonable. Take the type of thing that the Minister comes to look into this position develops-and I am sure the Minister will he will find some direction in which he can probably recollect the circumstances: a ques reform the work of his department. tion arises of extra water supply to the State School at Camp Hill. The sewerage Then there is another important direction was installed some time ago and during the in which considemtion must be given. Mr. luncheon hours the one-inch water service to Grenning, with perfect propriety, has warned the school grounds will not deliver enough the people of this State that we have lived water to keep the taps running for the so long on our natu~·al rtimber ne.so:urces youngsters to have a drink, let alone flush that we approach a condition of near-bank the toilets. We have had mothers of Camp ruptcy. He has gone on to state that the Hill frantic during the luncheon hour, because position today is so desperate that there the toilets have not been capable of being is urgent need to revise the timber specifica flushed because the water supply was tions in this State. He points out that no inadequate. I am not here to beat the band longer can we hope to use for every purpose on the public-health aspect of the matter; A-quality, superb-type hardwoods for our that needs no argument-but I am endeavour building construction. That is an honest ing to point out the time factor involved facing up. t? a clear fact. Let me suggest in correcting a thing the correction of which to the Munster that one of his first acts is as elementary as the A, B, C. ~s soon as should be to look at the specifications for we went to the Department of Pubhc Instruc timber construction in the Department of tion some two months ago it said, "Yes, it Public Works. I have seen some of these is something to be corrected immediately.'' timber. buil~ings going up, and I say they We went to the Department of Public Works are bmlt hke the rock of Gibraltar. The and that depa'rtment said, "It is something timber specifications go past the bounds of that should be corrected immediately.'' The Supply. [13 NoVEMBER.] Supply. 1365 matter rested for two months, when I got are doing things we have no right to. There a letter from the Secretary for Public Instruc is no 'restriction against the use of galvan tion dated 7 November informing me that ised iron in the circumstances. approval has been given for the provision of a 2-inch water service from the Ferguson The hon. member also said that there was Road water main. The point I am making not sufficient water at the Camp Hill State is that it takes two months of this rigmarole schools to flush the sanitary pedestals at from the Department of Public Instruction, certain periods of the day. T·hat is true, which sends out an inspector, who reports but the hon. member should have been fair to somebody \Yho sends that report on to the and said that the matter had been adjusted. Department of Public Works, with the result 1Ur. Hiley: I have seen this letter, dated that a delay of two months has been 7 November. occasioned. The Minister has given, with At 4.12 p.m., some eourage, an indication that such things will not be allowed to come to pass in the The CHAIRMAN resumed the chair. future. If he can overcome that sort flf difficulty every member of this Chamber will JUr. POWER: The matter has been wish him well. adjusted, and it is just as well that that matter be clem·ed up too. There is one further thing I should like the Minister to deal with. On page 15 of the The hon. member also asked for some infor report of the Department of Public Works mation concerning the Rockhampton Home for the Committee will observe that there is an the ~'tged and Infirm. I have not got that item of a home for aged and infirm in the information with me, but I will get it for Rockhampton district the total cost of which him. However, I should like to remind him is quoted at £125,484. I have seen this that he is an auditor, not a carpenter, and building in passing and to see this figure while he may know a g'reat deal about of £125,000-odd against the item shocks me figures-and I am not suggesting that he as being something utterly removed from the does not-he would not know anything about realities of the situation. It is quite probable building. that I formed a completely wrong idea in JUr. Hiley: I have seen it. my casual glance at the buildings, which are supposed to have attracted the outlay ;)Ir. POWER: The hon. member may of the impressive figure of £125,000, haYe seen it from the side of the road. He but I should like the Minister to implied that we were spending public money tell the Committee or give us some on public buildings and not getting value for idea of the type of construction, together it. I will get the information that he with the total area of the buildings and, desires from my office. above everything else, a clear indication of the capacity of accommodation that £125,000 llir. PATERSON (Bowen) (4.13 p.m.): I want to raise two matters on this vote, represents. If the Minister would furnish the Committee with that information I should which I believe are very important to the be grateful. · people in my electO'rate, and important to people in other electorates also, because they Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-Secretary illustrate what is perhaps the main weakness for Public Works) ( 4.9 p.m.) : The hon. in the administration of the Department of member for Logan referred to the use of Public vVorks. The first relates to the Bowen V-jointed pine and I think the hon. member State School, the second to the Queen's Beach must have been misinformed, as there is no State School. restriction on its use. I do not know where Ever since its construction over 80 yea'rs he got his information. He referred to the ago, the Bowen State School has had to veranda at Holland Park school as being ~epend on ordinary earth lavatory closets, but ceiled with V-jointed pine, but the Under m the last two or three years there has been Secretary, Mr. Lyons, assures me that there a strong agitation by the school committee is no restriction in connection with it. for a septic system to 'replace them and I Now, as to the Department of Public think everyone who knows the school agrees Works using iron I want to say that the that this agitation is justified. Early this department is allowed to use iron when year, in company with the chairman of the putting on an extension to a building on school committee, the local authority health which iron has been used previously. inspector, and the head master, I inspected the lavatories. That inspection convinced Will anyone suggest that we should have a hotch-potch sort of a roof, iron in one me that the school committee is perfectly place, tiles in another, and fibrolite some justified in its request. The Department of Public Inshuction subsequently approved of where else? The department is quite in the proposal that a septic system s'hould be order in using galvanised iron in: the circum stances I have mentioned. Pmhaps the hon. installed, and the proposal was sent on to member does nor know that it will be very the Department of Public Works, but unfor difficult to get roofing material of any kind tunately, up to the present the work has not in the near future, and that galvanised iron been done because the Department of Public will perhaps be more plentiful than any other vVorks has not been able to make an officer roofing material, according to the informa available to draw the plans. tion we have from the various manufac I think in fairness to the Minister I should turers. I just wanted to clear up that point Tead a letter written to me today by the lest there should be some misconception about Deputy Director-General of Education, it, lest the Press should make the point we because these problems that arise in ...-arious 1366 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply.
parts of the State often illustrate something these bottlenecks will be eliminated. It is a that can help the Minister in the administra problem that must be tackled even if it is tion of his department. This is the letter- necessary for the department to offer salaries ''Dear SiT, that normally it would not offer in order to ''With reference to your inquiries regard obtain architects. ing the present position in respect of the provision of improved lavatory facilities There is also a further point. It seems to at the Bowen State School, I have to me that the department becomes involved in inform you that the Under Secretary, too much red tape when it demands that there Department of Public Works, advised on should be a proper architectural plan for a the 11 August last, as follows:- small job such as a school room 21 ft. x 21 'As it is likely to be some time ft. I am not a builder, I do not know any before an officer will be available to deal thing about the technical side of building, with working plans, &c., for the new but the Minister might well consider whether septic system, the dist-rict officer has it may not be possible to avoid some of th_ese been instructed to submit an estimate of delays by eliminating the necesity of havmg cost of repairs to existing e.c. buildings, such plans drawn up here in Bri_sbane for as a tempora•ry expedient.' such small jobs. Generally speakmg, when any work has to be approved for the Bowen '' Co!'lsequent upon the above, approval district the request has to go first to the was glVen on t-he 29 August last to the departmental headquarters at Mackay. The expenditure of £14 12s. 3d. upon temporary officer in charge there often has to delay work to make the lavatories serviceable because he is not able to visit Bowen for some for a fur~her period. The Works Depa•rt• ment advise that this temporary job is in time, as he is engage-d on some other wo_rk. hand.'' Is there not some other way of overcom;ng the difficulty. I do not know the solut~on. This temporary job is at last in hand. The I am not a technical man. I know nothmg >department is doing that, although apparently about buildings. In fact, my knowledge does it took nearly two months before even that not even extend to building a billy-goat cart. was done. But that is only a temporary But I do ask the Minister to give considerati~n expedient, and I want to emphasise that the to thi& matter to ascertain whether ~here :s construction of the septic system is being held not some way to_ obviate the dela_Y wlnle he :s up solely beeause there is still a shortage of waiting to get mcreased staff m the archi officers who are capable of drawing these tectural seetion. plans. While on this subject I should like to make Strange to say, a similar position exists a suggestion. When any improvements to with regard to the Queen's Beach State schools are requested reports have to be School, although here it is not a septic system that the school requires but a new school sent to the Department of Public Instructi?n in Brisbane. That department then makes Its room and certain improvements to the school decision. When that decision is made and residence. The letter written to me today the work is approved it is sent to the Depart by the Deputy Director-General of Education says- ment of Public Works. ' 'With reference to your representations All this means delay and I suggest th:;t in respect of the provisions of additions to much of the difficulty could be overcome If the Queen's Beach State School, I have inspectors of schools were given some power to advise you that the Department of Public to approve of essential work while they are Works has been requested to- on their rounds. There would, of course, have ( a) Expedite consideration of lining to be a financial limit on this power, and I the Infants' clas·sroom and provision of a accept the suggestion made by the hon. mem sleep-out veranda to the school residence. ber for Logan when dealing wit~ another (b) Prepare plan and estimate of cost matter-that the limit be £50. If mspectors of an additional classroom 21 ft. x 21 ft. were given power to approve of necessary or connected to existing room by a folding urgent work at least some of the _delay. would partition. be eliminated. I urge that cons1deratwn be given to this suggestion. "Inquiries reveal that the above were referred to the Chief Architect for the The Queen's Beach school _is si~uated i~1 a necessary attention on 12th September last. locality where the populatiOn IS gr?wmg This work has not been commenced by the rapidly ~nd where each ye~r there 1s . an architectural section.'' increase m the number of children attendmg Here again two months have elapsed and the school. It is not fair that the people should delay is due to the fact that the architectural have to wait so long for classrooms to section has not been able to prepare the plan, be extended. It is not fair to the children; apparently again because of the shortage of it is not fair to the teachers; and it is not staff. It seems to me that this is the cause fair to the Educational Department. The of the present bottleneck. cause of the delay must be overcome so that it will be possible to have such schoolrooms I was pleased to hear the Minister say he built without delay, not only at Queen's was going to -do his best to reorganise the Beach but in all other parts of Queensland department and that he was going to get where similar problems arise, and so that the the best possible man to take over as head people may be assured that the moment su~h of its technical section. It is to be hoped problems arise they will not have to wart that when this is done the delays caused by long before they are solved. Supplv. [13 NoVEMBER.] Supply. 1367
