Queensland
Parliamentary Debates [Hansard]
Legislative Assembly
TUESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 1910
Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy
2368 Questions. [ASSEMBLY.] Questions.
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. GOWRIE REPURCHASED ESTATE. Mr. LESINA (Cle1·mont) asked the Secre TUESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER, 1910. tary for Public Lands- Has his attention been drawn to the passage in the Auditor-General's report, wherein he states that the Lands Department has taken no action either The DEPUTY SPEAKER (W. D. Armstrong, to recover arrears due on selections in the Gowrie Esq., Lockyer) took the chair wt half-past Repurchased Estate, or to put in force the for 3 o'clock. feiture clauses in respect to those selections? PAPERS. T·he SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC LANDS (Hon. D. F. Denham, Oxley) replied~ The following papers, laid on the table, The Auditor~General's conclusions are not well were ordered to be printed:- founded- The Twenty-first annual report of the ( a) The Lands Department has taken such Hydrauliq Engineer. action as the conditions warranted, and I Despatch from the Secretary of State for haYe made inquiry personally and on the the Colonies, relating to Act passed spot; during session of 1910. (b) For a radius of about 5 miles round Gowrie Homestead crops failed season after season from want of rain or other cause, whilst NEW TECHNICAL COLLEGE. surrounding areas produced normal results; (c) Forfeiture under the circumstances would The PREMIER : I would like to announce have been unjustifiable; that the plans of ·the proposed buildings in (d) Selectors in arrear will pay interest at the connection with the Central Technical College rate of 5 per cent. per annum on overdue and University can be seen in the large com amounts. mittee-room downstairs by members who take any interest in the matter. (Hear, hear!) QUESTION OF PRIVILEGE-ALTERATION OF QUESTION. QUESTIONS. Mr. LESINA: I rise to a question of privilege. I gave notice for to-day of a ques "THE CHILDREN's CouRTS Acr OF 1907." tion which appears on the business-sheet in a Mr. BLAIR (Ipswich) asked the Chief form so altered that I can hardly recognise Secretary, for the Attorney-General- it. I desired to know- 1. Has his attention been called to the case What was the total amount expended from the against two boys of nine years of age who, in the stud stock trust account for the purchase, keep, police court at Ravenswood, were charged with insurance, freight, and other charges on account stealing a quantity of vegetables and one garden of pure-bred live stock purchased in England on fork, and who, on a plea of guilty being entered behalf of the Government and certain Queensland by the mothers of the boys, were each fined ls. and breeders? 3s. lld. costs of court? 2. Is not this a case which should have been I find that the words " and certain Queens tried in the children's court established under the land breedem" have been left out; therefore, Children's Courts Act of 1907? I shall not ask the question, but give notice 3. For the better administration of the above of it in its original form for to-morrow. statute, will the Attorney-General cause a memo randum to be sent to all police magistrates and The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Will the hon. clerks of petty sessions asking them to use its pro member for Clermont give me a copy of the visions us frequently as possible, and calling their attention to section 5, which gives them power to amended question which he proposes to ask prevent reports of such cases being published? to-morrow in reference to question Xo. 3 on 4. Sr0ing that the idea of the Legislature in lthe business-paper? passing such a measure was to give a child offender Mr. LESINA: Yes, JI.Ir. Deputy Speaker. an opportunity of making a fresh start in life, without a record of his first fault appearing in the The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The hon. mem Preas, will the Attorney-General take steps to see ber for Clermont has taken some exception to that idea <"arried out? question No. 3 standing in his name on the business-paper for to-day. Exception was The PREMIER (Hon. W. Kidston, Rock- taken to the question as originally presented, hampton) replied- and the clerk, under my instructions, altered 1. Yes. the question, because there could be no ques 2. Yes. tion of ventilating- private mattel'S in this 3. The mattf'r is under consideration. House with regard to the actions of a public officer. As far as I am aware, whatever :Mr. Mr. LESINA: You gave a promise to me on Mahon may have done with regard to purchas Friday night that it would be done. ing stock for any private individual in Queens land is not a question which can be a concern CLASSIFICATION INCREASES. of this House, or the present Government, or Mr. MAUGHAN (Ipswich) asked the any future Government. As far as his pur Treasurer, without notice- chasing stock on behalf of the Government is Whether the classification increases payable to concerned, that is a perfectly legitimate ques civil servants and railway employees will be paid tion, but the question as to what Mr. ::\fahon before the Christmas holidays? may have purchased for private individuals in the State does not come within the province The TREASURER (Han. A. G. C. Haw of this House. thorn, Enoggera) replied- Mr. LESINA: I might say in answer to Those cannot possibly be paid until the Estimates what you have said about my question, that arB through, but, as soon as they are through, the it is .stated in the Auditor-General's report earliest opportunity will be taken of paying them. that he was instructed to purchase and did Mr. MULLA;-;: Before Christmas? purchase, and we voted the money. The TREASURER : That is entirely for The PREMIER: Mr. Deputy Speaker,-As the House. you know, I am very averse to interfering Questions. [29 NOVEMBER.] Great Western Railway Bill. 2369 with your ruling, but do I understand that a business while on leave without the permission member of this House cannot ask a question of the department. As a matter of fact he got about the action of a public officer while that the permission of the department to do other public officer is doing private work? I hope business, and I presume he was paid for it. :that you won't insist upon that. But there is no reason why any question con cerning that business should not be asked in HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! this House, and answered in the House ; and I hold, Mr. Deputy Speaker, this has nothing The PREMIER: It may be inconvenient to to do with the Principal's private business, :ask a question sometimes, but it would be except this-that it may be said it was his £till more inconvenient if the conduct of any private business what he got from those other public officer or any public man could not be people. So it was. But while a public servant asked questions about. is getting paid for doing private work which OPPOSITION MEMBERS: Hear, hear! he chas been authorised by the department to do-and which is no harm to the State-it is The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Chief Sec equally legitimate in this House to ask what retary will understand that it was well known it was; and I would be sorry to have it laid in official circles in Queensland that the Prin down as a rnle that such a question could not cipal of the Agricultural College applied for be answered. certain leave to go to England, and the Go "Vernment took the opportunity of securing HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! his services for the purpose of purchasing stock on behalf of the Government. Private The DEPUTY SPE'AKER: I may state individuals also utiHsed his services for the that while I occupy the chair I shall do what purpo'e of purchasing on their behalf stock I consider to be right, and, a-s this question .Qf different classes. I understand that the was couched in terms that dealt with private Principal of the Agricultural Colleg" was not affairs, I caused it to be altered. I now under in the service of the Government--that he stand that a public officer on leave is still to was travelling in his private capacity, and went be regarded as a public officer whose actions home in.his private capacity. He was travel are subject to review by this House. I am very ling, as far as I am given to understand, in glad that a definition apparently acceptable his private capacity, and the Agricultural De to the House has been laid down, and I shall partment used his services for the purchase of allow the full question of the hon. member for certain classes of stock, which they required Clermont as originally given to appear on the for agriculture generally in Queensland, and business-paper for to-morrow. private individuals also used his services. The HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! question which has been raised by the Chief Secretary is this: Wh£ther in this House which is the business house of the country any member may rise and ask what a public MARSUPIAL BOARDS ACT AMEND servant, who is away on furlough-on leave MENT BILL. has done in regard to private business which he has been asked to undertake. THIRD ItllADJNG~--- On the motion of the SECRETARY FOR Mr. CoYNE: The question which the Chief AGRICULTURE, this Bill was read a third Secretary asked has nothing to do with fur time, passed, and ordered to be transmitted lough, or leave. to the Legislative Council for their con The DEPUTY SPE·AKER: Had the Pri~ currence. cipal of the Agricultural College been sent home by the Government to purchase stock PICTURE BLOCKS BORRO\VED FROM ·On behaif of the Government, th£n he would have been a Government officer, and in re GOVERNMENT DE·PARTMENTS. gard to anything he did while in the old On the motion of Mr. LESINA, it wills country the Chief Secretary or any other formaliy resolved- member would have had the right to ask any That there be laid on the table of the House a <.[Uestion. return showing- J\Ir. COYNE: Are we to assume that Mr. 1. The names of the newspapers which have ~lahon was a private individual in the old borrowed from the various Government deN country? partments pictur-e blocks. 2. The number of borrowed blocks which have Mr. LENNON (Herbert): Had the Chief been returned. Secretary not put the case as he has done, I 3. The amount paid, at advertising' rates, by would have endeavoured to put it in a some the various departments for newspaper sp~ce what similar light. If the Principal wa:; away occupied by borrowed blocks and reprmt on furlough, it might alter the C'lse; but I rna tter between 5th J nne, 1909, "nd 1st understand he was on full pay, and I assume November, 1910. that his expenses were paid by the Govern ment. The question arises how much time he devoted to purchasing stock on behalf of GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY BILL. the Government and how much to purchasing SECOND READING. stock for private persons, and I think it is quite within the> right of members to ascertain, The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS becam,e I think it highly improper for a (Hon. \V. T. Paget, Mackay).: 'l'he proposal public officer to go to England, presumably on I have the honour of placmg before the Government business, and devote a large House this afternoon is for the purpose of portion of his time to the business of his opening np Western Queensland on even a friends. more comprehensive scale than the scheJ;ne proposed by the late Sir Thomas ~lcilwrmth The PREMIER: I think this is a very im· in the years 1881-2-3, and known as " The portant matt-er. The Principal of the Agri Land Grant Railwav.'' The Bill for that cultural College did not go home in any other proposal was introduced by Sir T·hom.as capacity than that of a public servant. He is Mcilwraith on the 23th June, 1883, and 1ts a public servant even when he is on leave; provisions shortly were that the railw.ay and it would not be proper for him to do any 1910-7!' Hon. W. T. Paget.] 2370 Great TVestern [ASSEMBLY.] RailwayBill.