J[r, J. R. TAYLOR (Maranoa) (4.21 George water scheme, also controlled by this p.m.) : I join with other hon. members in department, will be started very shortly. A <:omplimenting the Minister on being elevated large amount of material is already on the to the position he now holds, and taking job and there is nothing to prevent the <:ontrol of such an important department. engineer from beginning the work so soon DUTing my term as a member I have always as he sees his way clear to do so. had the greatest courtesy from every officer of the department. All my dealings with Jir. Sparkes: Who is the constructing them have been very satisfactory. There is authority~ much idle talk to the effect that this is not .IUr. J. R. TAYLOR: The Balonne Shire lJeing done and that is not being done, but Council is the constructing authority for the "·e have to realise that conditions today are water and reticulation system, under the not what they were a few years ago. guidance of a civil engineer. The great shortage of material is the prin tipal reason why there is a lag in some of the I have every reason to believe that the renovations and building projects. The man Local Government Department will be in a position very shortly to inform us that the power position is not much better than it was during the war period, and combined with the Surat scheme can be begun. If every other shortage of material makes it almost hon. member has done as well out of the Department of Public Works as I have impossible to begin many of the buildings the Government wish to construct. In my done-and I see no reason why he should own electorate we have a good deal not-he has not very much to growl about. of money to spend. Money has been allotted There are buildings in my electorate that to the different jobs, some as long as 12 need renovating. Others need repairing and months ago. Tenders have been called for painting, but we of the western m·eas have those jobs, but because of the shortage of sufficient gumption to know that homeless material and man-power it is not possible people must first have houses and we are to get anybody to tender for them. willing to wait. Houses for the homeless are more important than renovations to existing I have had excellent co-operation from the buildings, but we know that when the depart merchants in this State who supply building ment has the man-power and materials avail material. While I have not been able to get able for these jobs they will be proceeded all that I required for electors in my area I with. have had helpful consideration and from my discussions of the problem with them I know Although the Minister has not been in con the position is causing them a great deal of trol of the department for very long he has worry. done much good work. During his short period of office he spent a good deal of time If they are worried it is only natural to in hospital and we are all pleased to have assume that the Government, too, are worried, him back with us in his old .form. When he because there is no doubt tha't they want to was on the back benches we knew he would get on with these jobs. not sidestep an argument, and we have had }lr. Sparkes: It has the people worried ample evidence today that he will not do who 1vant material. that while he is a Minister. I have everv confidence that as time goes on the jobs that 3Ir. J. R. TAYLOR: I have explained each and every one of us requires to be done that. Everybody realises that there is a will be completed as the shortage of materials shortage of material, and I am assured by and man-power becomes less acute. people who should know that nobody is to One matter that I should like the Minister blame. The position will right itself and to keep in mind is the need for a wa tor this may take some time. supply at Mnngindi. The weir there supplies I compliment the Minister, because shortly the residents on the New South Wales side after he was elected to Cabinet I asked him to with water while the people on the Queens visit Roma and he did so. There he made land side-and this includes the hospital certain promises to a deputation that waited have to depend on tanks. I ask that considera on him in connection with a sewerage scheme tion be given to a projed that has been for the Roma High School. Recently I have brought under his notice and before the been notified that that scheme will be put attention of the Director of Local Government into operation immediately and every effort for the supply of water from the weir for ma(1e to have it completed before the children Queensland residents. return to school next year. The Department of Local Government is doing an excellent Jir. BURROWS (Port Curtis) (4.33 job. p.m.): I congratulate the hon. member for Baroona upon his appointment as Minister :i\Ir. Sparkes: Do you mean the shires of this important department. It seems that or the department~ his appointment to this position. had to he, because the hon. member for v\'indsor has Jir. ,J. R. TAYLOR: The department acted as a clairvoyant and foreseen it. I controlled by the Department of Public do not profess to know anything a bout the vYorks. If the hon. member thinks he will stars or to have studied them, but after hf!Y· get me in on this he has another guess ing looked into every bowl that I could coming to him. find a bout the place I cannot see that the A 'veir and water scheme has been con hon. member for \Vindsor, 1Yho has foreseen structed at Dirranbandi and is in full opera the realisation of the hon. member ·for tion, supplying water in that area. The St. Baroona 's ambition to become a Minister of 1368 Supply. [ASSEMBLY. Supply. the Crown, will realise his ambition to become On the one hand we had an hon. member Fuhrer of Queensland. I can only see him opposite who wanted local authorities to put reverting to his old Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde money into the bank and on the otheT an attitude. Every time he gets up to speak we hon. member opposite who said that local have another exhibition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. authorities were bankrupt. Hyde and I am afraid their backs must be very broad indeed. lUr. Pie: Who said that? I found the officers of the Department of Itir. UURROWS: I have heard it not Public ~orks, with whom I had a good deal once, but a dozen times and it would be a to do pnor to my entering this Parliament safe guess to say that it was said by the equal to if not greater in efficiency tha~ hon. member for Windsor, because he does. those of any other State. make some irresponsible statements. :iUr. Russell: The Minister does not There are some people on local authorities think so, according to the ''Telegraph.'' who would sooner go along rough roads, over bumps and into ruts and break two or three 1Ur. UURROWS: I must give the Minis car springs in the course of the year than ter credit for thinking; I cannot give the agree to a small increase in the rates that hon. member that credit. would give them just the amount required \Ve have heard much about local authorities to put the roads into a reasonably good condition. I am not going to say that local. in general and every time the question is authorities have any amount of money to brough_t into debate the bankruptcy of local spend, but they can raise money and that governmg bodies is forecast. The position is one of their functions. If they are not may be summed up in these words: if you willing to do that they should ask the have no socks on, you cannot pull them up. Government to take them over. If you have a fund and you do not put some thing into tha't fund you cannot take anY 1Ur. Sparkes: Abolish them? thing out of it. That is elementary mid we have to remind hon. members opposite of l\Ir. UURROWS: No. I do not believe it. \Ve hear a big squeal from them about in abolishing them if they are willing to reducing taxation, and they tried to win carry out their functions, but if they are an election by bringing that question into not a't least they should admit it and not the fight. The whole quesi:ion is this: if you simply do nothing. It is much better that are not prepared to pay a ta'x or rates and they should be out of the way than simply create a fund, how can you expect to draw stopping a good man from doing something. out of that fund~ That is the elementarY I suggest that local authorities could save question and the plain A.B.C. of finance. I a good deal of money by setting up their own am quite satisfied that hon. members opposite co-operative purchasing body, which would a're not so dull that they do not recognise it, be somewhat similar to the State Stores Board. but they see in it the opportunity to embar At the present time they buy a bit here, a rass the Government. bit there and a bit anywhere and I am sure that as a result they lose money which could Since the election of Labour Governments, be saved in the way I suggest and thus local authorities have received very sympathe be a little more for road work, which in these tic consideration. A glance at tl1e Auditor days is very acceptable. General's report will show t11at £272,000 was given to local governing bodies last year in Reference was made to expenditure on the form of subsidies. I a'sk hon. members to State schools. Here again the hon. member go to the library and look at the reports of for 'Windsor came in and said that the that gentl~man covering the years of the University should be given priority. While I Moore Government, and see how much was realise that the Queensland University is a given to local authorities then. Now that I very necessary institution, still if there is to have mentioned this infamous crowd, I dis be any priority in the matter of buildings agree with the Minister when he said that I propose to put in my claim on behalf of the members of the Queensland .People's .Party the countrv schools where the children of were the same a's the Moore Government. 1 country workers and farmers can get only say that they are wors'e. a primary education, which is much more necessary to them than secondary education Since the Main Roads Commission has been to city children. established, local authorities have received relief in connection with highways. The hon. member for Logan complained that certain timbers prohibited for general JUr. Russell: How much do they get? use were being used in State schools. For two or three vears before I became a member ~Ir. UURROWS: The hon. member for Wa'rwick said that local authorities were of Parliameitt I was associated with a hospitals board. The Department of Public prevented from creating a plant reserve fund. Works prepared the building specifications I do not doubt that the hon. member made that suggestion in all sincerity and honesty. for the board. :'.Iany hon. members do not appreciate the It was particularly noticeable that where,·cr difference between capital and Tevenue possible pine was eliminated. I heard the expenditure. If they did, they could appre workmen often complain about their not being ciate the need for stopping that pTactice. able to use pine. I cannot understand any It is not necessary to contTadict the cry of complaint that the department is misusing this poverty or the poor condition of local valuable and scarce timber. It is possible authorities. that ceTtain pine taken from freehold lanrl Supply. [13 NoVEMBER.] Supply. ·1369
is on the market. The Government have no :\Ir. POWER: That explodes the canard control over timber on freehold land. The and untrue statement made by the hon. mem only timber that they have control of is that ber for Windsor. In future he will be well taken from Crown land. advised to make sure of his facts before making any statement in this Chamber. Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-Secretary for Public Works) (4.46 p.m.): The hon. lUr. Pie: That is not what the com member for Windsor said we had confiscated mittee told me. funds of the Breakfast Creek school Jir. POWER: The hon. member holds a committee. responsible position in this State. He has :\Ir. Pie: No, property that they had been elected into this Parliament. Now he bought. admits he made a statement that is entirelv untrue. I would advise the hon. member not :\Ir. POWER: The hon. member said to allow himself to be used in future as a confiscated their property. gas pipe for other people to blow through. :\Ir. Pie: No, took over property from 1Ur. Pie: I will report that to the them. committee. :\Ir. POWER: The hon. member implied :\[r. POW.ER: The hon member for that we took it from them. Bowen raised the question of lavatory accom modation at the Bowen State school and addi .Jir. Pie: No. tions and repairs in connection with the Queen's Beach school and complained of the Jir. POWER: The hon. member implied that we took it from them without authority. delay that occurred from the time the request was submitted by the Department of Public Let me give the true position. It is all ve~y well for the hon. member to get up and make Instruction and the time the work was under a statement that is without foundation and taken by the Department of Public Works. entirely untrue. He is one of those capital As I previously stated, the delay has bee_n ists who like to have their name in the caused bv the fact that we are shoTt of archl headlines in connection with anything that teds to·· prepare the necessary plans and lm ppens-" I this " and " I that. " This is to give an estimate of the cost of one of those occasions when he has made an the job required. I cannot accept the pro awful mistake and I am going to show the posal made by the hon. member for Bowen public that he did not make a truthful state that the Department should allow school ment. Here is the true position concerning inspectors to autlwrise expenditure 'UP to £50. the Breakfast Creek State School matter. School inspectors may have little or no know ledge of building requirements or what the In 1940 the committee of that school wrote cost of a job might be. Any estimating to the Department of Public Instruction as must be clone by qualified men. We have to the desirability of its purchasing the a system, and when the department asks property adjoining the school. The taking for work to be done the department is over of that property is a result of its pur entitled to know what the ;job is to cost; chase by the school committee. If the hon. and the estimate must be prepared, and member did not know that it shows he was a qualified man must make the inspection. not acquainted with the facts. The property was bought for £380. The committee paid I agree that delays a•re initating. The £100 off the purchase price from proceeds hon. member is not the only one who finds received from fees for parking cars in the himself in that position. During the war school grounds. The Department of Public many jobs had to remain in abeyance until Instruction agreed to the committee's raising hostilities ceased; and it is important that funds in that way. The committee has done those jobs-many of them major ones a very excellent job. The department must be gone on with now. For the preserva approved of the committee's suggestion that tion of our assets the jobs fiTst submitted it should take over the liabilities on the land to the department must receive first considera but made it a condition that the title be tion. transferred to the Crown. Before the Crown I agree >vith the hon. member as to the takes over any liability it must protect itself. installation of septic systems. They should be The Committee agreed to so transfer the land. put in as soon as possible, not only at the The transfer was completed at the request sehool at Bowen, but in every other school of the committee and was agreed to by it. througlwut the State "·here a sewerage It made the approach and we did the job. system is not in operation. I think the old Owing to the death of the vendor the transfer earth system should be abolished, and of the property was not effected until 1942. \vherever possible we must put in a septic The delay was caused because the usual pro system. I want to remind lwn. members cedure of transmission on death had to be opposite that there are many parts of Queens followed. During that period rentals were land where the soil is not suitable for the collected by the committee. septic system. A careful survey must be made of the soil. At 4.48 p.m., )fr. 11Iac Mr. POWER: I understand that the In reinforcing steel, Queensland's require Teason why they ask whether it is black-soil ments are 11,400 tons. The quota allotted to country is because the shifting nature of the Queensland is 9,354 tons. Housing require soil may cause fibrolite to crack_ ments amount to 1,900 tons, leaving a balance available for public works, bridges, &c., of lllr. Sparkes: But they still require it, even on ordinary soil. 7,454 tons. That is a true statement of the position l!Ir. POWER: In any part of the coun as to what we can expect in materials during try where the people depend on tanks for the balance of the current financial year. If a water supply they must receive first con there is any hold-up in the completion of sideration and galvanised iron must be made jobs, the blame cannot be laid at the door available to them. That is the policy of the of the Government, because, if the goods are Government, it has been laid down by the not there they cannot be made available. Co-ordinator-General and the Government are not departing from it. When the hon. mem I wish to deal now with another matter ber for Logan spoke of iron being used on concerning local government, in which I am State schools, I pointed out that the reason keenly interested, having been a member of a was that the old type of building had been local authority for four years and chairman roofed with galvanised iron, but I assure of the health committee of the Brisbane City hon. members that my department realises Council. the difficulties confronting the country people and appreciates the importance of seeing that )Ir. Pie: Under the Chandler regime? galvanised iron is made available to them, :Jir. POWER: As a matter of fact, the because they depend on tanks for their water Lord Mayor has been lost for some time; supply. we clo not know where he is. Queensland's maximum requirements will be 26,000 tons, her minimum requirements I wish to deal with the expenditure by local 16,000 tons, and the estimated quantity avail authorities of moneys that have been made able will be 12,000 tons. In other words, available to them by way of subsidy. even cutting the use of galvanised iron to I am very much perturbed by statements the minimum, we shall be 4,000 tons short of made to me in regard to the way in which our requirements. All we can do is to hope money has been expended. Subsidies are that the supply position will improve, because given on a certain basis. I will deal first with there is no other way of overcoming the sewerage work. No local authority, because difficulty. No provision is made for the the Government make a 50-per-cent. subsidy roofing of any commercial or public building aYailable, has the right to waste money by with iron except those used for housing having too much supervision. I am told that Yibratory machinery, such as sawmills. As on certain sewerage jobs in Brisbane no fewer to fiat iron, a sufficient quantity should be than six inspectors ancl three or four available to supply all rainwater require engineers have visited the jobs during the ments for all new permitted buildings, clay. What dicl we fin·d operating in the old including homes. days of sewerage construction~ We had an Butt-welded piping also is in short supply. inspector in charge on the job, timekeepers, We read in the paper that there is a shortage and several foremen in charge of the various of piping for connecting gas to the homes sections. The cost of construction of sewers of our people. We know that the Brisbane in those days was considerably less than it is City Council has been unable to connect the at the present time. The cost of construction 1mter to a number of homes erected by the of sewers in the metropolitan area has gone State Housing Commission and by private up quite considerably and that increase is enterprise. No blame can be attached to the easily understandable. We find we have an local authority for that, because a set of engineer on the outside job, an assistant circumstances over which the council has no engineer, an inspector, seyeral foremen and control has arisen. Queensland's require several clerks on the job. ments during the coming financial year will be 15,000 tons. The estimated imports are 3Ir. Pie: Have you any control over 8,900 tons. New homes, including gas and that1 water, will require 4,400 tons, public works and commercial institutions will require 1,000 lUr. POWER: As a matter of fact, I am tons, and the balance will go to primary pro looking into the question of how subsi;lies are ducers. We are going to have a very lean being expended. I am also told that after time during the coming year unless produc the job has been completed various improve tion can be stepped up and further supplies ments are made alongside the actual construc made available. tion of the sewer and the cost of those improvements has been charged to the sewer There has been a shortage of cement in age work. Queensland for some time, but the position has improved somewhat. The estimated pro JUr. Pie: Included in the cost of the duction for 1947 is 130,000 tons, which is sewerage~ approximately double the amount manu factured before the war. Imports are ]}fr. POWER: I am informed that applies estimated at 10,000 tons, making the total not only in the city of Brisbane but in other 140,000 tons. The demand for housing will parts 'of Queenslan<:l. I am going to see that be 7,000 tons, and the amount available for a better check is made and I am going to ask other purposes 133,000 tons. through the Premier that an auditor make a 1372 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. close inspection of the books of local authori lUr. Luckins: Is that not because of the ties to see that loans and subsidies for sewer shortage of men and material~ age work are expended on sewerage works alone and not on improvements alongside Jtir. POWER: The hon. member has sewerage works. come in just where I wanted him-he has walked into something now, the shortage of :\'Jr. Evans interjected. men and material. If there is a shortage of material why put on 54 engineers~ 3Ir. POWER: I am speaking of the ~Jetropolitan area and I am told it operates Jtir. Luckins: I cannot understand there m some other local-authority areas. Subsidies being 54 engineers. are a_vailable for the purpose of carrying out POWER: They are there. certam work and I strongly object to the 1tlr. money's being used for any other purpose. I Jtir. Luckins: We have only the word of have been informed of .the number of men on the hon. member for Merthyr for that. a certain job, done not by the local authority concerned but on the contract system. In lUr. POWER: Then let us say that there the ~arly days, an inspector was placed on are only ten as against one before. the Job for the whole of the time to see that JUr. Luckins: It calls for investigation. the work was canied out in accordance with the plans and specifications. That is sound lUr. POWER: It certainly does. If business. In addition, to·day there is a staff fewer men are employed then they require of inspectors and engineers going out to less supervision, but the Lord Mayor of inspect the jobs and that means that there Brisbane is not a bit concerned about what is n~ confidence _in the men appointed to do is happening in the city of Brisbane. He is the JOb. What 1s more, it means that there having a jaunt round America at a cost of are extra overhead charges and the Govern about £15,000 to the ratepayers of Brisbane. ment are paying subsidies for these extra Of course, that does not matter. While money costs. Brisbane has some highly paid is being wasted on the Lord Mayor's trip engineers-- overseas and the wages of the engineers have been increased, rates have gone up. 3Jr. ilJoore: Fifty-four are now doing the job that one man did under the Jones That brings me to another point. The regime. hon. member for Maree asks is it not because of the shortage of man-power and material j)Jr. POWER: The hon. member for that less work is being done? But the salary Mcrth.Yl: informs me that 54 engineers are of the city engineer, Mr. Goffin, was increased now domg the work of one when the late just recently. Mr. Jones was Lord Mayor. The hon. member JUr. Luckins: That is not peculiar to for Maree shoul-d know. We had a man by a municipality. It applies to Parliamentarians the name of J unner, who by the way did a good job . as well. .:!Ir. Luckins: He was under Lord Mayor lllr. POWER: We earn our money here. J ones. The hon. member for Maree does not earn his money here, because he. regards his .:!Jr. POWER: H~ was the man in charge position as a member of parliament as being of sewerage. He d1d that work and nothing only a part-time job. He has another business, else. I know from my own knowledge that that of house and land a'gent. He makes loud the number of engineers has been increased protestations against the action of the Com out of all proportion to the amount of work monwealth Government in setting up a Com being done. If you were to take the number monwealth Sub-Treasury to peg rents and of sewc1· miles I'Onstructed during the life values and so he is unable to get higher of the Jones administration and the sewer profits than otherwise from the sale of miles constructed during the life of the property at high prices. Chandler council you woul-d :find that when Mr. Jones was Lord Mnyor a greater length lUr. L UCKINS: I rise to a point of of sewerage was built than is being built at order. I want to assure the Minister that the present time, either by contract or day since I have been in Parliament I have not labour. been in practice and so I am not concerned about the Commonwealth Sub-Treasury and }Jr. Luckins: Do not forget the war its conditions, other than as to how they period. affect the citizens I represent. }fr. POWER: I am not. It would be unfair to make a comparison with the war lUr. POWER: I accept the hon. mem period and I have no desire to be unfair. I ber's denial, but I have heard him make am taking the figures showing sewer miles loud protestations in this Chamber concerning constructed both before and after the war the control exercised by the Commonwealth period. The hon. member will be able to ~ub-Treasury and '' Hansard '' bears get them, because he is a member of the testimony to the fact. The hon. member for· Citizens Municipal Organisation and I shall Maree has some knowledge of local-authority be able to get them by virtue of my position work. as Minister in charge of the departrnent. The ltir. Pie: A lot of knowledge. number of sewer miles now being constructed annually is less than under the J ones admini lUr. POWER: He has a little knowledge stration and there are now 54 engineers as and a little knowledge is often dangerous. against one before. He has been in and out of politics. He was Supply. [13 NoVEMBER.] Supply. 1373 rejected by the people and he is very Hon. members may think I am painting a fortunate in not having been rejected by false picture, but I say in all sincerity that them at the last elections. the public-buildings in my electorate are an absolute disgrace to the Government. I am I was referring to the jaunt of the Lord not mentioning these facts for the purpose Mayor of Brisbane overseas at a cost to the of criticising the Government. No-one is ratepayers of about £15,000 and to the fact more sincere than I am in seeing that these that the salaries of the engineers of the buildings are brought up to a condition of council have been increased and so have their decency and efficiency. numbers. The ratepayers of the city of Brisbane have had their rates increased and Let me :first deal with the Nambour Rural it is time that the Brisbane City Council School. This is a most important school. took stock of its position so as to give the Over 1,000 pupils attend it. The classrooms people what they are entitled to. The Local are overcrowded. I made an inspection of Government Act provides that local autho this school in company with the chairman of rities shall balance their budgets, but that the school committee and the head-master. is not the position with the Brisbane City The lavatories, particularly the girls', were Council because it has shown large surpluses. inadequate, and did not meet the demands. J!'urthermore, the drainage was bad. I am 'l'he Leader of the Labour Party in the pleased to say that through my representa council has on more than one occasion fore tions the overcrowding of the classrooms has cast that the budget submitted to aldermen been relieved by the erection of an old Army was not correct and that at the end of the hut in the school grounds, while a new set :financial term a large surplus would be shown. of lavatories has been erected for the girls. That forecast has proved correct on each I want to see the very best sanitary arrange occasion. No local authority has a right to ments provided at our schools. The drainage take more from the people than is necessary of this school has not been attended to. We for its :financial requirements, while at all must remember that it is the principal high times it should endeavour to balance its school in the district. When it rains water budget. Instead, the council has been show flows onto the floor of one of the buildings. ing large surpluses and has not been giving the people of Brisbane what they are entitled The building is built on the ground and to receive. there is at least two or three inches of water :>lways there. I appeal to the Minister to see that some attention is given to this as Jir. LOW (Cooroora) (5.16 p.m.): First, soon as possible. I wish to take this opportunity of congratu lating the