should be built by a syndicate under a system State value of this proposed railway, there i5 of land grants. The land grants were to be the Australian aspect of the scheme. When: at the rate of 10,000 acres o.f land per mile the Northern end of this line is connected for a certain distance proceeding from with one or t-wo of the Gulf ports or with. Charleville to Point p,arker. It was esti Port Darwin, and the Southern end with: mated that the length of that railway from the New South Wales railway system, and Angellala Creek to Point Parker would be thence into Victoria-Townsvi:lle, Rockhamp- about 1,000 miles, with a branch from . ton, and Brisbane, and all the Northern Hughenden to Cloncurry; and the estimated ports-- quantity of land the syndicat-e would receive Mr. HAMILTON: Will shut up. was 12,000,000 acres. The cost of construc The ~ECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: tion was put down at about £3,260,000; and When the North Coast line is completed, will. the time for the completion of the railway be within a few hours of each other in the was, I think, seven and a-half years. The receipt and despatch of passengers and mails Government were prepared to give other from and to the old country. And I would' concessions to the syndicate in the way of like to .'say, before I proceed any further, somewhat cheaper rates over the Government that I have been to 'some considerable trouble· l.'ailways for the carriage of railway material, to have prepared quite a number of returns rolling-stock, and engines ; and the Govern by officers of the different departments for· ment also proposed to take authority to -take the information of hon. members, and for the rail way over at a certain price at any which I now desire to thanT< the officers of time during the time the syndicate were the departments for the able manner in which running the railway. But that proposal, they have done their work to assist me in· which ""as brought before the House twenty this matter. I would like to say, if hon. mem seven years ago, was defeated by 27 to 16 bers will kindly permit me, that I do not votes. If that project had been completed, propose to read the whole of these returns the enormous stock losses that ensued ! will only refer to them, if you, Sir, will' during· the late ninetiP" •and the early kindly permit me to have them publi,shed in years of the present century would not fu]] in Hansard. have occurred to the extent they did, HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! although, had that project been carried out it would not have had the effect, even with The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: a big drought. of relieving starving stock in It will t,ake some considerable time to read the manner that I rhink the project that is them -all, and I shall now refer to them only. at pre.sent before the House will I repeat I have had them prepared for the [4 p.m.j do when it i·s completed. If such information of hon. members. a calamity overtakes us-and I The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is it the suppose it is probable we shall have a dry plE>asure of the House that the returns, as time in \V estern Queensland in the future, we suggested by the Hon. the Secretary for Rail cannot expect that the seasons will always ways, be taken as read? A precedent was be quite as good as they have been during established on the 4th October, when the the la,st six or 'seven years-we shall, by Secretary for Lands produced a return in means of this scheme, be prepared for it to the· House, to which he referred briefly, and some extent. In 1891 our ,sheep numbered the details of which were published in Han 21,7.50,000 and they fell in 1902 to 7,250,000, sard, with the consent of hon. members. If and tho number of our cattle fell from hon. members will allow the same course to 7,000,000 odd to 2,481,000 in 1903. Our sheep be followed by the Secretary for Railways,. have again incre"sed to about 20,000,000, and will they signify their assent? our cattle to 4,750,000, and it is now impera HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! tive that some forward movement shall be made, without any delay, towards the exten The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: sion of our main· trunk lines and the linking On the 22nd February, 1902, Mr. Thallon, up of the same, so that our rich Western areas who was then Deputy Commissioner for Rail may be opened up for closer -settlement. And ways, prepared a memo. about the proposed by " closer settlement " I do not speak of railway to Port Darwin. He says- closer settlement in the West in the s,ame " I have collected some information on the terms, or that it means precisely the same subject in the hope that the matter may some thing. as if I were speaking of closer settle day be more fully considered. ment on the coast. Closer settlement in the " The distance from Bri,sbane to Port Dar \Vest means that instead of the holding,s con win is, roughly speaking, 2,040 miles, of which taining 2,000 or 3,000 square milM, the hold 973 miles (including Pine Creek to Port Dar ings in time, by better means of railway com win) have already been constructed or are munication, will be very much smaller; and, now being built. and 1, 070 miles remain to be in fact, a.s time goes on, I think there is no constructed, more than half of which would doubt that the \\'hole of our sheep couna-y be in South Australian Territory. The dis will be cut up into grazing farms or grazing tance from Brisbane to Adelaide is 1, 783 homesteads. If the railway is built on the mileJ, but, inasmiTch as the train service in lines projected by the present scheme between volves a good few hours' delay both in the Southern and Northern portion of the Sydney and Melbourne, the time taken is West, it will be a means of relief in the really more than it should be for that dis drought times--which must in the cycle of tance ; the journey actually occupies seventy· events come again-and it will also enable five hours, while from Brisbane to Port Dar the expansion of our flock,s and herds to be win (all on one gauge and without break) the come e~onomically possible. These, of course, run would take about eighty-five hours, and are problems that will only be solved by an from Rockhampton, Townsville, etc., it would' extension of our railways into this country of course be much less. which is suitable for carrying sheep, but "The distance by water from Adelaide to which, at the present time, is rather far Colombo 1>id Fremantle is 4,451 miles, while· a.way from railway communication to enable from Port Darwin to Colombo it is 3,109 the wool to be carried economically to the miles, or 1,342 miles in favour of the Port port of shipment. Apart from the local or Darwin route, which is equal to about four- [H on. W. T. Payee. Great Western [29 NovEMBER.] Ratlway Bill. 2371 days' steam. The journey from Brisbane to Mr. HAMILTON: The transcontinental rail Colombo would, therefore, be about four days way proposed by the Federal Government shorter via Port Darwin than via Adelaide; the wa.s not ,spoken of in those days. difference in the case of Rockhampton would be six days, and from Townsville it would be The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: at least ten days in favour of Port Darwin; No. That is another question altogether. even from Sydney there would be a ,saving There was no question then of what is of one day in the mai1s sent via Brisbane, called "The Transcontinental Scheme." Rockhampton, and Port Darwin as compared Mr. HAMILTON: There is a different phlliSe with via. Adelaide and Fr''mantle. In the of the whole question now. case of passenger traffic ·a person going from Brisbane to London and back via Port Dar The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: win would actually save eight• days, from I maintain that if the Federal Government Rockhampton twelve days, and from Towns is guided by the best wishes for the whole ville twenty days, as compared with the pre of Australia, especially the Eastern States of sent Adelaide and Fremantle route. Australia, they will bring their proposed transcontinental line to meet our Queens " (Sigd.) J. F. THALLON, land railway. "Deputy Commissioner." Mr. RYAN: It will take away the trade I h!J-ve also. a return giving the exact figures, from Port Darwin. whiCh I w1ll have put in Hansard for the information of hon. members, in connection The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: with this matter, and the saving of time for The trade will never go to Port Darwin. It th~ delivery of m':'ils and passengers, should will be purely a passenger and ma;il train. this ra1lway be bmlt a11d connected with the Again, we may look at this project from a P?rts of the. North of Australia, as against the defence point of view. time that Is at present occupied. It is as Mr. THEODORE: That is a Federal matter. follows:- The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: .-<]<:'IM~C"!,...!jel '":01 ...<[;:;" When Lord Kitchener was here he said that ....tiCOO':lt:"lto .t:--.OC'\1 1!\lT"""'!.....-!T"""'!C'l .-lMT"""'! it was eminently desirable that the Great a1 Western Railway, coupled ug with the routes leading to the coast, should be speedily "' i =~ :-;::; ::::-'" built, so that troops could be quickly concen ~ ~t!~[:: g~ o~o;:::i trated on the Northern shores of this con A .,...:> <:),..;,::.; ~~ z ~!:l::;~ tinent. The hon. member for Woothakata < .c-"'" I 't;ol""' ""' interjected, "That is a Federal m.ttter." "" 00 ~§,€§ se. ·~"'~., "'0 .Sro " Amos received his instructions with a per the proposed railway-that is, each station fectly free hand. (Hear, hear!} He had a or holding could be taken separately and perfectly free hand, as one of the ablest offi described minutely; and I have perhaps cers in the Railway Department, to go West, sufficient information for so doing, roughly. and we put the best means at his disposal For this report. I think, however, that it that we could put at his disposal, to make a will be ~ufficient and more comprehensive report that he considered was in the best to merely divide the land into three classes, interests of the question of the opening up of as follows :- that vast portion of the great territory of our State. "Hungerford to the Vicinity of Old Mount Mr. RYAN: You are not following his Ma·rgaret Station, about 150 miles, is mulga report. country, with saltbush and herbage, but with little or no :Mitchell grass. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: Of course, it does not necessarily follow that " il:l aunt llfl argaret to Palp(!rara, about when an officer of a department like the Rail 200 miles; mulga and gidyea with saltbush way Department----- and herbs and a considS culties on the line other than bridgework, it enable that portion of the country to be fully l1as been locate'l for a minimum amo~nt of stocked with sheep. Further on JY.j:r. Amos same. says- '• Cooper's Creek is the principal water " Grada.-Gener'!lly speaking, the country cour,se to be crossed, and it, like other water is almost level-too level, in fact, for good courses in the IV est of Queensland, ha-s no drainage, but in a few places there will be sharp decided channel, but consists of some grades. The worst I saw was from the numerous billabongs, which in flood time Macintyre Gap (about 27~ miles south of overflow and cover the country with shallow Thargomindah) to the Gap Hotel, where the water for miles. Cooper's Creek in flood fall along the road is 190 feet in 3:i miles. time is 8 or 10 miles wide just above Win From what I have seen I should imagine dorah, but rapidly spreads out below that there will be no necessity to have any grades town, and down towards the border i .• said -unleYl they are compensating--steeper than to be nearly 100 miles wide at times. With 1 foot in 2 chains--that is, 1 in 132. The the exception of the Paroo, which some curves also will be very flat. times in excessive flood flows into the Dar ling River, none of the other watercourses " It may be mentioned that I have aneroid between Hungerford and Camooweal ever readings and measured distances over all the reach the sea, but become lost. roads travelled, and that sections could be plotted from these. Owing, however, to the " The Suggested Route is from the vicinity level nature of the country, these sections of Hungerford to Thargomindah; Thar~o would convey little meaning, and it would mindah to Eromanga; Eromanga to \Vm· perhap,s be considered a waste of time pre dorah or within 20 miles of the north side of paring them. I therefore propose-unless it; thence crossing Farrar's Creek not more otherwise directed--merely to show on the than 20 miles or so above Palparara, and plan the heights of the principal pla.ces the Diamantina River at Davenport Downs visited. At present I have not got the or Diamantina Gates, or between the two heights reduced; but, from information places. kindly supplied by Mr. Bond, of the Weather Bureau, I gather that Thargomindah is 4.08, " From the crossing of the Diamantina Windorah 360, Boulia 478, and Camoowool the line would run almost direct to the 713 feet above sea level. crossing of the Burke River at Boulia, or within about 15 miles above that place; " Cuttings.