Minister on his elevation to his Let us go to the Tewantin School, which high office. I sympathise with him, because was one of the :first that I inspected. I made he has a lot of cleaning up to do. From an inspection in June, 194 7. This school is my observations since entering Parliament situated at one of the principal North Coast and I drew attention to this fact in my open tourist resorts, and at least 700 people live ing speech-there is too much divided respon in that area. The playshed was in a deplor sibility between the Secretary for Public able condition. It was an old shingle-roofed Instruction and the Secretary for Public building and the ceiling joists, rafters and \Vorks. I was pleased to hear the statement battens were absolutely rotten. I told the of the Minister in charge of this vote that school committee to pull the thing down he intends to see that efficiency is brought because it might kill some of the children. about in his department. There was not a drop of water in the tanks; and the head-master assured me the children I am concerned most with the delays that had been bringing water to school for four occur between the time approval is given to years. This is our popular seaside resort. The public works and when they are carried out. school was overcrowded and the lighting was I have been particularly interested as a result bad. The girls' lavatories 1vere not adequate. of a survey I have made of public buildings 'l'he lady teachers had to use the lavatory in my electorate. I am sorry I cannot refer that the head-master had in order to give to the public buildings there in such glowing the children some relief from queueing up. terms as some other hon. members who have The fences round the school were broken preceded me. I have made a personal inspec down. When I made the inspection I found tion of the various State schools and public their bags and hats scattered all round the buildings in the Cooroora electorate and place. The seating accommodation was so found that the majority are in a dilapidated bad that even kerosene boxes were used by condition. Many schools are overcrowded the children to sit on. I have had promises and classrooms invite repairs in a big way. that certain work will be carried out and The lighting of the classrooms is very bad. I notice the fences are about to be repaired; The tanks are in a dilapidated state. The but that does not alter the fact that the guttering round the roof of the school is in work is not being attended to as quickly as no better condition than the tanks. It has it should have been. corroded to such an extent that little water is carried into the tanks. In many instances What annoys me is that I have been reli the playsheds are falling to bits, while the ably informed that a prominent member of lavatories are in a bad condition. Many of the Government has said that I have exag the school buildings have not been painted gerated this position. If any hon. member for some time, and as a result are falling is prepared to get up and say that, I should into disrepair. The fences round the school like to take him to Tewantin to see this grounds will not hold the children's horses. school. It is a reflection on the honesty, 1374 Supply. [ASSEM.BL Y.] Supply. sincerity and truthfulness of myself and the people from the north, south, east and west, school committee. We conferred and got the when they come to this seaside resort, make Government Medical Officer, Dr. Crawford of for the school to see the up-to-date educa Pomona, to make a report on the school. The tional system we have, but when they get report reads as follows:- there they think they are in New Guinea. I ''Box 13, appeal to the Minister to have something ''Phone 26, done. ''Pomona, llir. Clark: I do not suppose you are "8th October, 1947. the only one. ''Secretary, '' Tewantin State School Committee, lUr. LOW: I hope it is the only one in '' Tewantin. Queensland. ''Dear Sir, I went to Cooroy, and what did I find there? ''At your request at 2.30 p.m., 7 October, I went to the local police station to have a 1947, I inspected the classroom which your look at the local sergeant an<:l to see the local Committee are endeavouring to get replaced police station. What did I find there~ I and rectified. found the sergeant and the constable in a "I am in full agreement with the head small room that one could hardly swing a master, Mr. Hooper, as to the bad ventila cat in. They could not move their chairs tion and poor light in this particular room. back fTOm the table without having to shove This is particularly obvious when contrasted each other out of the road. He asked me to with the other more recently erected class make representations and I said I would cer rooms. Although the floor space is appar tainly do so on his behalf. He then insisted ently sufficient to house the number of on my coming and meeting his wife. I always children (70), the direction of the length like to meet my electors. What <:lid I find in of the room and the inadequacy of the the loungeW Not a bit of linoleum, and I Windows make it suitable for probably could understand why it was just bare boards. about ~alf this number. The windows being Six boards of the floor were missing. The approxrmately 5 feet from the ground do sergeant introduced me to his wife and as I not provide any illumination, except went to shake hands with her, I though11-I was reflected light from the walls for the chil stepping over the boards that were not there, dren's desks, and are in such positions as but I crashed through the floor up to the to cause an almost constant glare into the thigh. The sergeant's wife was absolutely teachers' eyes. distressed. She thought I had broken my ''The height of the windows from the leg. The floor was eaten with borers and the ground and their narrow apertures, each goo-d lady said, 'For goodness sake, do some window being approximately 6 feet by 1 thing about it. I think the borers are getting foot, does not in my opinion allow any into the furniture and eating my piano.'' I thing like adequate ventilation especially reported the matter to the Minister. It has when the room is filled to capacity. been investigated, but nothing done. That is the rotten part of it, and here we have the ''I definitely consider that these class Minister talking about looking after homes for rooms must have a detrimental effect on the women and children. Even the kiddies are the children taught there, in particular afraid to walk across the floor of that home. with regard to eye strain and transference I earnestly ask that thev send men to Cooroy of respiratory tract infections. immediately to do up that place. It is an "Yours faithfully, utter disgrace to the community. J. H. Crawford, M.B., B.S." That should be sufficient to prove whether From there I went to the head master of the position as outlined by me is correct. the local State school, and I foun<:l that all the guttering of his residence had been eaten Prior to that I had photos taken of this away. When it rains the water pours down building in order to let the Secretary for the side and underneath the house and all Public Instruction see what sort of a place over the place. In all your life you could it was. I have copies of these photos here. not see such a mess. Honestly, I cannot find One copy was sent to the Minister and I words strong enough to express my disgust have the others here for him to see today. with the position as I found it there. I have taken three pictures from different directions, and I challenge any hon. member The next place to be men tione<:l is the to say that he has a public building of this Maroochy River school. The tank is leaking, kind in such a deplorable condition as this but all they get is promises. No action is one at the tourist resort of Tewantin. taken. All the promises in the world have been given, but they are not being kept. lUr. Aikens: Table it. lUr. LOW: I should like it to be lUr. Sparkes: Election promises? re prod need in '' Hansard.'' If the Press want Mr. LOW: By jove, I wish I had known copies of this reproduction they can have it this before the election. Underneath the to publish. I think I am' getting a rotten Maroochy River State school there is -no raw deal. This is one of the schools that asphalt, and the kiddies have to eat their should have first attention. lunches underneath the school. There must I took a photograph of the girls' lavatory be an overhaul of the whole system. I do not also. It shows the small contraption for the want to get anybody into trouble; all I wa~t use of 70 girls-70 is a fair estimate. There is to have these jobs done and nobody wrll are 160 children going to this school and give the Government more co-operation than I. Supply. [13 NovEMBER.] Supply. 1375 Now let me take you to the Calico Creek a teacher went to the lavatory all the chil State school. I appealed to the Minister to do dren were looking out the window. They something about the tank there, because for could see him as plain as clay because the years the children have been running across department had not put enough iron on the the road to the little church school there to screen round it. get water. This matter was attended to The Maroochy District Hospital needs the about a month after I ma·de representations, veranda glassing-in for out-patients. That thanks to the Minister. work was approved over 12 months ago but I went to Pomona and met the secretary it has not been done yet. of the parents and citizens' committee. He A Government Member: Who is the said, ''Boy, you are just the fellow I want,'' member for the district~ and he took me over to a vacant allotment where I saw an old Army hut that had been 31r. LO)V: I am the member for the there for the last 12 months. I asked what district, and I will bring these matters under it was for and was told that it had been the Minister's notice. All he has to do is to sent up for the new rural school. All the investigate them and he will find that what children from the countryside used to go I am telling him is correct. If he gives me over there to smash up the fibro sheeting. his co-operation I will give him mine. There 1vas broken fibro scattered everywhere. I then decided to make an investigation and I think there are sufficient schools in climbed onto the top of this material and Queensland to warrant the establishment of a found that the children had been throwing separate Department of Public Works to deal stones into the air and broken almost every with schools. I will give the Minister another glass louvre. I shifted some of the stuff 12 months. (Laughter.) He is a new man and and found all the pine-work rotten with will probably go right into it on this occasion. white ants and borers. I then asked where If he gives me a fair deal I will give him the tankstand and tank were. I was told thRt credit for it. There is divided responsibility last February a big storm blew the tank away, and I knew that there would be a row between that it was about three allotments down the the two Ministers because you cannot get road and it is still there. When I repOTted anywhere with divided responsibility. These the matter to the Minister trucks came up matters are under the Minister's notice and from N ambour 1vithin eight days and shifted he will see that what I a:QJ. saying is correct. the whole thing clown to Nambour, where it I appeal for a fair deal for the electorate of has been erected, but they forgot about the Cooroora. tank, which is still there as a monument to the rural and High school they did not get. Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-Secretary for Public Works) (5.37 p.m.): It was a bit The school at Mapleton certainly needs of wishful thinking on the part of the hon. painting and the tankstancls and lavatories member if he thought there was going to be a are in a bad state. brawl between the Secretary for Public Instruction and myself. He would like to At Amamoor school the girls' lavatory did see a cleavage in the Labour Party but there not have a door. I ask the Minister: how is no chance of that. we are to protect the modesty of c·hildren in those circumstances with girls of 12 and The hon. member's speech reminded me of the rantings of the hon. member for Bunda little children of 6 at the school~ It is not fair. These things need attending to. berg. Let me deal with some of his state ments and first of all I want to say that he At Yandina State School the guttering is has cast the grave reflection upon Mr. Walker, in a bad state of repair and the tanks are who represented the Cooroora electorate for leaking. The school needs painting. The many years that he did nothing for the boys' urinal needs attention. I wrote to the district. Minister about it asking that something he done before the hot weather arrived. lUr. Low: Your Government neglected the electorate. At Imbil the police station has not seen a coat of paint for 10 years. The whole place ".llr. POWER: The hon. member for is a wreck. The office is incorporated in the Cooroora with his loud-mouthed bellowing has house and people have to do business there no chance of roaring me clown. I have an with all the family round. One would think extra good pair of 1ungs and he cannot do that these places were away out in the bush that sort of thing. instead of in good closely-settled areas. I The hon. member made a great many state then asked about the tank and tankstand and ments and he has the happy knack of writins was told that the tank was so bad that the to the department and asking for certain first windstorm that comes along will blow it work to be done. He is quite entitled to do away. When I saw the tankstancl it had such that but after the department informs him r, lean on it that I kept well away as I walked that it has been decided to do the work, we past it. The lavatory was propped up with a find two or three weeks later he writes and stick to prevent it from falling clown. asks when the work is going to start. At the West Cooroy State School the accom Mr. Low: That is fair enough. modation is not adequate. The guttering is in a bad state, the tanks are leaking and the lUr. POWER: I am assuring him that he lavatory is just a recent addition. The will not get preference over anybody else; school is at the top of a hill and the la;-atory he will get a fair deal. The matters brought is built on the side of a hill. One day when forward first will be attended to first and 1376 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. pressure tactics by the hon. member will have department. These problems have been no effect on me. I will see that the jobs as brought about by a set of circumstances 1·ecommended to me by the heads of depart over which the Government have no control. ments are considered in their order and as Because of the war there has been a shortage the plans are prepared so they will be put of material and it has been impossible to into effect. get tradesmen to do the job. Let us see what has been done in the Kow I come to Yandina, and I believe that Cooroora electorate. The position in con too is in the hon. member's electorate. uection with the Nambour Rural School has Repairs and improvements to that school been rectified and complaints made by the have not yet begun and the reason is that l1on. member attended to. no labour is available to do the job. Now I come to the Nambour court house. The 1Ir. Low: With the exception of the drainage. 1vork has not been begun but it will be put in hand in the near future. Uertain works }[r. POWER: With the exception of are approved at Pomona. Repairs to the drainage. You cannot put on ordinary labour school building at Cooroy have been approved. to do drainage work; you must have men pos llfr. Low: I have told you that. sessing drainers' licenses. If the local authority of Nambour allows the wmk to he lUr. POWER: I advise the hon. member done by men who have not such licenses we to keep quiet. I will deal with him in a in the Department of Public Works do not minute. Approval has been given to certain stand for it. We see that the law is carried works at the Pomona police station. Then out and that licensed men do the work. We there nre repairs to the tank at Maroochy. have no desire, once a job is started, to take JUr. Low: That is in the Murrumba men away from the job and leave it partly electorate. completed. llfr. POWER: I come now to Calico The hon. member went to the trouble of Creek. The tank has been cement-lined. taking a photograph of the lavatory at the Then there is fencing round the school, but Tewantin State school and he waved it about no labour is available. For the Tewantin in his hand and he was asking that the Press police station the material has been ordered should publish it. The Press can publish it so and is on the job. At the Nambour State far as I am concerned. What the Press pub school a new boundary and dividing fence lish does not worry me. All I want to know have been approved but not begun because is: what is the department doing~ the contractor has no labour available. 1Ir. Russell: You were blaming your Roller blinds have been fitted to the predecessors. Knmbour Rural School, the walls calcimined, Jfr. POWER: I am not. and other minor attention given to the building. The rest of the matters raised by 1fr. Russell: You have already blamed the hon. member have been dealt with by them. my department. :ur. POWER: I have not. The hon. ::\fr. Low: Only approved. member may endeavour in his snide way to say so by implication. I am making this 1\Ir. POWER: The signature of the hon. speech, and I do not want any help from member is hardly dry on the members' roll him or from the hon. member for Windsor. of this Chamber, yet he comes in and makes I am replying to the hon. member for recommendations, which he is entitled to do, Cooroora. on mntters that have been submitted to and npproved by the department. The hon. mem The hon. member said that nothing had ber must not get it into his head that because been done at Tewantin. Let us see what he made these representations the officers will has been done. Repairs to the school, the drop all work they have on hand and run pla}"shed, and the E.C. building have been along and help him. Every request made to npproved. the department is considered on its merits, }fr. Low: I told you that. and if recommended is placed on a list and the work is then carried out in the order of }[r. POWER: The material is on the precedence. The hon. member is not doing job waiting for it to be done. any good in attempting to apply pressure Jir. Low: Then get on with the job. politics on the Under Secretary or any other officer to get preference. He will get the }fr. POWER: I will get on with the hon. work npproved of done in the ordinary course member. Now I come to the Kenilworth of events. State school. The hon. member does not know or he has }fr. Low: I did not mention that one. forgotten that during the war years little or no maintenance work was carried out. He }fr. POWER: I know the hon. member should know that the skilled and unskilled did not, but I am pointing out what my officers of the department were drafted into department has done in his district. There t11e Civil Constructional Corps to do work on is the painting of that school. He would behalf of the Commonwealth for the defence leacl the Committee to believe that nothing of this nation and in the interests of the had been done to correct these evils. The armed forces. As a result there has been Tesponsibility cannot be placed at the door a considerable deterioration in the condition of any Minister or of any employee of the of a number of our buildings. That must be Supply. [13 NovEMBER.] Supply. 1377 admitted freely by all right-thinking people. department in the way he has suggested That being so, one cannot come along now and that is the only point in regard to wnich and wave the magic wand, say ''Hey presto,'' we shall have to wait and see what the future and have everything done at once. holds. I want to congratulate the Minister on the approach he has made to this depart ~Ir. Low: You have not any school in your electorate in as bad a state of repair ment. as the one in this photograph. The Minister lms met some fine adminis Mr. POWER: I want to assure the hon. trators in this city. I refer to one man in member that I have a school in my electorate particular who has done a wonderful service that was constructed nearly 80 years ago. It to this city. This man's qualities appealed is nearly as bad as the one the hon. member to the people in the same way as the refers to. Although I am Secretary for Minister's attitude has appealed to us today. Public Works I am not prepared to advocate A man of that standard can be admired even any improvements to that school, because it by people who condemn him politically. The has outlived its usefulness, nor am I pTesent Lord Mayor, Alderman Chandler, prepared to advocate the building of a new has no doubt done a wonderful job for the school in my electorate while many unfor city of Brisbane; and when he came into tunate people are compelled to live in poweT he made a speech on exactly the same temporary accommodation. That is my policy lines as the speech made by the Minister and the policy of the Government. today. What is moTe, he carried out his declared intenil~on!l, and he has won the The matters raised by the hon. member admiration not only of the people of Bris have all been considered and dealt with. bane but of Queensland. The Minister always Labour is not available. We have tried to showed that he was a little jealous of the send men out to do these jobs. We have qualifications of that wonderful man, and supervisors in these districts trying to get even today he did not refrain from making contractors to do these jobs, and if labour some adverse statements about him, yet I and material are available they will be done. believe he is following the lead in public In fact, we have supervisors throughout the administration given by the Lord Mayor. length and breadth of Queensland making Whether he is able to achieve results remains reports on all these matters. I am not pre to be see11. The Minister is not going to pared to agree to any proposal whereby tackle the working man; neither did the Lord inspectors of State schools, whose duty it is MayoT. If there is any deficiency in the to look after the education of the children, department, the Minister will make the officers will have authority to authorise expenditure responsible for the deficiency pay for it. up to £50 in repairs to State school buildings. He is going to replace incompetent officers I am not prepared either to agree to the so that he will have competence, and if he is suggestion that we should have in our depart unable to get suitable officers in Queensland ment a sub-department of the Department of he will go outside it. Public Instruction. Ko doubt the hon. mem ber for Cooroora has to learn, and he will I am glad to see the change of heart on learn and profit by what I have told him. I the part of the Minister. I remember that can assure him, though, that as man-power when the Brisbane City Council went out and material become available all the jobs of the State to look faT officers there was a will be carried out in their sequence, prefer howl. ence being given to no-one. It was asked whether there were not men. Mr. DECKER (Sandgate) (5.49 p.m.): in Queensland capable of carrying on the I should like to congratulate the Minister on various departments of sewerage, architecture, his elevation to the position of Secretary for and town planning. I am not belittling the Public Works. He has had a wide experience hon. gentleman; on the contrary I commencl in public life, first of all as a member of the him on his change of opinion. If he can Brisbane City Council for quite a number of emulate the Lord Mayor we will take our years, and then as a member of the Govern hats off to him. For then we will be able ment party for a number of years. This to say that he has done a good job. experience should fit him to carry out the There is another thing on which I can con responsible duties of his department. gratulate the hon. gentleman, and that is his Through the years, too, he has gained experi fearless attack on the administration of the ence from men round him. depaTtment by his predecessor. It is all very I congratulate the Minister also on his well for the Minister to say that he made approach to his ministerial duties and his no attack on the administration-it may be annoU'ncement as to the way he intends to an instance of a young man stepping into an administer his department. From the very old man's shoes and doing a wonderful job-~· beginning he has thrown aside cover and has but if after 15 years' administration by his come out into the open. He has agreed with predecessor the department is as rotten as every hon. member who has spoken in his was indicated by his eriticism, who is respon attack on his department. He has stated sible faT that W Are the workmen~ that he will not shield that department and liir. Smith: Tell us. that he intends to reorganise it. He realises the weaknesses in certain aspecrts of the }Ir. DECKER: The Minister. It shows administration. He says that he is a young :incompetence on his part. If there is incam~ man-and he is; he says he has health and petence in a department, I do not care what Yigor-and he has; he says he has the deter any man says, it is incompetence from the mination to carry ant the working of this top and the former head of that department 1378 Sttpply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. m~s~ take the rebuke given by the present the engineers of the department. With the l\h~nster today. We are now at a stage at present growth of schools and the constant v'_'hlCh we want young .men in ministerial posi trampling of children most of the grounds are tions. We want a d1fferent outlook in this too small, with the result that parents are s.tate. and it appears as though we were get· continually attending to stubbed toes, skinned tmg 1t. I hope that the department will not knees and similar injuries. The problem is suffer by the change. magnified by the fact that not all school We. have had the present Minister today grounds are on level country. At Sandgate referrmg to the lack of co-ordination by th'e and Shorncliffe in particular the problem is Department of Public Instruction with his aggravate Jllr. RUSSELL: The telegram goes on given the Committee today is an indication to deal with another matter, if I may con of the future progress we shall see in the tinue. It says- Department of Public Works. '' Suggest confer Tay!or 0 'Shea other Everyone knows that the Department of western men see if work can be recon Public Works is a constructing authority for sidered.'' the whole of our State departments, including I placed that telegram before the hon. mem public hospitals, throughout the length and ber for Warrego and he says that he did breadth of the State. One is very apt to not want roads out there. criticise this important department, and attach to it blame that rightly belongs to other The CHAIR:il'IAN: Order! The hon. mem departments. I have heard criticisms today ber is not in order in discussing roads on in relation to buildings recommended by this vote, which is that for ''Department of the Department of Public Instruction Public Works, Chief Office.'' an.il erected under the supervision of the :il'Ir: RUSSELL: Very well, Mr. Mann, I Department of Public Works. I will give submit to your ruling. an example from my own electorate to show that the Department of Public ·works is not I have listened to the speeches of hon. always to blame for hold-ups that take place members on this vote. I heard the hon. in canying out work for which Executive mP;mber for ~faranoa say that he got every approval has been given. I refer to the Mary thmg ~e wanted from this department borough West State school. When Mr. everythmg-and he was perfectly satisfied. Williams was Secretary for Public Instruc It must be different now from when I lived tion he promised the people of Maryborough :in Roma. Roma has always been represented West that a school would be constructed in by a Labour man. that area to give the people in the locality all the conveniences to be obtained from such We listened, too, to the hon. member for scholastic institutions. Judge to my dismay Cooroora. His was a completely different when I discovered that the people who really story. Cooroora has always been represented held the work up were the Department of by a Country Party man. This is the point Public Instruction. Its officers never gave I want to make: I am not making any accu the Department of Public Works the informa sations-! am always fair (Government tion necessary so that plans should be com laughter)-but I do want to say that the pleted and forwarded to that department for Government should endeavour to rid the minds its approval or rejection. of the people of this immoral suggestion because it is having a very harmful effect: An Opposition :ill ember: That is generaL This is a proper