-The Fne can be called a sur thence almost direct to Camooweal, diverg· face one throughout, although there may b~ ing perhaps some miles to the left about as much as 30 miles in all on which shallow opposite Urandangi.% cuttings will be required. It is que,stionable whether there w11l be any cutting M deep as " The through distance by this route for 10 feet. the railway from Hungerford to Camooweal " Ballast.-On parts of the line consider will be, I estimate. 810 miles or less. I will able trouble will be experienced in obtaining be able to arrive at a clo.ser approximation ballast and sand, and it may be that in of the distances when I have access to plans some districts stone will require breaking for in Brisbane drawn on a larger scale than ballast (on mulga country, rock-generally those I have with me. flint-is ·'taicl to be met with a few feet below the £ourface almost anywhere). On the Bulloo " It will be noticed tha,t a direct line River country stone.s and gravel are scat Thargomindah to Camooweal---{)rosses the tered OYer the surface in quantity, but Cooper much lower down than my proposed whether the gravel extends downward is a route, but it may be pointed out that the question that will require consiclera'.le in. direct line would pass over rough country vestigation. It appears quite prvl-able that between Thargomindah and the Cooper; gravel beds may be discovered on the Bulloo also, my route avoids the Wilson River, and country, also near old ::\faun,~ Marg:aret crosse•, the Cooper where it i.s narrower. Sbtion, on the heads of the \\ 1lson R1ver,. and near Springvale, on the Diamantina "It will take a considerable time to water. The first river sand and ~;raYel I examine, survey, and decide on the exact noticed of any importance was in Thunda crossing of m may be " good business" for the Lands De "The only connection or ' link' I have partment' to provide, water by sinking 'hun· dealt with at all so far is the one with the dreds' of bores, adding the cost of £arne to Cloncurry Railway, and from the little infor· the price of the land. There are natural mation at present available it would seem springs at Curracunya, near Hunrrerford. that this link should be from Malbon via the The Elizabeth Spring, on Diamantina '"waters, Duchess Mine, and thence in about the direc is said to flow about 1,000',000 gallons per tion of Carrandotta Station. These links will, day, and runs Spring Creek for 15 miles or however, be dealt with after the exploration ~o. The bore and well water appears to vary is completed. m quahty, but as a rule is very good. In some instances treatment may be required " A map showing the average a-nnual rain before using in the locomotive. fall in Queensland 'should perhaps accompany " Bridges.-On country as level as this it this report. I understand they are procur· is impossible to give, from a mere examina able in Brisbane. tion of the ground, a reliable estimate of "I am. &c., th?, a:noc;~t of )J,ridgework r_equir_ed for either a hrgh or ww" level lme-m fact, after " OwEN L. AMos." the actual surveys are made and sections plotted with flood marks shown thereon it It has been said that Mr. Amos did not spend would perhaps be difficult to get two 'en sufficient time in the country to make this gineer-s to anything like agree as to the Tep0rt. Mr. Amos travelled 2,668 mil-es over height and amount of bridgework required. the Western countrv, which is easy country It seems to me that when the surveys are to travel over, and he occupied three months being made crossings of watercourses should in doing it. I think in country such as be chosen-wherever there is any choice that it is not necessary for one who visits it best suitable for a " high level " line but for the purpose of reporting upon it to travel that in the first instance it be built '" low by a buggy, and go 6 or 8 miles an hour. level," •similar to so many we have in the He might as well travel by the mea-ns we middle Western districts of Queensland. gave Mr. Amos-that is, a motor-car-and Afterwards, should the Transcontinental be thereby do the trip in a very much shorter bl!ilt in the Northern Territory from, say, time. It may be said, Why do the Govern Pme Creek to near Camooweal, and from ment bring forward this project on the lines Bourke to Hungerford in New South ·wales, indicated in Schedule I.? Mr. Amos, in his the Queensland portion, if found to be inade second report, dated 29th August, 1910', says-- quate, could be raised. " Cost of the Line.-In estimating what it "Chief Engineer's Office, will cost to build the railwav there are so many things to be taken into' conRideration "Brisbane, ,.29th August, 1910. with which I am not very familiar just now " Sir,-In c " It may be mentioned that the distance Mr. HAMILTON: Do you refer to South Aus :from- tralian territory or Queensland territory? Miles. The SECRET'APuY FOR RAILWAYS: To Hungerford to Tobermory Junc- both. There is no reason why stock should! tion is ... 135 not be depastured over what is practically Tobermory Junction to Windorah only an imaginary line. But I should like to Junction is 145 remind hon. members who are interjecting Windorah Junction to Palparara that they will have full opportunity for dis Junction Is 95 cussing this measure, and that if they will Palparara Junction to Springvale give me the opportunity of getting into Junction is 135 Hansard the returns I have referred to they 'Springvale Junction to Carran- will be in possession of more information dotta Junction is . .. 130 than they are at the present time. I have ·Carrandotta Junction •to Camoo- quoted the distances from the prop?sed junc weal Junction is 160 tions to what are at present their natural j:Jorts, putting aside the question of con Total Transcontinental Line .. . 800 nection with the Gulf in the future. " To this must be added a few miles (say Mr. NEVITT: Is that not a natural sea "10) in Queensland, between Camooweal and port, then? the Northern Territory. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: " I am of opinion also that an extension I did not say that. I said the natural sea of the Goondiwindi Line will be required ports " at the present moment." I think that -to Hungerford, and that part of it would is a justification for the Goverm:'ent pro ·perha,ps be a paying investment at the posing the linking up of the .extenswn of the present time. This country, however did .existing trunk railways gomg out to the n.ot come within the scope of my exa~ina West in the manner in which it is proposed twn, and I merely show on the map this they shall be linked up under this project. line, in green, from Bullamon to Hunger For the information of hon. members I have ford, a,nd continued on to Broken Hill and had prepared-showing the areas affected by Bourke, in New South Wales. the railways now carrying cattle and sheep, and that will carry sheep-a bore map, a " Assuming that all the full and dotbd sheep and cattle map, a rainfall map, and red lines are built, then the distances from a map showing the vacant Crown lands. various points to some of the ports on thd Mr. Amos continues- .-east coast of Australia are as follow~ : ·- " I cannot recommend any extension of Distances to Different Ports. the line from Cunnamulla westward, as, should New South Wa,les extend their lin8!1 ,; from Bourke to say, Hungerford, all the trade J• 3 $ from as far n~rth as Thargomindah, at any ,; "s rate would be diverted 'to Sydney, and tha .:. " " :e exte'nsion west of Cunnamulla would remain a. " " "'0 non-paying concern. This i~ owing ~ {he "h I ~ ""0 "0 "'tZl >'I P'i E-< line from Cunnamulla to Brisbane gomg so ------" far out of th(• way through Charlcville. If the Goondiwindi line were extended along :\files. Miles. ~mes. Miles. Thargomindah to ... 720 720 the border the conditions would perhaps be Tobermory Junetion to 770 670 io9 908 altered. Windorah Junction to 915 , 815 564 763 Palparara Junction to 1,010: 910 613 ' 668 " If this repor•t were for. Queensla!'d ~ail 'Springvale Junction to 1,1451' 1,045 748 583 way proposals only, and without taking mto Carrandotta. Junction to 1,275 1,17& 878 ' 598 consideration that the main line may eventu ,Oamooweal to 1,435 : 1,335 1,038 758 ally .become a transcontinent~l c;ne, the questwn as to whether the railway should be extended from Charleville through Ada Mr. HAMILTON: It is much closer to the vale to Windorah Junction should perhaps Gulf ports. be taken into consideration. It appears to The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: me however, that the trade with the Win Probably when it is possible to make a con do;ah country rightly belongs to tha nection with the Gulf ports, part of this Rockhampton port, because Windorah Junc country will be very much closer to that sea tion is fully 150 miles nearer. Rock?-ampton board t_han it will be to Rockhampton or than Brisbane even with the hne bmlt direct Townsville. But at the present moment it >s from Oharle~ille to Windorah Junction proposed to make the line to Camooweal. through Adavale. Possibly .a solu~ion ?f ::\Ir. O'SuLLIVAN: dead end. the difficulty will be to bmld a lme-m. A addition to those shown in ired-from Charlo The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: ville to Adavale, and thence to Welford. The han. member who makes an interjection like that cannot have studied the subject. It "Whether Tobermory Junction is the ·comprises some of the finest country in Aus correct place to extend the line to from the tralia. Oharleville Railway is, perhaps, open to ·Mr. O'SuLLIVAN: But still it's a dead end? question. " Possibly Eromanga may be a better The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: It is a tract of country upon which it is reported junction from a trade point of view, and an .that drought has never been known, and if inspection of the list given previo~sly in our present lines of rajlway had been in com this report of the dist~nce to the ~I_fferent munication with that country during .the ports may help in arrivmg at a demswn. latter nineties and the early years of the pre- DESCRIPTION OF COUNTRY ON EXTENSIONS. 1Sent century, it is probable that one-half or three-fourths of the stock that then died "In my report of the 19th ultimo, I gave would have been saved. a general description of the country along Hon. W. T. Paget.] 