time to answer the CI·iti Mr. F ARRELL: I do not know whether cism ~ade by the hon. member for Warrego it is general. It is not always the fault of regardmg Daiby. Dalby :is not the most the Department of Public Works. In carry insanitary town in Queensland. To·wns with ing out the programme of works one has to out sewerage are quite common and Dalby is consider the disabilities the department has the most progressive town on the Darling to labour under. It is all very well to criti Downs at the present time. Every progressive cise the department but hon. members should town must have its low dives to cater for the offer only constructive criticism. In a city flotsam and jetsam of the population which or town such as Brisbane or Maryborough it come and go, and I think that the hon. is often very easy to obtain the necessary member must have mistaken the wood room labour for a given piece of work, but in the for his bedroom. country it is a different thing altogether. I do want the Government to deliver the We heard the hon. member for Cooroora people from this political blackmail that :is making complaints. May I suggest to the so common at every election. I have no fear hon. member that he try to do something that I shall lose Dalby, no matter what politi himself so that he may give relief to those cal drive is put up, but I suggest to the people who are justly entitled to it~ Let Government that they should take steps to me give an illustration of what can be done prevent .a recr;rrence of this sort of thing if the hon. member is enthusiastic and capable and advise theu members accordingly. of carrying out his part of the programm_e. It is up to members themselves to help m :il'Ir. FARRELL (Maryborough) (7.32 developing their own electorates. We heard p.m.): I am sure that every member of this a great tirade of abuse in relation to this Committee is pleased to see the progress that department; let me tell the hon. member how l1as. beer; made by the Minister since the very he can help himself. The hon. member men serwus Illness t?at detained him in hospital. tioned that they were short of a tank at a Had we entertamed any doubt as to his com school in his electorate. I have been short plete recovery, any such doubt must be com of tanks, too, but I did not complain to the pl~t~ly wiped out of our minds by the department. I went to the Under Secretary spuited defence he has made today of his and I said, "We are short of a tank." At department. During the period the Minister that time it was diffi.cult to get the material has ?een in charge of the Department of to make a tank. Mr. Lyons offered to get Pubhc Works, he has shown ability capacity the material sent to Maryborough for the and enthusiasm to do the job 'while his purpose of making a tank if it could be con capacity for work signifies that he will make structed. I said that I thought I could do a success of his appointment as a member better than that. I said to him, ''Give me of this Government. The inspiration he has the necessary authority to have that tank Supply. [13 NovEMBER.] Supply. 1381 made and I will guarantee that it will be to the plans and specifications of the depart out there within a week." When I came ment. We were under the impression when back and informed Mr. Lyons that it could we constructed that home that it would be be accomplished he gave me the necessary inspected by the architect ani! inspectors of authority, and the result was that the tank the department and it has been found on was put in at that place-not in my elec inspection that the timber has stood up to all torate. practical tests. But after all that trouble Then there was a case in which a school had geen gone to the Department of Forestry needed shifting_. I though it desirable that has laid down certain standards as to when the firm interested in the shifting of the such timber may be used in the construction school should make a contribution towards of homes. I do not disagree with the standard the work. I got in touch with Mr. Lyons, set but I am of the opinion that a lot of with the result that we asked the firm to common sense can be applied in buil I regret the strictures passed on the community. The other day, when speaking Government today by the hon. member for about a little miserable tin-pot shire council, Cooroora. It must be interpreted as a very I said that I thought such councils should vicious statement against that grand old man, be abolished. I repeat that statement. a Tory I know-but some of them can be :illr. Sparkes: The biggest shires in good fello·ws-a man who represented Queensland I Cooroora in this Parliament for many years, Mr. Harry Walker. Mr. O'SHEA: I have nothing to retract Then I heard an hon. member opposite say or take away from that statement. I give that the Minister in charge of the Estimates the "Courier-Mail" and the chairman of the resembled the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, and Wambo Shire Council an opportunity to say I can only say that I hope the Minister has what they like in this matter. Can they cleaner habits than the Lord Mayor. Go justify the existence of shires that cannot down to this filthy water-hole in the Botanic pay their way, that will not attempt to pay Gardens and tell me if you think that those their way, and that will not do any work responsible for it have any civic pride~ out of revenue, despite the fact that this Government relieved them of precepts for ~Ir. Devries: It is the duck pond that hospitals totalling £400,000 during the past you speak about? three years W There is still no initiative in the work they perform. :illr. O'SHEA: Yes, the duck pond. I do :1ot know if there is anything more filthy JUr. Rnssell: You will have State Govern m the wh~le of the State, unless it is Dalby ments abolished and you will then have to or Wonda1. I have seen the conditions at go to Canberra. Wondai, where they cart water 11 miles during a dry time. That is no fault of the lUr. O'SHEA: The hon. member is not hon. member for Nanango, but it certainly likely to go to Canberra, much as I should reflects a great deal of discredit on the like to see him nursed, nourished and looked representation Nanango had over a good after. I have a little bit of sympathy for many years. I went clown to a place in the him, particularly because of his innocence. backyard at the hotel-and it was a first (Laughter.) class hotel too- :illr. Sparkes: I thought you were work ing for him from the way you were talking :illr. Sparkes: That is not a reflection is it-condemning a member of your own pm:ty'? about Dalby. Mr. O'SHEA: When I am speaking about lUr. O'SHEA: He was a mate of the hon. Dalby I am telling the cold hard truth and if member. it does hurt somebody I cannot help it. I lUr. Sparkes: I appreciate it. He is a do not like to hurt people but I am telling a gentleman. the truth about Dalby. :illr. Sparkes: You could not tell the ~Ir. O'SHEA: He was a gentleman until he tried to take some of your land off you, h-uth if you tried. and then you squealed like a stuck pig. :ilir. O'SHEA: You are not in a position (Laughter.) to judge as you never attempt to. The CHAIR:iliAN: Order! The hon. mem Mr. Sparkes: You could not lie straight ber must address the Chair. in bed. lllr. O'SHEA: The condition of Wondai Mr. O'SHEA: I have been lying a little prob~J;>ly is only outdone by the insanitary straighter than you. I have never hovered condition of Dalby and God knows W ondai round poor unfortunate cockies who happened is bad enough. I told the hon. member the to adjoin you when the banks were about to other day that he would not appreciate my foreclose on them. I did not wait to get reply. information from private banks to give me the oil as to the date of foreclosure, and I ~Ir. Sparkes: No, I do not get down into never foreclosed on anyone in my life. I those places. cannot appeal to the hon. member's con science, as I doubt whether he has one. I ~Ir. O'SHEA: I said it would be too can only give you the facts, Mr. Devries, as clean for him. It would. There is a differ tc, the way in which he built up the property ence. ~etween people in appreciating sanitary he is occupying today. I state that the hon. C?ndih?ns. A m::;n who is willing to live in member got his information crookedly and dnt, shme and gnme cannot appreciate those as crookedly as could be from the banking conditions. institutions, and he came down like a vulture At 8.3 p.m., to pounce on the unfortunate man-- Mr. DEVRIES (Gregory) relieved the The TEliPORARY CHAIR~IAN: Order! Chairman in the chair. I suggest the hon. member get back to the vote. Mr. O'SHEA: The Government expended over £15,000,000 in 15 years, including the 1\Ir. O'SHEA: When speakers on the war period of six years, in making loans Opposition side get up and criticise the Gov and paying subsidies to local authorities to ernment I hope they will be at least fair and make provision for water supply and sewer truthful in their criticism. age. They have done a wonderful job in M~. Rnssell: Do you suggest that I was ad-vancing the interests of all sections of the not truthful~ 1384 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. Mr. O'SHEA: I suggest that you never The hon. member for Dalby referred to my told the truth in your life. (Laughter.) criticism of the Department of Public Instruc tion. The hon. member has not been in the If that is done we shall find some of the Chamber the whole of the -day and apparently spirit of co-operation that members on the has not heard what I said. I criticised the other side are always talking about, and we Department of Public Instruction by saying shall be able to give them some co-operation. that I was cross-eyed trying to follow it. On many occasions that department submitted Hon. W. POWER (Baroona-Secretary for Public Works) (8.7 p.m.): First of all plans to the Department of Public Works and I wish to reply to the hon. member for Sand later after the plans had been prepared they gate, who endeavoured to boost up Mr. had been altered and the time of the archi Chandler by likening him to me. I feel sure tects and technicians in the Department of Mr. Chandler would be very proud if he Public W arks was wasted. I also said that thought he was something like me. There in future I wanted the Department of Public is this difference between Mr. Chandler's Instruction to pay more attention to the sug methods and mine: the hon. member for Sand gestions it sent on to my -department so that gate said that I was trying to emulate Mr. the time of the officers of my department Chandler's ideas ·with regard to administra would not be wasted. tion and efficiency. As a matter of fact I I make no apology for adopting that atti should not like to take a leaf out of Mr. tude. I want closer co-operation between Chandler's book or adopt his methods. To that department and mine. Today my depart put it plainly and bluntly, when I set out ment has been accused of not carrying out on a policy of reorganisation mv action will certain work, but if that department is con not follow along the lines taken· bv the Lord tinually clmnging its plans I will not allow Mayor. The difference between his methods the officers of the Department of Public a~d. ~ine. is that he set out on a policy of Works to be accused of not doing its job. I Yictimisatwn, whereas I am setting out on a am charged with the responsibility of adminis policy of better administration and better tering that department, which has the respon jobs for the people of Queensland. sibility of canying out the work. The hon. member for Sandgate made a Now let me tell the Committee the true statement tonight that certain forms had been story of the Dalby Hospital, not the story sent to a school at Chermside that were totally circulate·il by the hon. member for Dalby. In unsuitable for the children. My officers the first place, private architects prepared the inform me that any desks or forms that are estimates for the construction of the hospital. unsuitable are not sent to schools. We arc having great difficulty in getting desks and :i}lr. Sparkes: At the request of the board. forms made, and those that were sent there llr. POWER: At the request of the are quite suitable. The hon. member said board. The estimate submitted by the archi that had he been there he would have in tects was £76,000, which included £30,000 for structed the carter to take those forms back. I filling on the site on which the hospital was want to warn the hon. member not at any to be erected. Whoever chose the site gave time to attempt to interfere with the admin little o1· no consideration to it. istration of my department or give any employee of the Department of Public Works il'Ir: Russell: Who approved of the site any instructions. He mav have done that before selection g during the time he was ' an alderman, hE' may have interfered with affairs then, but I llr. POWER: That is another baby I am not carrying. The hon. member must under wam him against interfering with anyone in my department. I am in charge of that stand that. I was not there at the time. He is not going to put anything in my lap that department and I will brook no interference from the hon. member in that matter. I am not responsible for. £30,000 would have been wasted, in other words thrown down the lUr. Decker: Have a look at them. drain, in filling that site. When tenders were calle-d, despite the estimates of the private llr. POWER: I will. The best thing the architects for £76,000, the actual cost of hon. member can do is to pay attention to his constructing that hospital would have been own affairs and keep his nose out of mine. £120,000. I realise there is room for improvements to lllr. Russell: Why did you not withdraw school grounds. The hon. member for Mary the plans~ borough also raised that matter, which comes under the administration of the Department Mr. POWER: A private architect drew of Public Instruction. Under the ground the plans. He might ha.ve been a friend of improvement scheme a subsidy of £ for £ the hon. member's, for all I know. for all funds raised by the local school cam: Mr. Russ.ell: He was requested to do so mittee, with a maximum of £250 in any year by the board. is provided by the department. The sugges tion made by the hon. member for Marv lllr. POWER: The actual cost per bed borough is an excellent one-that his commit of that hospital would have been £2,500. The tee is prepared to put up £1,000. I suggest average cost per bed, at the present time, that the hon. member make this suggestion which my advisers inform me is very high, is to the Minister in charge of the Department approximately £1,500, yet the hon. member of Public Instruction; and if he does I hope for Dalby is arguing that we should build the it will receive favourable consideration. hospital. Supply. [13 NoVEMBER.] Supply. 