2:W6 Great Western [.ASSEMBLY.] Railway Bill. the main line from Hungerford to Camoo W!n~on, the amount per mile being, in my weal. To give a minute degcription of the opm10n about the same on both lines. This. land along each of the proposed extensions howeve~ is without taking into account from the different railways would be unin the Tho~son River Bridge, the cost of which teresting, and I think it will be sufficient _to must be added to the Longreach -tc Wintcn state that on all the extensions some Ill section. - different country will have to be passed "There are a number of reasons why through, perhaps the least amount being on Longreach and Winton should be j_oined by the Malbon-Carrandotta Extension. In no a railway, perhaps the most Important case, however, is the im:li.ff!"rent country of being that in addition to connectmg the any very great area, and I have no doubt Central and Northern Railways, it will pro that if water is provided by the State-as I vide a means of moving stcck from and to think it should be-the whole of the land very laerge areas of good country, it being within, say, 50 miles of any of the railw_ays understood that at present the stock route would if cut up into suitable sized grazmg between the two places is badly watered, farms; be immediately selected and used in and becomes closed frequently in conse most cases for producing wool. quence. COST OF THE EXTENSIONS. LONGREACH TO PALPARARA JUNCTION-18S MlLES. "In my report of tli.e 19th ultimo, I gave what I thought was sufficient data for "Assuming the Longrea~h- Winton line arriving at the cost of the line from Hunger to be built then this extension would com ford to Camooweal, if built on the low-level mence on the north-west side of the Thomson River, and follow down within. reasona_ble t~ystem, and I have nothing to add to that information, except, perhaps, to mentwn distance of same for 70 or 80 miles, passmg that at the Cooper and Diamantina Cross within 30 miles or so of Stonehenge, the ings the wat€r gets away very slowly, and only watercourses of any note on the route in consequence a low-level line may, on an being Maneroo and Vergemont Creeks. The average of once in every six or eight years, cost of this extension v:ould, I assume, bel be flooded for as long as a month or six about the same per m1le as the Blackal - weeks at a time. Both these watercourses Windorah Junction line. are on the 510 miles of line that it is sug WINTON TO SPRINGVALE JUNOTIOX-215 MILES. gested to leave over for future considera tion. " The line shown in red between th_ese two " It will be naticed on the map that all places follows approximately the mam road the 0xtensions have been located so as to 1o as far as Thompson's Tank-roughly, 150' cross as little flooded ]and as possible. miles~passing through very fine she~p countrv tc some distance past Eldershe WALLAL TO TOBERMORY J"C"NCTION-170 MILES. Station· thence through a lot of desert sandst-o,',e country, with fantasti<; hills. every "A trial railway survt>y was made some where, •till Llanrheidol Station Is aJ? years ago from Walla! for 92 milE'~ in the proached. This desert ~andsto!le country. IS' direction of Eromanga, about 40 or 50 miles in places stony and th1ckl:/. timbered with of which may be used for Parliamentary gidyee., and, althoug~ poor, 1_s by no means purposes if it is decided to make Tobermory waste land. The railway will be crooked, the objective point, or the whole 92 miles if but the grades and earthworks light. Eromanga is decided on. The cost of the whole 92 miles may be estimated from the "Between about 7 miles past Muckmundlt trial nlans. and it can safely be assumed and Thompson's Tank •there is anothe;- patch that the balance of the line to either Tober of de•ert sandstrme countrv; othennse the· mory or Eromanga will be over similar land is good on this extension. country. " Possibly a shorter route than the coa~h road may 'be discovered from near Eldershe llLACKALL TO WINDORAH JUNCTION-186 MILES. bv keeping a considerable distance south of " A trial survey has already been made \'loodstock Station. I 'think a railway may from B!ackall to Welford, the distance being be built on iJhis extension-215 miles, or less 128 miles-44 miles or thereabouts of which -at the same rate per mile as on the country were, I understand, approved by Parlia between Cloncurry and Mount Elliott. ment. Of the 128 miles, as much as 100 or 110 may be used for Parliamentary purposes, ~fALBON TO CARRANDOTTA JUNCTION-86 MILES. and an estimate of the cost prepared from "A trial survey ha,,, I understand, been the existing plans. The balamce of the lin~! made from Malbon for about 36 miles to the can be assumed -tc be over similar country. Duches; Mine on this extPnsion, and the " The survey, as made. appears to me to cost mav be estimatf' "AHhough this report contains very Ettle The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: detailed information, I have copious notes When this country is settled-has been which are availruble at any time. settled as many years as GrAat Britain and "I have, etc., Ireland have been settled-it is probable that we shall have a very much larger population " OWEN L. AMOS, than they have. "Railway Surveyor. Mr. O'SuLLIVAN: Not in that part of the "The Chief Engineer, Railways, Brisbane." country. The report of the Commissionff, which has The SECRETARY FOR RAlLYvAYS: been printed and circulated among hon. The report of the Commissioner goes on to members, reads as follows:- say- REPORT Oc-1 THE BILL FOR THE CoNSTRUCTION " :Many parts of Queensland carry more OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. sheep to the square mile than others, and the "Commissioner's Office, numbers vary as the .seasons, but taking an average of 128 (which is moderate in view of "Brisbane, 23rd November, 1910. tho following figures, taken from the stock " Sir,-I have the honour to report on the returns, published annually- Bill for the construction of the Great Western Railway, running in a north-westerly direc 1900. 1905. 1910. tion from a point near Tobermory to Cameo Sheep Sheep Sheep Number ol Square ~lile,<, weal, and the projection of the present main per per per lines from Charleville, Blackall, Winton, and ! Square Square Square Oloncurry, to connect with the proposed : )Iile. ~1ile. Mile. north-western trunk line. '·The first and most obvious benefit will be 29,400-Six: degree~, viz., 22 ' in the extension of the present main lines, to .2~ l::,t., 143 to , thereby providing a larger sheep area and eon 0 142 *95 161 sequent increase in land values, also giving 16o-~r~~~~ 'i'b{{ndanc.e ! 333 4!lll 554 392-Burenda . .. ' *~,) 18[ 27! every part of the State direct railway com 962-Wellshot ... 203 219 munication with its natural port; but it is also *7J necessary for the fuller development of the vast interior tliat these lines should be linked up and a great trade avenue established between *These low figures represent the losses due North and South as well as between West and to drought, but with rail communication to East. the North I conclude losses by drought will be very much reduced, as sheep could then be " The country for whose development these depastured on the Gulf and Barclay Table lines are to be constructed has been divided lands) the railway districts combined should into four railway districts, as delineated in the carry 24,000,000, or, say, 21,000,000 more than achedule, viz. :- the country ca.rries at present, which, at the average freight per fleece, would give an ad ditional revenue from wool traffic alone of Area in I X umber . l £220,000-not altogether to the new railways, Square ~hies to E ·t' but to the State railways generally; so that, - Mile~ I , 0 1 be Om1- s l- Average Approx~ Shetep structed. mated Cost per although the new railways, getting only their imately. 13-~2-09. Cost. Mile. own mileage division of the reeeiptF, may not pay directly, they will be remunerative to the ---·- -·-··------~--- --£- -~:- State as a whole. Another indimet but real gain will be in the road carriage of wool and A ... 43,500 683.000 I 245 650.0011 2,657 stores from and to holdings in the far '\Vest. B 35,8±0 1.649,000 318 1,032,000 2,965 Take, for instance, a station 300 miles west c 53,410 261,000 361 1,269,000 3.515 D 54,900 480,000 328 1,226,000 3,7:)8 of the pre,ent railway terminus, carrying 100,000 sheep: I compute the annual saving in Total 187,640 3,073,oooj us2 4,177~ooo-l£3:258 freight at £1,900, and the saving in time at least six weeks, hlual to £166 interest on a Estimatecl the cost o! Rolling I clip worth £30,000. Stock at ...... 250,000 1 REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE. 4,42i.ooo j " It is difficult to give a reliable estimate of the revenue and expenditure of 1,282 miles of "Each of these railway districts will be re railway through comparatively unknown sponsible for the loss, if any, on its own rail country, but, taking two existing lines into ways. The combined area is 187,640 square sin1ilar country, viz.:- miles, or 120,000,000 acres. Hughenden to Winton .. . 132 miles NoTg,-I rna; say, ]n pnsr,i.ng, the acrcctge of Great Charleville to Cunnamulla 121 , .Britain and Ireland js as follows:- I find the revenue averaged £143 per mile and England 32,57R,l78 acres. Ireland ... 20,327,947 tho expenditure £104, leaving a balance of Scotland l9,UJ9,770 £39 per mile for intere·st. ·working on this Wales 4,749,30i basis for 1,282 miles, there should be a profit of £50,000 on the working, which would go Total ... 76,725,l91l tow.ards the interest cha.rge of 3 per cent., amounting to £132,810, leaving a balance of It will thus be seen that by the construction £82,810 to be contributeclJ bv the ratepayers of this projected railway we shaH open up and the Treasurer on vacant "lands within the an extensive area of country. railway districts. Th0se comprise 187,640 square miles of country, and to make up the Mr. O'St:LLIVAN: There are very few deficiency refened to a contribution of about people in that country. Ss. 9d. per square mile will be required. Thi~ Han. W. T. Paget.] 2378 , Great Western [ASSEMBLY.] Railwa,y Bill. levy on the ratepayers should, after the line~ only in ·western Queensland. The Commis have been completed, and as earnings approxi sioner estimates that that country will be able mate to expenditure and interest, decrease to carry 21,000,000 more sheep than we have year by year until it is ultimately extinguished. at the present time, and if there are 35,000 "In view of the ravages of drought on men now engaged in the pastoral industry of pastoralists in past years, the decreased cost Queensland, and mostly in the \Vest, then if of managing their holdings, the facilities for the number of our sheep can be doubled, it gEitting from one place to another, the im stands to reason that the number of men proved conditions of life generally following engaged in .the pastoral industry will also be on the construction of railways to remote doubled. W parts of the State, the interest accruing from Mr. MuLLAN: Merely doubling would not quicker returns, and the reductions in freighit, justify the railway. will far more than compensate for any con The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: A tribution required to make up the deficiency further justification is what I said some in the interest charge. time back, that it is probable as time goes "I find that the rents derived from hold on, with the more economic method of ings wi1thin the railway districts amount to communication by rail, the very large pastoral £99,120, an average of 12s. 9;\d. per squa1·e holdings will be ·cut up into much smaller mile of the occupied areas, and with the holdings, and therefore we shall get more advantages of this railway they may reason intense culture in connection with our ably be considerably increased. Any addi primary products. tional revenue from rents, however, will go Mr. J. M. ReNTER: Have you any figures to the Lands Department, and any deficiency prepared on that? of the railway revenue to mf'et working ex penses and intereslt at the rate of 3 per cent. ::\Ir. ALLEN interjected. on the capital cost must, under the 1906 Act, The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: as I have said, be made up to the Raihvav Don't get so impatient. You are very young; Department by the ratepayers and the when you get a little older you will not be so Treasurer. impatient. These benefits, I think, will more than compensate for any disability that may "Your obedient Servant, be put upon the general taxpayer of the State "J. F. THALLON, for having to bear-probably for some time "Commissioner for Railways. the difference between 3 and 3i per cent. in terest on the capital that will be im olved in " To the Honoura-ble the Minister for Rail- ways, Brisbane." this scheme. Mr. J. M. HUNTER: Then you do propose Whilst I was speaking, some hon. member making the general taxpayer take the made an interjection with regard to the burden? matter of gauge. Mr. Thallon refers to the ?iffe:ent gauges of the railways in Australia The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: m his report for 1909, written after his re The Bill does nort say so. I said the dif turn from England. In that report Mr. ference between 3 and 3ji per cent. which Thallon said- the money for this scheme will cost. I would like to point out to hon. members that It is intere~ting to note, by way of contribution to they may think this project a very big one, the continued discussion of a suggested uniform gaue-e for all Australian railwayR, that four of the six States and that perhaps we are going ahead too of the Commonwealth have adopted 3 feet 6 inche• as quickly, but I do not think they will be their standard, and now rontrol hetween them 8 596 lieve that when I mention the enormous miles of rnihvay, while the length of the two b;oad strides our railways have made since the gauges is 7,659 miles-viz., 3,973 miles of 5 feet 3 inches year 1900-01. During the year 1900-01 our and 3,686 miles of 4 teet tl* inches ; so that it either of revenue was £1,316,936, and our working the latter be adopted as the uniform gauge it will necessitate the alteration of over 12,000 miles of line in expense,s were £1,057,981, leaving a net re the other States. venue of £258,955, or a percentage of net earnings to capital--- £4,885,280, and in 1909 •this great industry 0 0 was worth to this State £8,549,269, of which wool accounted for £4,809,496. Mr. ALLEN: There was a big difference in the values of wool. 0 0 00 :g 0 ] I N "' "' "' ,,; "' "'!9- "'~- "' 0 00 "'-0 ..,. sf I E-< 00 ..,. 0 I .0 .,-"" ...- "'oo" 00 • :;:]"' 00 0 "'0 "" ;;; "'""00 ·~ "'>C I ;g~~ "'.r:."' "'«>" ~- o" .~... 0 I ~ rn ;::; I I "'.. "'·~ 0 "" 00 ,.; ;::; 00 ~ "' B o. :g "'o:> oo" ~1 ~ ,-"' I >C 0 ~" "' ""0 ~ I "" ...< ...< :::- "',.;" 00 ,.; .s te"' "' "'.. ;s ,.; .,; "' ~ "".,- ~ 0 ;£ 0 E-<" ;:; t' " I "" "' "' "' r:; 00 0 "' dl;"' 0 "' " cl I ~ "' "' 0 0 "' ~ ...- .,;"" " ffl g "'0 0 6 ~ ... ~ ·j ..,- .,-"' ri "',.;' ..;"' ""' :;; I te"' "'00 \;; ""·~ ,, >" I "' s ·~ 0 ~ ,- ..:: "' o5 H~ g 00 2 "'""rn :z ! "' "' "' :- "" I I ,.; 0 g I "' 0 "'0 NoTE.-Road carriage for mails and passengers- ;s"' ;s"' ~ "' ~ I 6 miles per hour, Rail carriage for mails and passengers- The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: 20 miles per hour. Probably the market values are higher than Road carriage fo< goods and Jive stock- in 1891. \Ve know that at the present time 10 miles per day. wool is of high market value, and I see no Rail carriage for goods and Jive stock- reason why it should fall, but you cannot 12 miles per hour. tell. We cannot control the markets of the world; but I think if our pastoral products * Carrandotta to Winton or Cloncurry- in these years have risen by 100 per cent., Road 45 miles 45 miles then, when. we give the pastoralists in the Rail 339 miles 118 miles far Wes·t better railway communication, I say there is no reason to fear that our pasto Total 384 miles 163 miles. ral products will not be doubled in value t Boulia to Winton or Cloncurry- during the next ten years. During the last seven or eight years the number of our sheep Road 10 miles 10 miles has increased by 300 per cent. Surely in Rail 240 miles 203 miles the nex•t five years, when these men are put Total 250 miles 213 miles. into better communication with seaports, we may expe~t the 19,000,000 or 20,000,000 sheep :t Bedourie to Winton- we have at the present time should increase Road 105 miles by 100 per cent. New South Wales, which Rail 175 miles in 1891 carried 61,000,000 sheep-and Queens land is two and a-half times larger than New Total 280 miles Hon. W. T. Paget.] 2380 Great Western [ASSEMBLY.] Railwa.1f Bill. With regard to the carrying capacity of the line, I have had the following table prepared:- GRI<~AT WF.STERN RAILWAY-STOCK-CARRYING CAPACITY OF RAILWAY DISTRICTS IN RELATION TO COST OF LINE. No. of Interest Interest per 1CO Interest per 1,000 No. o! I Cattle at 3 per I I No. of Sheep No. of Sheep on Estimated Sheep on Estimated Conn try cent. Carrying Capacity. Carrying Capacity. 1 Sheep Count•y is I Cattle is Esti Estimated under .., I Conn try is Estimated ·~ c_ountry mated to Cost of mause6, to Carry if IS now ~ now Carry if Line. Railway _ Carrying. Railway 1 Carrying. All Stock Reduced to " Sheep" basis- Built. ' Railway A.ct of 1 Bullock= 10 Sheep. E Built. 1906. --! £. £. £ 8. d. £ 8. d. A I 1,124,300 3,680,800 126,733 164,960 650,000 19,500 0 7 4 3 13 4 ! B 2,295,809 3,276,800 70,588 96,000 1,032,000 30,960 0 14 7 7 5 ]() c 388,420 4,277,340 149,588 16,000 1,269,000 38,070 0 17 2 8 11 8 D I 433,969 2,564,864 249,914 465,000 1,226,000 36,780 0 10 2 5 1 8 __1 ____1 ____ 1 ___ TOTAL: 4,242,4981 13,799,804 ! 596,823 741,960 ,£4,177,000 1£125.310 1 Average, £0 11 10 Average, £5 18 4 The first fonr columns supplied by the Department of Public Lands. I have also a return showing the mileages and estimated cost of the four railway districts, as follows :- 1\:l!LEAGES AND ESTIMATED COST.-GREAT WESTERN RAIL,YAY. I Ama. Miles. Cost. Cost per rn1le. , • I 1' I Square mr.1 es. / Acres. I Perof whole. cent, 1 ------per cent. I---~--£------£------1-----~ A.-Walla! to Tobermory ... 170 425,000 2,500 1 Toberrnory Northwards 75 225,000 3,000 1 1 245 650,000 2,657 43,500 27,840,000 l 23 B.-Blacka:l to Windorah ... 186 465,000 2,500 Windorah Southwards 63 217,000 3,500 Do. Xorthwards 100 350,000 3,500 ------1-3_4_8__ 1,o_s2_,oo_o ___:_96_5 __ 35,840 23,938,000 19 C.-Winton to Springvale ... 175 52i\,OOO 3,000 Springvale Southwal'ds I 104 416,000 4,000 Do. Xorthwards ____82 1 ______328,000 4·,000 _ ~61 1 1.269,000 3,515 53,400 3>,176,000 28 ---~------ D.-~ialbon to Carrandotta 86 I 258,000 3,000 I Carrandotta Southwards 82 328,000 4,010 i Do. Northwards I 160 i 6W,000 4,000 II ·- 328 _I l,226,ooo \ 3,738 ___54_,o_oo __ __a5_,I_a6_,o_o_o ___3_o_ 1 Total 1,282 \ 4,177,000 3,258 187,6±0 120,090,000 100 I Rolling Stock ... 1 2c1.ooo Grand Total 14.4~7.000 ------[Hon .. W. T. Paget. "'O"J-3-·ro 0"" -""'"'"'" "lf!l.s :a s·~~~ ~ GREAT WES'l'lmN RAILWAY.-AltEAS, HOLDINGS AND RENTS g;t.S'f-3 ~Q; ro g~~.a gg~~ e~ ct-::Trr"'"' "':rq iT • .0 . § :Yeo ~.&CD Area Total ...... "' ~ ~ ~~biifn·~ CD (1) Unoc~ "'(p t-t mlf;l o:-~- cr...-~- CP {';l p.:l i3 g_ Pastoral Holdings. Grazing Rights. Occupation Licenses. Grazing Selections. Total Occupied Areas ~~ ~ r-,.~-'• ~ H Area. ~a-lP ~e::~.~ g·e.§ G£" cupied '"'"'i:l :a~p:l~~~c+epp. '-<" "' I --- ~~~. District. --- l-'$"'t:!-"o :=~ ~~~§ ~ g ~ ~ Ci~S~ ~ ~; ...... ::s ci-~ Average Average Average A.verage Average o>Oro o'~S1~~g~gro ~::;·ti::TQ:; Squ'lrc Rent Square Rent Square Rent Square Rent Square Rent Square Squar cr:;;oo s:-ol:>"' rold ::1'-1 ~s·~, tti Rent. Rent. Rent. Rent. Rent. (!> O"o> ~-'·~ l-1 CP Miles. per Mileb. per Miles. per Miles. per Miles. per Miles. Miles. l:! UJ. 1-1 0.. tD'Et~ ~ ' ""O I had these tables prepared for the informa isting procedure-that is, the tabling of plans tion of hon. members, and they will be pub and reports. I have already lished in Hansard, though I have not read [5 p.m.] tabled the Commissioner's repoct, them in full. I may say that I made arrange which has been printed and is ments for a special issue of Hansard to be in the hands of hon. members. I may point in the hands of hon. members as soon as out that while this applies to the Govern· possible after 9 o'clock to-morrow morning. mel11t, or 'any succeeding Government during the continuous construction of the Grerut HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! Western Railway, it does not take the power out of the hands of Parliament alto· The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: gether, for 'the reason ·that the annual appro '!'he Bill a.s presented for your approval con priation for the building of the railway tains three departures from the general prac during successive years must come before tice in proposing railway construction. The Parliament for approval. Therefore Parlia first is the presentation of a definite and con ment will always have the power in its ;:>Wn tinuous policy ; the second is that no plans hands to oppose the appropr.'ation for the are to be tabled, but the Commissioner is to continuing of the building of the railway. be empowered to proceed with the construc tion ; and the third is, that those interested in Mr. RYLAND: How much do you propose the railway district are not to have the privi to appropriate this year? lege of voting for or ''fgainst a who],e sec tion or any part of a section. It is considered The SECRETARY FOR RAIL W A Yl5: that, if we are to have a comprehensive That is a matter, of course, for the Trea scheme, it should be carried on continuously surer's consideration at ru later stage. Elec until completed ; and the third departure tion 2 describes the direction and mile from the ordinary practice will prevent small age of the various sections and railway bodies of ratepayers from voting against the districts and their boundaries. It also con building of one part of the line, and thus tains a provision for deviating 20 miles on preventing the completion of the whole either side of the delineated route. This is scheme. The Government are asking the a very necessary discretionary power, so that House· to agree to the completion of this upon survey the lin~ may be co~structed. as scheme without giving the power of calling economically as poss1 ble. I had m my mmd for a poll. at one time to make the limit 30 miles, or Mr. HAMILTON: That·is a new departure. even 40 miles, but I thought probably it would be a fair thing to ask for a limit of 20 The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: miles, which means 40 miles in reality. It is an absolutely new departure, and I will Schedule I. of the Bill is tho plan. Section 5 giv-e the reason. The Government and the is a ve,ry simple section, and says- Rouse are trying to carry out the construc tion of a railway along the Southern border Section four o! the Railways Act o! 1906 shall no for the purpose of conserving Queensland apply to the aforesaid railway districts. trade for the Queensland people ; and what That is what I have already referred to happened when we approved last year of the that the ratepavers are not to have the right plans of the Talwood to Bullamon section? to call for a poll. It· is a very necessary pro· A few interested people in St. George got up vision, as the throwing out by an adverse an agitation, and induced ratepayers to sign a vote of one part of any section will prevent petition to the Railway Commissioner calling. the linking up of the whole system with the for a poll; and if that poll had been carried, coast and with the terminal ports of that tiie building of that border line could not relief country. I thought this out absolutely have been proceeded with. Our reason for in their own interests, for the reason that I putting this provision into the Bill was to believe the railway, when completed, will be prevent such a fiasco happening as a small of very, very much more value to the whole. section of the ratepayers preventing part of of the pastoralists in Western Queensland one section of the railway being built, and than what it will be before it is completed, thus preventing the completion of the whole for the purpose of shifting stock from South scheme. The whole scheme could be destroyed to North or from North to South, as the by such action; and that would prevent, in case may be, to relief country. a dry time, stock being carried from one part of the country to another. When the petition Aill OPPOSITION 'MEMBER: Taxation without to which I have referred was received by the representation. Railway Commissioner, inquiry was made, The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: I and it was found that a large number of object to that statement. It is not bxation those who signed the petition did so under a without representation, for the reason that it misapprehension; and they signed a further is entirely in the hands of the people that this petition asking that their names might be rruilway is built for to make ,that railway pay removed from the other petition. When the -entirely in their hands bv finding the pro people generally will be greatly benefited by duce necessary to carry over the railway; and. the oompletion of a railway scheme, it is only secondly, the stores and passengers. Clau"C o is rather an important one. It says that the reasonable to provide that they shall not be construction is to start simultaneously at the at the mercy of a few ratepayers in part of four extensions. T~ wording of the clause one of the sections. With regardl to the Bill, is as follows:- clause 2 is a new departure from the present 'the construction of the Great Western Railway practice of tabling plans, sections, and book shall be commenced as nearly as may be simul of referenc<>, together with the Commissioner's taneously at Walla!, Blackall, Winton, and Malbon, report. The Commissioner has already fur and shall be continued from those places without nished a report upon the prospects and esti interruption until the said railway is completed. mated cost of the whole 1,282 miles. Section 9 of the Railways Act of 1863 and section 16 of And just here I would like to inform hon. members that plans are ready for a start from the Ra,ilways Act of 1896 provide for the ex· W a,llal, Blackall, and Malbon on the Mount [Hon. W. T. Paget. G-reat TVestern [29 NovEMBER.] Railway Bill. 2383 Elliott line. The linking-up proposal of Mr. present time, because the people in the Amos between Longreach and \Vinton is not West would be putting a large traffic over proposed in this Bill. that portion of the line. I say it is good J\'Ir. HAMILTON: He recommended it. business for the Government to take over The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: He The value of this industry will have in CONDENSED :MU.K EXPORTS. creased fourfold in ten years. I have said \"a1ue. Lb. £ that the sugar industry would have to look to 1904 ... 