1385 ltlr. Rnssell: No, I agree with you, but I wish to point out that the buildings to be I said you should have chosen the site before. erected on that site, after the gaol has been demolished, include- 1\Ir. POWER: The hon. member agrees An administrative block; that we should not build it~ Two male wards; 1\Ir. Rnssell: I agree that you should One female ward; not build it on that site; pick another site. Thirty double cottages for males; J<'ive double cottages for females; 1\Ir. POWER: In that case the hospital Six cottages for married couples; is not going to be built; the hon. member Two bath houses and lavatories. does not want it built. The hon. member I suppose the hon. member for Cooroora will says he Officer and be inoculated there. But immunisa "The Department of Public Works will tion is purely a voluntary concern and many be reorganise"!. to overcome inefficiency in parents in the community, for some reason certain quarters of its administration. or other, probably prejudice, superstition, "The new Minister for Public Works ignorance or apathy, will not allow their (Mr. Power) made this unexpected children to be immunised against diphtheria. announcement in Parliament today when I do not suggest for a moment that immunisa replying to Opposition requests for a 'stir tion against diphtheria should be compulsory; ring up' of the department. I believe in the freedom of the subject. If "Mr. Power said: 'I am not satisfied these parents are willing to accept the risk with the way the department is run gener that their children will contract the dread ally, but I am, not reflecting on the under scourge of diphtheria, it is so much to the discredit of those parents. secretary (Mr. Lyons). " 'If you traveiled the length and I do not believe in compulsory immunisa brea"'.th of Australia you would not get a tion but I do believe that where a parent more competent man than he is, refuses to accept the free immunisation for " 'But Mr. Lyons cannot accept respon a child provided by the council and that child sibility for some of the officers of the subsequently contracts diphtheria because the department.' '' parents refused to have the child immunised they should bear the cost of the hospitalisa Then he goes on to say- tion of the child. '' Bring Best Man From Outside.'' At present the Government play local ''Announcing the general reorganisation, authorities with a double-headed penny. They the Minister said, 'If necessary I am going to bring the best man I can from the out· say to them, "You must provide free immu side and put him in charge of the technical nisation for children against uiphtheria'' and side of the department. This reorganisation local authorities do s01. They offer free is long overdue. immunisation to all who are willing to accept '' 'Some costs we have been paying are it. Yet the Government say to local authori out of all proportion. You must have ties at the same time that if a parent refuses efficiency. ' to have his or her child immunised and that ''Mr. Power said he told officers of the child later contracts diphtheria because it department that he wanted efficiency and was not immunised it must pay £1 a day to that he wanted it at the top. cover the cost of the treatment of that child " ' I ani going to get that efficiency, ' ~e while in hospital. Now, that cost is 14s. sai"'. today, 'even if it means a chang~ m (Time expired.) a number of officers in control of various positions in the department.' .Mr. LUCKINS (Maree) (8.31 p.m.) : First '' 'Not Going To Have Money Wasted.' '' I should like to join with other hon. members That is a good idea-- in wishing the Minister a successful career. He has already shown some enthusiasm. I " Mr. Power said he would accept like a Minister who is enthusiastic and one responsibility for the departme~t. only;, for who has courage and above all a sense of the period since he had been Mmister. humour. I would remin"l new Ministers that That is satisfactory, too-- it would be in keeping with the dignity of " 'I am not taking Tesponsibility for any this Chamber if they were to cultivate a mistakes-and I am not admitting any sense of humour. Ministerial office calls for that were made by any officers prior to my those qualities more than anything else. The becoming Minister,' he added. Minister will at times have many difficult "Mr. Sparkes (C.P., Aubigny): 'You hurdles to negotiate. I appreciate the diffi have enough ahead of you without going culties associated with Ministerial jobs and back.''' at all times I am ready to lend my aid to make the work of Ministers as comfortable The Secretary for Public Instruction was and easy as possible. There are times when drawn into this argument and he got up we fear that there are little discrepancies and and told the Committee that he had never shortcomings in their services to the com worked with a finer body of straightforward munity but I "to want to wish the Minister men than those in the Department of Public well. He has been laid aside in hospital with Works. I will not weary the Chamber wi~h sickness for a few months. The enthusiasm any further details, but what I have s::Id he has so noticeably displayed today indicates indicates that all has not been well with that he has been restored to health, which will that department. I am very pleased that be of great assistance to him in surmounting the new Minister has the courage and t~e the many difficulties that will doubtless con ,enthusiasm at least to let us know what his front him in his onerous duties. intentions are. Like all other hon. members, I wish him well. I can assure him that he I want to refer to a paragraph that ~vill have the wholehearted support of the appeared in the ''Telegraph'' today on an Committee if he goes along in the spirit that announcement made by the Minister, so that he has announced today, and we shall be it will be recorded in '' Hansard.'' The able to judge the results during the next few ''Telegraph'' states- months or at the next time we meet to '' Minister's Blast at Own Department.'' discuss the Estimates. 1388 Supply. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. There has been much discussion about cent. of the people of the city of Brisbane hospitals. I heard the Minister say that live in South Brisbane areas and I am pleased he challenged the member for Dalby that to know that a sta,rt has been ma,de with that he \YOuld not get his hospital. institution. Other public works have been neglected in the past. I am not blaming the 3Ir. POWER: I rise to a point of order. Minister or the Government, beca,use we have I ask that that statement be withdrawn. I passed through the war years a,nd ~ow materia,l did not make that statement, and the member is not ava,ila,ble and nmn-power IS short. It for Maree has no right to imply that I did. is time tlmt certain moneys were accumulated for this department to give it the necess~ry The TEMPORARY CHAIR:UAN: Order! The Minister has said that the remark made lift so that it can provide offices and mstltu by the hon. member is not true and he asks tions worthy of the dignity of this Sta,te. that it be withdrawn. In the debate reference has been ma,de to local authorities and the Joncs administra 1\Ir. LUCKINS: I withdraw. There was tion of the city of Brisbane wa,s drawn into a discussion about building hospitals. I it. I would remind hon. members that the remind the Minister that he has no authority Jones Labour a,dministration was something to build unless it comes through the Depart of which -we are not very proud. 'rhe Minister ment of Health and Home Affairs. He has will know something of the history of the city no authority to speculate on the building of at that time and the less said a,bout that hospitals at all. His department carries out part of the history of the city the better. public works as directed by the other depart vVe know that certain public institutions and ments within the State. Its job is to carry offices owned by the ratepayers were leased out the work of other institutions or depart to capitalistic parties in this city without ments. The Minister would like to have the reference to the public or anybody else, a,'I~d power-he has the name-and he would then in this I include the Old Town Hall m give a better account of himself. He is Queen Street. This building was leased to a somewhat tied in that he has to build for company formed by H. B. Bonney, at a the Department of Public Instruction and price less than the revenue being collected other departments; so he is in the position from it for the city. Moreover, it wa,s leased, of being told what to do. I do not find any without tenders being called and Without fault with that. a profit to the Brisbane City Council, for The Department of Public \Vorks is a very a: term of 30 years. That is what happened important one, and this year it has £60,000 under Labour control. The value was a more allocated to it for spending than last peppercorn one. In addition to that £15,000 year. Personally, I think the amount is of the ratepayers' money was lent to this com altogether too small. It is well known that pany for 30 years without interest. I brought during the past five or six years we have had this matter up in this Chamber some years ago little or nothing clone on public works or but I was pooh-poohed and told it was no roads, and we have been accumulating some concern of this Government. But it is the thing like £12,000,000 or £15,000,000 for post QOncern of this Government, beca'use we have war reconstruction and development, and I a responsible Minister con~n)lling l?cal autho_r think this department is entitled to a great ities and therefore the Bnsbanc C1ty Council. share of that money. One has only to travel Likewise, the Newstead leases. 'Fhe property from the north to the south and have a look of the people was resumed, wharves con nt the public offices. Take the raihmy station structed and leased to a very wealthy ship and the offices of the Department of Agricul ping company without tenders being called. ture and Stock at Rockhampton. They are 'J'his shipping company also borrowed £90,00~ a disgrace to any Government. of the ratepayers' money at a very low rat; of I think it may be a good idea to have interest, and for a long term of years. rhP seeretariats established in North and Centra'! history of the city of Brisbane under the Queensland so that much of the detail work Labour reaime during that period \vould be in regard to public works may be taken off much bettr left untold. We should not the shoulders of the Minister and his deputies awaken sonie of the disasteTous results of the in Brisbane. These divisions of the State Labour administTation in the Brisbane City arc urgently in neecl of development, especially Council at that time. I \Vas a memhcT of the Fru North and Thursday Island. the Council then. This· evening membeTs have mentioned pro The Co-ordinator-General of Public \V orks election promises. I view with some concern iti somewhat allied to the Department of" Pull the fact that prior to the last election the lie 'Works nnd he has called attention to our Go,-ernment were going to erect a hospital se\rerage system. The old J\fetropolitan \Vater in South Brisbane at a cost of £100,000. Supply an'd Sewerage Board, which adminis }fr. Brown: They have started on it. tered our sewerage system under a Labour Governnwnt, handed the smvcrage of Brisbane 3Ir. L UCKINS: I am pleased to hear over to a Nationalist council with a debt of that. I hope the foundation stone is laid and £750,000 in unpaid interest. That . s~ould the necessary equipment is on hand. seiTe to show the value of Labour adnumstra tion iu local authority affairs, and that 1\Ir. Brown: It is not in Buranda. hmden of £750 000 unpai(1 interest was put :lUr. LUCKINS: It is in a central part on the shoulde{s of the ratepayers of this of South Brisba'ne, and on a site at which city. J hope that such things \\'ill not occur plenty of land is a\-ailable. I think that 42 per again. Supply. [13 NovEMBER.] Supply, 1389 Then there was the sale of a public park at Works does not appeal to him. I wish him Hamilton by a Labour City Council to a well in whatever way he administers it, if it wealthy shipping company. All these things is in the interests of the taxpayers. reflect discredit on Labour administration. Of course. I should condemn any council or Mr. SP ARKES (Aubigny) (8.51 p.m.) : Government, be it Labour or non-Labour, that Firstly, I desire to join with other members indulged in such practices as the selling of in congratulating the hon. member for the assets of the citizens to wealthy companies Baroona on his elevation to the important and vested interests in that way. I want to position he now holds in the Cabinet. On see built up in this city something that first impressions here I should say that he we can pass on to our children, something intends to make good and I wish him well. that will be in keeping with the dignity and Any comment I might have to make on his prestige of our people. department is in no way a criticism of the present Minister, and I should like to add I pay tribute to the Government for the that I feel the hon. member for Dalby does work they have done towards rehabilitating not wish to comment on the present Minister Thursday Island. Thursday Island was or the Secretary for Health and Home Affairs knocked about so badly during the war, and with reference to the Dalby Hospital. I think left in such a bad state by the military, that that might not be plainly understood, and the citizens had no alternative but to ask the I feel I am expressing the views of the hon. Government to take control and rehabilitate member for Dalby when I say that he did the island. Great credit is due to Mr. Chuter not connect the present Minister with any and his staff for their work in this direction, of the blame. and I hope the time is not far distant when they will be able to hand the island back to I should like to reply to the hon. member the citizens to control themselves. for Warrego, as I feel sure other country members, particularly western members on When the Valuation of Land Bill was be that side of the Chamber, will deplore the fore this Parliament in 1944, it was pointed attitude the hon. member adopted here tonight. out to the Government that no provision was