41,184 75:1* its laurels, for there is an economic limit that 1905 ... 301,547 5,628 we cannot go beyond. 1906 ... 621,081 11,832 Mr. FERRICKS: Not if you give us mills? 1907 ... 793,924 14,765 1908 ... 1,921,53~ 38,751 The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS : I 1909 ...... 3,991,151 ... 77,659* have already pointed out to hon. members *Six years-Increase of a hundredfold. what I think is the natural expansion of the Last year 1,829,859 gallons milk were utilised for con sugar industry in accordance with my ideas densed milk purposes. in regard to population. CHEESl'i EXPORTS. 1909 Saw cheese added to export list, Several HoNOURABLE MEMBERS interjecting, the value of cheese exported being £12,000 The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Hon. DATB.Y 0A'l'1'LE, members will have an opportunity to reply to In 11ilk. Dry. Total. the arguments of the Minister. I ask them 1904 ...... 68 799 ... 34,362 103,lo1 to allow the Minister to make his speccch 1908 ...... 201,999 ... 102,282 ... 3>14,281 without interruption. 1909 ...... 228,497 ... 103,342 . .. ~33,839 The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: :MACHINJo:RY. The fol1owing figures show the expansion 1909~ Value machinery utilised in of the dairying industry:- tlairyin:; operations ... £220,622 liUTrER AND CHiu:si; PAcroRII~'3 CoNDI<~Nsrr-;:G RUTTER AND CHEES_g l'RODUCTIO;:o;. .i'RI<:~IISK::>. 1909. 49 butter factories Prior to 1891 statistics of the dairy industry were 25 cheese factorie:i not collected, and for the three subsequent years they 6 condensing factoricl:l, are more or less unreliable. Butter. Cheese. Pt<:tiSO:'\S Occurnm rx lh.. rRn.:--r·.i-. Lb. Lb. 1909. 23.U•}U. 1891 2,060,800 125,440 1892 2,697,977 460.208 I have already pointed out what an enor 1893 3,354,566 816,948 mous .increase there has been in the butter 1894 4,305,553 1,536,997 industry, even from the time during thee 1895 3,719,523 1,841,799 drought until the present year. I do not 1896 R,l6>,240 1,9:tl,4f14 intend to take up time by making any further 18j7 5,685,987 2,291,416 1898 6.437,256 1,813,803 references to that industry, but I would like 1899 8,·1G2,595 ... 1,910,300 to say that I do not think there will ever be 1900 8,6S0,~89 1,984,705 any fear of over-production, especially if our 1901 9,741.882 2,436,1112 manufacturers in that industry keep in the 1902 4,851,362 952,013 front rank with the quality of their product, 1903 7,717,325 1,479,651 a> they are doing at the present time, and I 1904 17,538,473 2,607,475 1905 20,319,976 2,682/'R9 see no reason for fear in the future in that 1906 22,7·16,593 2,900,000 direction. On this coastal country between 1907 ~2.789,158 2,t84,588 Rockhampton and Cairns, the .soil and climate 1908 23,838,357 3,199,510 of the coastal districts now under review are 1909 24,592,711 ... 3,662,497 admirably adapted for the luxuriant growth of artificial grasses and fodders. Among these APPROXIMATE VALl'"E 01' DAIRY PRODUCTS, may be named the various paspalums, couch,. £ panicum muticum, sorghum, millets, maize, 1391 93,300 1892 130,400 etc. Paspalurn galman·a and Paspalurn l8H3 170,100 platecaula are indigenous to the district re 1894 225,200 presented by the hon. member for Cairns; 1895 208, 770* and there are other tropical products grown 1896 367,000 in the North. From Bowen articles of pro 1897 306,000 1898 327,900 duce were grown when they were out of 1899 418,000 season in the Southern States, and conse 1900 427,100t quently they found good markets. The valuec 1901 537,100 of tomatoes, citrus and other fruits, and 1902 313,000* vegetables exported from Bowen last year 1903 379,000* was £40,000; and cigar leaf was produced to· 1904 780,000 1905 960,000 the value of £2,000. This is an industry that 1906 1,000,000 I take a gre·at interest in myself. I was a. 1907 1,061,000 tobacco-grower in the seventies, befor•' I 1908 1,250,000 entered on sugar growing; and I say with 1909 1,500,000 out fear of contradiction that the cigar leaf 1910 1,700,000 Indifferent season. industry can be expanded to an enormous. * extent. t Increased fourfold in 10 years. Mr. FERRICKB: You want to put up a. BUTTER ExPORTS (Oversea). The year 1900 was practically the first year that local sweating-shed at Bowen. requirements were overcome. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: I Value. Lb. was the first one to move the department-- £ ! think Mr. O'Sullivan was Minister at the 1900 ... 1,389,250 51,729* 1901 ... 2,085,998 86,171 time-in the direction of getting Mr. Nevill 1902 ... 552,625 24,610 sent North to try and educate the people to 1903 ... 1,~23,414 49,804 the Vfl.lue of the cigar leaf growing industry; 1904 ... 9,520,921 344.943 and where the people of Bowen have taken 1905 . .. 11,773,182 455,863 it up since I have been Minister I have given 1906 ... 14,034,332 582.326 1907 ... 12,137,867 503,582 them every russistance in my power. I do 1908 ... 13,752,118 622,507 not think we went so far as to erect a sweat 1909 ...... 12,563,427 ... 541,536* ing-shed ; but I believe arrangements were • Increased ten times in 10 years. made by which a sweating-shed was erected. [Hon. W. T. Paget. NoTtk Oovst [29 NovEMBER.] Railway Bill. 2387 At any rate, with better means of communi cation there is another industry capable of enor~ous expansion. Our banana-grm•·ers north of Cardwell produce £·250,000 annually; and this branch of our tropical agriculture IS rapidly becoming a European industry. Also, in the Northern part of the S1tate, we can grow other extremely valuable agricultural products, such e.s coffee, cocoa, rubber, cin chona, vanilla, cotton, .spices, and cocoanuts. :t;;"' Mr .. LENNON: Arrowroot. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: I did not mention arrowroot, because arrow ,; 0 root can be grown successfully in the South, •a 2 .::: :o"' and I feel dubious about the cotton industry ·s a> "' being a success in the North with a rainfall " p."' from 70 inches to 20 feet per annum, as the "'.., ., .,. 0 ~ :oo wet season might interfere with the picking. ~ 0 The total number of cattle in the State is 8 4,711,782, of which number there are 935,000 ,; :=: "' ,,..,~ !::: ""Q in the railway district depicted on the plan. s ~ :.-I :;~·.. :~.. :;:.. There are no sheep depastured in that por !1 p. "' "' tion of the State, with the exception of a few 0 .; thousands on Oxford Downs, near Nebo, 1:: :,..., 0 :::: :gg =~""' south-west of Mackay. The meat products 8" '"" of the State amount to £1,191,000. Under the "' "' ,; 00~ 0 present system of tabulating our exports ""~ "'0 00 :Q:l_,' period will be £1,605,033, which is equal to fair comparison, when one desires to do so, 46.85 per cent. of the total. The following are between country north of Rockhampton and the details :- south of Rockhampton-during the year 1909 STATEMENT OF ::\frNERALS PRODUCEU IN QUEENSLAND the total imports of all kinds oversea into DURH·IG FOUR YEARS AND ~INE MONTHS }~NDED Queensland was £9,128,882, of which Mackay 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1910. and Burketown are only credited with Oz. £ £1,607,139. Of course, it is a well-known fact Gold .. . 2,267,269 9,588,270 that a very large quantity of our imports enter Silver .. . 4,479,080 493,176 into Brisbane as the port of entry and are Tons. £ then 'Sent North, and the North cannot ~t ~Copper ... 62643 4,285,252 credit for them. It is the same in connectwn Lead 21,8~2 308,474 Tin 20,278 1,746,6t5 with the exports. Our totaJ exports oversea Coal ... 3,351,953 1,129,065 for 1909 amounted to £13,200,099, of which Wolfram 2,972 200,821 the Northern part of the State was credited Gems .. . 126,556 with £4,100,765. The lands that are affected Others .. . 530,325 by the proposal amount to no less an area than 11,241,481 acres. That is in the five rail Total £18,382,008 way di,stricts as proposed by the Railway Commissioner. TOTALS >'OR NIN>: MONTHS >:NDED 30TH SEPTEMBER, 1910· Mr. LENNON: Embraced by the benefited Oz. £ areas? Gold .. . 326,089 1,385,136 Silver .. . 610,837 61,961 The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: Tons.. £ Yes. The following are the particulars :- Copper ... 10,618 606,630 Lead 1,567 19,4i8 01::'-1:1':)<:00:.ooo~oo~l~ co Ia:i CD~ G'\1~ ::'1:1~ 00~ 0~ -.:ft~ Tin 2,164 172,458 ~ "' Q;)..,....-~e>:~C\10 ...... Coal ... 609,f00 218,000 :§ ... I"""''O:.CQ<:O-.:fj '-.:fl Wolfram ~" 0 562 57,778 E-< !"~~~"'""'"' the State, the value of the land there will and towns within the five' railway districts, be equal to that in the Southern part of the I have had prepared the approximate values State. .As there is a definition in the Bill of the shires, cities, and towns affected in the respecting the responsibility of the cities five railway districts, which are as follow:- NoRTH CoAsr RAII.WAY-PARTICULAns OF CITn:s, TowNs, AND SHIREs AFJtECTl:D. ~~-- ;!.~ Total Shire, &c. Portion Affected. "-<0"~ ..; ,E-< l ~'E~ ~ Shire or Town. Area. Valuation, Area. I .§ o~ I Approxi- ~ ;JOP. ~ ---~---1----~--- 1,----c----, mate ~ ~ Miles. Acres. Per Acre. Total. 2\Hles. Acres. :Valuation . .;;j" g ------\--;:-;_-;; £ ---~--£--Per;;;;, Town or Rockha,mpton ... 23~t 15,082 57 16 3 871,957 23;t 15,082 ! 871,957 66 Town of Xorth Rockh'pton 31 19,8,:h0 I 6 0 0 119,514 31 19,84'1 1 119,514 9 A. Sbire of Livingstone ... 5,283 3,381,120 0 3 0 491,736 3,200 2,048,000 ! H07,200 23 Sbire of Broadsound ... 7,208 4,612,120 0 0 7i 140,60·1 1,280 819,200 ' 24,746 2 ______I______4,534H 2,902,122!1,323,417 100 Town of Mackay ., 8 5,120 'I 34 6 10 I 175,838 8 5,120 1175,838 18 Sbire of Broadsound ... 7,208 4,613,120 0 0 7t 140,604 1,120 716,800 21,652 2 Sbire of !liebo ,, ... 3,700 2,368,000 0 0 7 70,084 1,440 921,600 26,8'0 3 B. Shire of Wangaratta ... 10,084 6,453,760 0 0 10 271,984 L760 1,126,400 4~,933 5 Shire of Pione I now come to the general description of Mackay, 28th January, l899. the country in the benefited areas between FEATURE SURVEY BETWEEN PLANE CREEK AND Rockhampton and Cairns. I say that, gener ST. LAWRENCE. ally speaking, the country is eminently suit able for closer settlement, but, like aJI parts "Sir,-In accordance with your instructions of the State, especially where you traver re the wbove, I have ithe honour to report that I over 600 or 700 miles, it cannot be termed all have thoroughly examined the country between agricultural country, and I would not claim the two places-first for the best route for the that for it. There must be stretches of poor future coastal railway, and secondly for agri country intervening between the undoubtedly cultural land for settlement. large, rich, valuable areas of country ther~. ".Route.-The general direction is southerly, From Rockhampton to St. Lawrence is a and lies between the range and the coast, and distance of ~23 miles. The average number in several places has to practically follow the of wet days is seventy-six, and the average course of the road to avoid difficulties. rainfall per annum is 41.92 inches. " The scaled distance of the proposed rail way from Mackay to St. Lawrenee is 94 miles, .An HoNOURABLE MEMBER: That is the whereas the recognised distance along the road worst part of it. is about 112 miles. I am showing, on a separate sheet, details of the distances from The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: creek to creek, given to me by two different people; so there is a discrepancy in the map, I admit it is not the best part of it. I have I think, of about 10 miles in length. With a report from Mr. Surveyor Cooke, dated regard to the features, it is very inaccurate, so 1899. He made a report on the country I would therefore recommend that the distance with respect to railway building between be called at least 100 miles. Planet Creek and Rockhampton, and he took "There is only one place where I could rather- a· pessimistic view of the quality of shorten the line by about a mile-that is, by the cnuntry over which, he travelled. The going through what is known as the ' Tin report ·is as follows :- Case Gap ' near the 77 miles; but this would [Han. W. T. Paget. North Coast [29 N~VEMBER.] Railway Bill. 2391 mecessitate a cutting of 33 feet deep on top, separate sheet the proportion of same for .and a grade of 1 in 66 for 60 chains up and each selection . ·down; so if there is ever a trial survey made " Besides the above there are at least 5,000 I would recommend that a section be taken acres of good land along the route unselected, through said Gap, as by this route a lot of in small areas from 40 to 160 acres, suitable those little short gullies running into the coast for homesteads. could be avoided. The line as located is within " There is a large area of good agricultural a few chains of highwater mark between 75 land on Kelvin Grove now lying idle, which miles and 77 miles, so as to avoid the long would be immediately taken up and culti spur coming right down to the coast. vated if the Coastal Railway was once estab " Construction.