I hope I got his remarks correctly and if made for ratepayers to appeal against valua I am wrong in what I am about to say I tions that might have been arrived at by the hope he will correct me. I have him as say Valuer-General. It was stated that if the ing this: the hon. member for Dalby asked Yaluations were not made by the Valuer the hon. member for Warrego and the hon. General, the local authorities could continue member for Maranoa to associate themselves with their own valuation and strike their with him in the matter of a road. I feel sure rates. Last year the Government found it that the hon. member for MarJanoa will necessary to bring down an amending Bill associate himself with the hon. member for giving the ratepayers the right of appeal Dalby in getting that western highway. The against the valuations arrived at. I venture hon. member for Warrego said, "I have no the opinion that the Government would have intention of helping with the road to the been able to obtain the services of skilled dirty, slimy town of Dalby.'' I am sure valuers at the time of bringing down the hon. members on that side of the Chamber Bill if they had been big enough to offer will not subscribe to that statement. salaries in keeping with the standard of the professional men required. I do not say that At 8.54 p.m., the present Government are a low-wage Gov The CHAIRMAN resumed the chair. ernment, but there is a marked difference between the salaries they offer professional lUr. SPARKES: Although politically men and those paid by outside interests. opposed to me the ex-member for Dalby was Sooner or later the Government will have to nevertheless a friend of mine and I was review their rates of pay if they wish to surprised to hear the hon. member for attract qualified professional men to this Warrego cast a slur on the former member work of valuing. I understand that the for Dalby, Mr. Slessar. After all, he did Valuer-General is now valuing one district. much for his electorate and was well thought The Minister said in 1944 that valuations of in it. It ill becomes the hon. member for would be completed in about seven or eight Warrego to come into this Chamber and cast years. I remind him that three of those a reflection upon one of his own party-a years have passed already, and I aiJ]. anxious colleague. A nice way to speak of a col to hear if the Minister has any proposal for league! I feel confident that he was not attracting to the Valuer-General's Department voicing the opinion of western members when professional men of the required skill. he said he would not be associated with the building of that road to the West. The responsibility for the increased valua tion should rest on the Government rather It would be an arterial road, it would than on the municipalities, which have been supply the broken link to the West, to the authorised to fix values for only one year at people of the West, for the people who want a time. That may have been done because to travel to the West, but the hon. member the taxpayers and the ratepayers will have for vV arrego said, ''I won't be associated an extra burden cast upon them and they with it. They can go another 10 miles round will not be prepared to allow this value to to get there.'' What do the other 10 miles stand for a number of years. round mean1 I hope the Minister will have the time to The CHAIRlUAN: Order! The hon. carry out his intentions. Perhaps the old member will not be in order in discussing method of running the Department of Public main roads. 1390 Supply, [ASSEMBLY.] Supply. .Jir. SPARKES: But local government rightly so. The Minister may smile, but how is tied up with the main roads. I merely on earth would his, or any other department referred to the stand taken by the hon. mem that wanted to construct something at Quilpie, ber for Warrego in the matter of building Windorah, or 6A Bore know what was roads to this western area. I am sorry that required by the people there~ We m~st keep he was not in the Chamber when I spoke the power in the hands of the people m those to hear the pleasant things I had to say about areas. him. I was surprisd to hear the speeches of the I now want to refer to a very important representatives of the far-western electorates. matter mentioned both by the hon. member I was surprised to hear, too, the hon. member for vV arrego and the hon. member for for Gregory suggest that they did not want Gregory, the abolition of local authorities. an all-weather road to the \Vest. If the I was surprised to hear what they said, western area was served by a good roa.il, in especially the hon. member for Gregory, who conjunction with an aerodrome, it would give understands the service given by shire councils the people living in it the right to live and in western areas-and given, you may say, the right to travel. I cannot for the life of gratis. You can have an amalgamation of me understand the attitude of hon. members some of the shires. from the western areas. It would appear that men like the hon. member for Gregory lUr. Aikens: Or absorb some of the hav8 lost touch with the western areas since smaller ones. coming to live in Brisbane. They are now in conference with one another in order to see JUr. SPARKES: Which is the same ''hat they should do about it. (Laughter.) I thing. Probably many of the small shires do not know whether they are going to com would. save in overhead costs by amalgama bine on this question. Since coming to live tion and I should be right behind that move. in the city they have become city-minded and haYe lost touch with the western people. That ltlr. Aikens: There is a great deal of unfortunately is the case with anyone who difference between amalgamation and aboli goes to Canberra. They appear to get Can tion. berraitis awl forget Queensland. ltir. SPARKE S: Of course there is. If The CHAIRlliAN: Order! ~·on abolish a local authority you take control in that area away from the people in it. JUr. SPARKES: We have heard hon. members tonight express opinions different to Let us examine the instances mentioned by those they expressed in their electorates. I the hon. members referred to in the far felt that the hon. member for l\Iaranoa would western areas. be associated with the building of the road to the vVest, and that he would be a great An Opposition }Iember: They have gone help to the hon. member for Dalb;' in adyocat \Vest. inJ it. That reminds me that the hon. member for ?.larauoa said that all public buildings l\Ir. SPARKES: I have no doubt that thronghont his electorate were in splendid that lwn. member for Warrego has gone West. order. He will never be chosen in a plebiscite again. Hm,·ever, I do not want to ~worry him unduly J'IIr. J. R. Taylor: I did not say that. and perhaps he knows it himself. The hon. member for vVarrego represents a far-western J'IIr. SPARKES: Is the hon. member now area embracing the CoopeT country and the going to apologise~ I was going to give him district out to the South Australian and New a pat on the back for being such a good South vVales borders-a vast territory. The representatiYe, but if he apologises for having hon. member for Gregory represents a far made the remark I will accept it. After listen western district including Longreach, the ing to the hon. member for Cooroora I should m-ea out to the Thomson and out west from say that eyerything in the garden "~as not there. Those two hon. members should be lovelv in his electorate. The hon. member for the lnst to get up in this Chamber .and say, Marnnoa says everything is right in his elec ''Give some more power to Brisbane.'' They torate, and the hon. member for Cooroora really suggested that the Gm·crnment should says that nothing is right in his. I hate to take power out of the hands of these people think it is so and I do not want to cast any in the \Vest and place it in the hands of the slur on the Government, but those expressions people in Brisbane. As I said before, there suggest to me that hon. members representing may be some anomalies in the existing shires Labour centres get something that hon. in western areas but they can be removed in members on this side of the Chamber do not. the usual way. I have already said that That would seem to be borne out bv the hon. there are too many shires, too many councils, member for Dalby. I appreciate the silence but that does not mean that the whole of of hon. members opposite. the power should be placed in the hands of the people of Brisbane. Queensland should I realise that the hon. gentleman can only be the last State in the Commonwealth to do the building; the works themselYes have to talk about the centralisation of power. be approved of by other departments. It seems to be the rule amongst hon. members that \Ve fin·c1 hon. members opposite, not hon. they should ask for something for their own members on this side of the Chamber, con electorates. I listened to virtually every denming the Commonwealth Government, and member and each member wanted something Supply. (13 NOVEMBER.] Supply. 1391 built. Even the hon. member for Mar::noa, I hope the hon. gentleman, as to the erec who had evervthing in his electorate, fimshed tion of schools, will take into consideration up saying he wanted a swimming pool at the important matters raised today by, I Surat. So I am going to produce p~otos think, the hon. member for Carpentaria, so that I took, and I was told that 1f I approached the building close .enou.gh. to take far as the North and North-West are con a photo I did so at my own r~sk, 1f It v;as. a cerned. But it is not only the North 'that windy day. (Laughter.) This ~cho,ol IS m is h.ot. It gets very hot in the West, and the very important town of Crow s Nest. the type of school suitable for that area is altogether different from the type required l\Ir. Pie: In whose electorate? in a locality where it is not so hot. I hope lUr. SPARKES: It is in a~ important the hon. gentleman accepts the advice given town and that should be sufficient for the him by the hon. member for Carpentaria. l:on. 'member, because if it is an important town it must be in my electorate. (Laughter.) A number of aerodromes were built today, The Department of Public Instruction has or should I say left unbuilt ~ I join with ~aused certain improvements to be made to the hon. member for Carpentaria in his out prevent the building from wobbling about burst of criticism at the closing of civil aero in windy weather, and has appr?ved of the dromes. In my own area we have one of the building of a new school. I Will take the best aerodromes in Queensland. On it can hon. gentleman for a trip in the country and be landed the largest aeroplanes flying in it will be a splendid education because he the Southern Hemisphere, and it is only a IYill see a very important building there. few miles from Dalby. I understand it The people will be pleas~d to welc?me _the cost something like £250,000 to build that hon. gentleman and have him open this b;nl~ aerodrome. The hon. gentleman appears ing. I hope I shall n?t be told th3;t It IS keen to do his job. I think he is a the Department of Pubhc Works that 1s hold Queenslander and I appeal to him to give ing it up. I interjected when the hon. member consideration to the matters as regards aero for Mundingburra was speaking to the effe~t dromes brought under his notice by the hon. that although the Department o.f ~ubhc member for Carpentaria. These are matters vVorks had not the power to stop It, It had that concern not only Queensland but the the power to hold it up. I do hope the hon. Commonwealth. Nobody can tell me that it "'entleman will not hold it up. When yo~ go is sound economy to expend such a large to one department they say, ''We a~·e happy Rmount of money as an aerodrome like that about it. Everything m the garden ,rs lovelr; would cost and then allow the asset to go into You will have a new school at Crow s Nest .. disrepair. Moreover, it might be only 12 or Then you wonder why it is not being bmlt 18 months before these aerodromes were 'md they sav "We are sorry but the Depart needed again. I hope the hon. gentleman ;nent of Public Works is holding it up." The will raise his voice in Cabinet on the matter. Minister may ask me whether I have not heard of the shortage of mate:·ial and labo.ur. The Minister has pointed ont what has l\fav I throw that back to hnn and remmd happened in this State since 1929. \Yhy does hin{ that he should have thought of that the hon. gentleman always go back and choose when he was condemning the shires for not one of the years of the depression, and then huilding roads~ Perhaps the shires were short compare it with what was one of the best of labour and material. years ever in the history of Australia~ At 1Ur. Power: There is no shortage of no time in the history of Australia have unskilled labour. prices for our primary products been as buoyant as they are today, and I feel sure 'Hr. SPARKES: The hon. gentleman that the increased revenue that will result makes a misstatement. I do uo.t know what will encourage the Minister to erect bigger the hon. member terms unslnlled labour. and better buildings. I wish to make special These men have to drive lor.ries an~ graders reference to some of the smaller and poorer and do pick-and-shovel work m the .Pits. You rannot get the graders. In m;Y shue we. had types of buildings that have been in existence about 24 trucks and we ad_vert_rsed for dnvers for 80 vears. The Minister told us they and got about 600 apphc~twns. _We also wore bu{lt by a Tory Government, but that adYertisec1 for men to work m the pit and do is no excuse. His Government have been in the dirty \York and we never got an office for the last 30 years. I know he will Rpplication. tell me that there was a war on during that Does the hon. gentleman call unskilled the period, but that war lasted for only six mlln who goes down and r1oes _the real tough years. "·ork~ That is the man who IS hard to get. JUr. Power: But the Tory Government He has disappeared from the country today. did build them. His work is a lost art in the bush. B'!sh "·orkers are very scarce. If you want t_o smk JUr. If a Tory Government a well in the bush today it is almost Impos SPARIU:S: did something \Hong, are the present Govern ~ible to get the labour, but if. you. ask for men to drive tractors or anythmg hke that, ment going to allow it to remain wrong for hundreds of applications come. in. The hon. eyer? gentleman suggested that slnres were not Progress reported. r1oing their jobs, but they are in the same position as his department. The House adjourned at 9.18 p.m.