--As far as the earthworks lished. a'!'e concerned, the work will be light-viz., " It is really lamentable to see deserted, on five rock cuttings, averaging, ,say, 12 chains nearly all the selections (which were once long and 12 feet de_ep, on top at the follow nice homes), houses, outhouses, yards, fence.s, ing mileages-viz., at the commencement, 21 gardens, &c., now in ruins, either burnt or miles 50 chains, 38 miles 60 chains, 41 miles blown down. 40 chains, 77 miles 60 chains, and 79 miles 20 "There was to have been a sugar-mill on -chains. Kelvin Grove some years ago, hence the ex " The only embankments that will be. re penditure and loss. quired of any height will be at the end of " The next large extent of good agricul bridges; the rest will be practically forming, tural land is on Carmilla Creek ; this is ex 'Or filling in the big 'Devil Devil,' which cellent soil, and quite as good as the land on -can be done with the muck taken from the Cattle Creek (which is equal to any in the side drains. oolony). There was also to have bh•n a " The bridge,; will be a heavy item-viz., sugar-mill there with extensive tramlines -eighty-seven different watercourses to cross, down to the sea coast, but the proposal fell which will require 7,070 feet of bridging, through on account of the principal land details of whioh are shown on separate sheets. owner, Mr. John Spiller (portion 98, 5,198 "Bridge timber, girders, and headstocks acres), not joining in with the rest, and in an;y quantity of either blue gum, blood refusing to cut his land up into small farms. wood, or l\Ioreton Bay ash. The latter "Mr. Spiller is a very wealthy man, living timber is very good in this di~trict, when in England; he originally took this land at >the diameter of the tree is 18 inch~s ·and over 6d. per acre (he now wants £5 per acre) for .and the log sapped. Piles of narrow-leaf the whole selection, half of which is inacces ironbark can be got here and there along the sible-viz., the coast range. xoute, but principally on the ranges, but " There is also some very good land on the ;good sticks are not plentiful, but -still they following creeks, but not of any great extent are to be found in the district. -viz., Marrion Creek, West Hill Creek, "Sleepers.-Narrow-leaf ironbark sleepers Spider Creek, Flaggy Rock Creek, head of -can be got along the route in any quantity ; CaMle and Clairview Creeks, and a little on in fact, there are some thousands of log.s now Freshwater Creek. lying in the bu h, which were originally cut " The land not coloured is only fit for for t.he Mackay Railway, and were confis grazing purposes, and miles of it being very •Cated by the Rockhampton Crown lands inferior for thriving town of Cairns-the proposed terminus of the ridges and out of the flood or backwater of ihe North Coast Railway. the Fitzroy River. From Canoona Creek to From 35 miles north of Townsville until you Alligator Creek is practically level; from Alli get to Cardwell you have an average rain gator Creek to Rockhampton the country is fall of from 73.65 to 86.63 inches, and when very rough and broken, and it would be very you get to the Tully, Liverpool Creek, Maria difficult and costly to get a good practical line Creek, Russell, and the Johnstone, you reach over it. With regard to the general fe'!-tures an average rainfall of 145.27 inches per of the country, I received most of the informa annum, and sometimes 20 feet. Coming back tion from Mr. T. Vicary, of Canoona Station, to the stretch of country from Proserpine to and Mr. P. F. MacDonald, of Yaamba, both Mackay, I should like to say that west of very old residents, and they are of opinion that the purely coastal country, on the top of the the route as located goes through the easiest range, within 3 miles of the Cattle Creek and less flooded-that is, as far as the north Railway, there is a very large area of ex side of the Fitzroy River is concerned. tremely fertile scrub land, known as the ".Construction Earthworks.-From the water Eunge!Ia Range. The Lands Department had shed of the Styx and Fitzroy to Bonnie Doon 12,000 acres of that land surveyed. The full Creek there will be ten rock cuttings averag extent of this scrub is at present unknown. ing 10 feet on top and 12 chains long; fro!ll The land has an elevation of 2,000 feet above Alligator Creek to Rockhampton there will be the level of the sea, the climate is admirable, six rock cuttings, 25 to 30 feet on top and and the country is in every way suitable for 20 chains long, with grades of 1 in 66 for 20 close settlement, and as suitable for the pro chains up and down, besides about forty others duction of agricultural products of a temper from 5 to 10 feet deep, with grades and em ate climate as the great Atherton Scrub. It bankments accordingly. would be very difficult to find, not only in "Bridges.-The brid&res will also be numerous Queensland but in any other part of the -viz., 1()6 different watercourses to cross, world, a stretch of 600 miles in which .there which will require 8,062 feet of bridging, de are such large areas of exceedingly rich and tails of which are shown on separate sheets. well-watered country as there is in that " Timber.-Bridge timber, ironbark, blue stretch of country. We cannot say exactly gum, and bloodwood can be got practically all what population the railway will ·serve; but along the route, but good ironbark piles are we know that in Townsville and about the not so plentiful ; but still they are to be found Lower Burdekin there is a population of at in the district. least 20,()00, and in the Mackay district alone "Sleepers.-Ironbark sleepers can be ob we have a population of 18,000 so that we tained in any quantity along the route. may safely claim that the co~mtry to be "Ballast.-Gravel ballast in nearly a]] the served by the railway has a population of creeks and gullies, and at the foot of the ridges about 100,000, and that number can be mu]ti in any quantity. pli_ed many time~ ":hen the people get the " W ater.-A good supply of water for !;atlway c_ommumca.t10n to which they are locomotive purposes can be obtained at the JUstly entitled. With respect to the Railway following creeks viz. :-Fence Creek, Marl Department reports, I have in my hand two borough Creek: Princhester Creek, and reports by Mr. Cooke. One I have already Alligator Creek ; but the water at Marl quoted. The other is as follows:- borough and Ptinchester is strongly impreg nated with magnesia, which would make · :\Iackay, 28th January, 1899. the engines prime. FEATURE SURVEY, ST. LAWRENCE TO ".Agricultural Land.-There is some very ROCKHAMPTON. good sugar land at the junction of the Styx "Sir,-In accordance with your instruc River and the other large creeks, but I am tions re the above, I have the honour to of opinion that it is often flooded, but old report that I have examined the country residents say not. between t]le above-mentioned places for the " There is also some excellent land on best practwal route for the future ' Coastal the Tilpal Run, but this, of course, would Railway,' and have marked same on plan be too far away to be benefited by the rail with a red line. way as located. "With regard to agricultural land, there " There is also some second-class agricul was h.ttle or none to examine, but what tural land at the following places, which no · doubt would be taken up for farming if the tJ:ere IS I have .shown on the plan coloured pmk. Coastal Railway was established-viz.. _on "Route.-The scaled distance of the pro Churchill Creek, Marlborough Creek, Prm p~sed route is 105 miles, and by the road 120 chester Creek, Planted Creek, and Etna mrles. Creek; the rest of the country is poor, only "I am forced to practically follow the fit for grazing purposes. The ' devil-devil' course of the road in manv places to avoid ends about 102 miles (on Wilangi Run). rough country. From St. Lawren'ce to the "Present Settlement.-I have shown on the w~tershed of the Styx River and Fitzroy plan by a green dot, the sites of present Rrver (ap 130~ miles), the country is fairly settlements, including the cattle stations. level, wrth a few low sand ridges which The surveyed township on Marlborough Creek wou)d not require more than 5 or 6, feet of is flooded. The public buildings-viz., the post cuttmg, and, say, about 10 chains of 1 in and telegraph office and the police barracks, 66 up and down them ; the natural gradient and an hotel and store, and three private of the rest would not be more than 1 in 100, dwellings-are situated on .a ridge about 60 and from the watershed to Churchill Creek chains towards Rockhampton. there would be about half a mile of 1 in " Princhester township is deserted, and 66, ,ant:\ from Churchill. Cre!"k to the Gap at only an hotel at Woodville (better known a!! 143, miles the countrv rs fairlv level nothing· 'Flash Charley's'). There is a quartz crush steeper than 1 in 100, and' from 'the Gap ing machine on Bonnie Doon Creek (now onwards there will also be about half a mile hung up). Yaamba is a small town and i.s of 1 in 66; thence to Princhester Creek fairly flooded; population about twenty adults and level, and from Princhester Creek to Canoona thirty children, and about one dozen dwell Cree~ the .country is prettv broken, but still a ings, including post and telegaph office, practical !me can be got by keeping close to police barracks, school, hotel, and store, and - Han. W. T. Paget.l 2394 North Coast [.ASSEMBLY.] Railway Bill. a few private houses. After crossing Etna quiries as to the revenue likely to be derived Creek towards Rockhampton there is more from carrying mails on this railway, and I and closer settlement, principally home have been furnished with the following steads. Husbands have to go elsewhere for return on this subj,ect :- work; the wives informed me that they could )loRTH COAST RAIL\YA.Y-CONVHYAXC"E OF MAILS, not make a living on the land on account Amount now paid to A. U.S.N. Company of bad seasons and the ticks. for conveyance of mails, etc., by s.s. "Possibilities of future Settlement.-I£ there "Bingera" £17,000 p.a. is no Coastal Railway, there will be no *Approximate amounts paid to othe1• possibility of any future settlement, as the Shipping Companies 1,000 p.a. general run of the country is too barren, and what settlements there are, in all probability, £18,000 p.a. will soon be abandoned if they do not get *Supplied by Accountant, Post and Telegraph Depart better seasons. ment. " There is not sufficient rainfall in the PROBABLE REVENUE TO RAILWAY DEPARTME:'\T BY Rockhampton district to make farming a CARRIAGE O.i' MAILS BE'l'WE:KN GLA.DSTONB AND success, even on good land; it wants irri CAIRNS. gating. Two T.P.O.'s per week, Gladstone to Towns " I do not think there would ever be close ville and back, 2,008 miles, and One T.P.O. per week, Townsville to Cairns and settlement between St. Lawrence and Rock back, 422 miles hampton on account of there being little or Total, 2,430 miles x 52 = 126,360 train no good agricultural land, especially at the miles, @ 8d. per mile £4,212 north side of the Fitzroy River, and if ever 15,000 lbs. of mails per week, Gladstone to the Coastal Railway is constructed; I would Townsville, 2,143lbs. per day. recommend it to go on the south side of the Rate for above (see Scbedule on p. 7 Fitzroy River through the Agricultural Re of Postal Agreement) £14 per serve, as shown on plan. mile of line p.a. For 502 miles "I have, ete., 3,000 lbs. mails per week, Townsville to "\VM. D. CooKE, Railway Surveyor." Cairns, 428 lbs. per day It will be obserYed that though in the first Rate for above, £10 per mile of line p.a. part of his report Mr. Cooke says, "With For 211 miles £2,110 regard to agricultural land, there was little or none to examine," yet later on he ,:.:ays, £13,350 "There is some excellent lana on the Til pal Run." It must be borne in mind that Mr. XoTE.-The figures are only approximate, as the Rail way Department cannot gauge accurately what the Cooke's report was written eleven years ago, Postal Department's requirements will be by the time when nothing was thought of but sugar the line is completed. Tbe estimate is moderate. growing in that part of the State. All the country I have mentioned is not sugar-grow For the infm·mation of hon. members, I have ina- country, but large areas are suitable for had prepared the following table showing other agricultural industries and for dairy the present Government lines, local authority ing. I thought it advisable to make in- tramways, and the lines to be constructed:- NORTH COAST RAILWAY. ~ § j Q)~ ffi ~ ~ ~ ~ Lines to Construct. £ ~~ i ~ ~ 0 '" ----"'--- [ __"'_ ----:------Miles. I ~nies. Jlfiles. Cost. perCost Mile. £ £ A.. Rockbampton to near St. Lawrence ...... 123 558;!00 i 4,537 ___ I ___ ------'----- NBar St. Lawrence to Mackay Line ll. 3t miles-Mackay Line to Mirani West iii! I ... 72 I 331,200 :1, 4,.600 Mirani West to Midge Point .. . ' ... 50 225,000 4,500 ------19t ... 122 £356,200 £4,559 Midge Point to Proserpine ... -.-..-~-- ...- --13--52,000 14.0o() Proserpine to Don .. . C. Don to Bobawaba ...... 43 1 ~.~ ::: ::: I ::: Bobawaba to Burdekin River ... I ... 17 61,000 I 3,6•)0 ~~-3_8_\_3_o_ £u3,ooo !---.£s:773 Burdekin Bridge-rail and road - ..-.:.- -.-..-~-.-.5- --i~:gzg ~-- 3·:ao-o- Burdekin River to Ayr D. Ayr to Stewart's Creek ... Stewart's Creek to Townsville 1 Townsville to near Cardwell _2_ii_l_i_ __3~,ooo : _j~ 6 I 44 I 91 I £332,000 £4,198 Near Cardwell to Babinda ... --..-.-~-- ..-.-~--8-1- --4-86,000 --61000 E. Branch to Jlfourilyan Babinda to Cairns ___ \_3_7_ --7-__42,ooo __ 6~o_o_ 37 88 £529,000 i £6.000 Total ...... 70t \,,~~ 454 j £2,13i,~oo.\ £4,70-8- Add for Rolling Stock ... 643, ... \--182,o00 ! GRAND TOTAL ... .. I ... .. £2.320,000 I [Han. W. T. Paget. North Coast [29 NOVEMBER.] Railway Bill. 2:395 'The report of tho Commissioner for Rail two trains (one each way) per day through ways, which is in the hands of hon. mem out the whole length of ·the line, which will bers, is as follows :- involve an expenditure of £67,138 and interest on £2,320,000, at 3 per cent. 69,600 " Office of the Commissioner for Rail ways, "Brisbane, 22nd November, 1910. or a total of 136,738 Revenue 120,000 ]'!.EPORT ON THE BILL FOR THE CONSTRUC1'ION OF THE NORTH COAST RAILWAY FROM leaving a loss to startwithof £16,738; ROCKHAMPC!'ON TO CAIRNS. which will work out as one-third of a penny " Sir,-I have the honour to report on the per acre on the lands within the benefited Bill for tl1e construction of the North Coast areas, or nine-tenths of a penny per £1 on Railway from Rockhampton to Cairns. the present valuation. I do not, however, "It will readily be acknowledo-ed that the anticipate any loss except at tl1e beginning, -opening of Queensland's rich coa~tal lands by as the linking up of the present lines must means of railw":y will give a great impetus to necessarily develop a traffic which at the sug:aJ?, agriCultural, dairying, fruit, tim present cannot be estimated, and there is a ber, mmmg, and meat export industries of gain in the conveyance of mails to be taken the State, and that to obtain tl;Je full advan into account as well. -tages of this development it is' essential that -the -;arious short lines already existing should "As illus-trating the effect of linking up be hnked up. The Bill now before Parlia isolated lines, I have had a return prepared ment proposes to do this bv utilising 1891! showing the combined capital cost of the miles already in operation,- made up as Southern and Western, Maryborough, J'dount follows:- Perry, and Central Railwa:ys, and the in 191! miles of the Mackav terc;t returned thereon in 1890, 1900, and Railway, • 1910. The result is:- 38 miles Proserpine Tram Interest way, Capital Cost Returned. 45 miles of the Bowen Per Cent. Railway, 1890-Four separate 44 miles Ayr Tramway, railways £11,656,000 £1 10 9 6 miles of the Great 1900-Linked up into Northern Railway, two separate 37 miles Cairns-Mulgrave railways 15,217,917 2 13 4 Tramway, 1910-All four COlll- bined into one 189,\: miles; railway 19,020,936 4 1 3 and constructing 454 miles more ; making a " I do not wish it to be inferred that this progressive result is due altogether to the grand total of 643~ miles from Rockh&mp linking up, because other conditions have ton to Mourilyan contributed, but undoubtedly a great part of and Cairns. it is, as the chief passenger traffic between " Plans have not been completed for the Brisbane, Maryborough, Bunclaberg, Rock whole 454 miles, but they are being prepared, hampton, and all the Central Railway, pre and already there are sufficient to enable viously carried by water, is now carried by construction to be commenced almost im railway, and we may reasonably look for the mediately at Rockhampton, Mackay, Bobawa same experience between Rockhampton, Mac ba (the present terminus of the Bowen line) kay, Townsville, Chart'ers Towers, etc., etc. and Townsville. The estimated cost " For the· purposes of the Act the land (£2,320,000, exclusive of land resumptions) of between Rockhampton and Cairns has been the lines to be built must not be taken as divided in1o five railway districts, or bene exact, but it is fairly reliable, as more than fited areas, as delineated in the schedule; the usual allowance has been made for con and each division will be responsible only tingencie" where the country has not been for the loss on the railway within its district, thoroughly examined, and I am confident it that is to say- will not be exceeded. I have not estimated " A rea A will be responsible for the loss, the cost of the 18911 miles already existing, if any, on the railway from because 70~ of these (i.e., 191! Mackay, 45 Rockhampton to St. Law Bowen, 6 Grealt Northern) are already pro rence- vided for, and the three tramways (in all 119 123 miles in length, estimated •to cost miles) proposed to be taken over have been £558,100. built with money borrowed from the Trea sury. Therefore it is unnecessary to take " Area B, from St. Lawrence to Midge the acquisition of these into account in any Point, near Repulse Bay- future loan proposale. 19! miles already provided for, and "In addition to the cost of the railways, 122 miles to be constructed, esti there must of course be an expenditure on mated to cost £556,200. rolling-stock, even after taking into account the fact that rolling-stock at Rockhampton, 1411! miles. Mackay, Bowen, and Townsville can be utilised to better advantag-e than at present; "Area C, from Midge Point to the and this I estimate at £182,500. southern or right-hand bank of the Burdekin River- 83 miles already provided for, and REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE. 30 miles to be constructed, esti ''For the reasons stated above, it is diffi mated to cost £113,200. cult to arrive at any reliable estimate of revenue and expenditure. I have assumed 113 miles. that the service to start with will aver age Han. W. T. Paget.] 2396 !Yurt!~ Coast [ASSEMBLY.] Railway Bill. "Area IJ, from the southern bank of the Goods Traffic (Agricultural Produce)-· Per Ton. Burdekin River to a point •. d. south of Cardwell, on the 5 6 Hinchinbrook Passage- Tramway ... 50 miles already provided for, and Railway, for same distance: To ports (:If in truck loads) ... 3 6 91 miles to be constructed, esti Smaller lots to ports (:li and mated to cost £382,000. 25 per cent.) 4 4 Up country (A) 511 141 miles. Timber Tramway- "Area E, from near Cardwell to Hardwood, sawn or log 5 8 Cairns- Softwood, sawn or log 7 6 37 miles already provided for, and Railway- 88 miles to be oonstructed, esti · Hardwood and softwood, sawn 511 mated to oost £528,000. Hardwood and softwood, in log 5 8 Firewood- 125 miles. Tramway 2 4 Railway 3 0 General Merchandise The loss, if any, on the Mackay Railway, Tramway 22 0 Bowen Railway, or Great Northern Railway Railway- will not be charged to the railway districts, 1st 16 3 2nd 22 5 but to the consolidated revenu0, as at pre 30 10 sent. North and South Rockhampton (com 3rd bined) and Townsville will ea3h bear one Sugar-cane- Tramway. Railway, fifth part of the loss, if any, on the railways .. d . s. d. within the respective railway districts in 10 miles l 0 1 3 15 1 3 1 8 which these municipalities are situated; and Ill Mackay, Bowen, llJld Cairns one·tenth part 20 1 5l, 37 2 H 2 9 of the loss, if any, on the railways within RawSugar- the respActive railway districts in which they 14 Miles (liulgrave to are situated. Cairns) 4 2 3 8 "In view of the small loss between the esti Live Stock- ) 15 6 cattle mated revenue and expenditure (and which 0 I am certain will be confined to the earlier 4-Wheeler... 15 (17 o sheep 31 0 cattle stages). the great advantages to pre.sent 8-Wheeler . .. 20 0 { 40 6 •heep settlers, the future benefit in the way of in creased settlement, and the consequent I think it is reasonable that we should now development of the various ports along the turn our attention to the Bill. Clause 2 is coast, I strongly recommend the construc a departure from the existing practice of tion of this railway, which I am confident tabling plans and the Commissioner's report. will within a very 5hort period prove a valu The Commissioner's report on the proposal able a~set to the State. In addition to these I tabled on 23rd November. This clause advantage;; to the State, it is, to my mi:e.d, further provides tha:t the Commissioner may absolutely necessary to provide for the rapid deviate for a distance not exceeding 10 mobinsation of the Australian Defence Force miles on either side of the line as delineated at any one of the ports on our eastern cc.ast. on the plan submitted to the House in the "Your obedient servant, BilL That practically allows 20 miles for deviation, and that is sufficient in connection "J. F. THALLO"l, with a line of this character, seeing that the " Commissioner for Railways. range is not at any very great distance from the coast. As far as I can see, it is a pro "The Honomable the Minister for Rail· vision which will practically not be taken ways, Brisbane." advantage of. Out of a total length of 643~ I think we mav take it for 2ranted that miles there are less than 200 miles unsur· when this railwa~v is built it will pay better ve,·ed. The whole of the other 443~ miles as a whole than it will pay while it is being comprise railways that have been already constructed in sections, bec~.use it is un built, or ron tes that have been surveyed. doubtedly true that we shall get a great ClausP 4 provide; :that the railway shall be deal of passenger traffic, which is good pay built under the 1906 Act, and that all tram ing traffie. The hon. member for Cairns ways purchased bv the Government shall showed some fear the other evening that if come under that Act. Clause 4 provides that the Mulgraye Tramway was taken over by section 4 of the RailwaYs "'l.ct of 1906 shall the Government the, rates and fares would not apply to this line-that is, that the rate be great!:-' increased, but I think the ,ac payers are to be debarred under this scheme, companying table will prove that they will which is to be carried out as a continuous not be materially increased-that, in fact, in policy, from petitioning the Commissioner a number of inst•anc0s the Government rail· for a poll to decide as to whet,her any par way rates will be verv murh lower than ticular part of the railway shall be built or those which preYail at the present time- not. :J.IuLGRAVE TRAM\VAY. Mr. O'SuLLIVAN: You are going to give Cairns to Babinda (37 Miles). them a taste of the gag. 1st Class. 2nd Class. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: Passenger fares- At times it is for people's absolute benefit 2\Iulgrave Tramway 8. d. 8. d. that they should be gagged. Single 7 0 5 0 Return . .. 10 0 7 0 [7.30 p.m.] (Laughter.) Even in this House, Excursion 8 3 5 6 I am certain hon. members appre Government line- ciate the gag snmetimes, especially when Single .. . 6 3 4 2 they have been sitting up all night and find Return .. . 10 11 7 4 han. members persist in talking hour after Excursion 8 4 5 7 hour. Clause 6 arranges for the absolute [Han. W. T. Paget. North Coast [29 NOVEMBER.] Railway Bill. 2397 -purchase a£ the Ayr Tramway. The reason the railway district. In the Mackay portion we have been able to enter the purchasing of the railway there are already two bene price is because we have been in communi fited areas in connection with these tramways, cation with the .Ayr Tramway Board for so that after a good deal of trouble-this some time past for the purchase of their gave me more trouble than anything else tramway, as it is desired that the link be in connection with this particular part tween Bobawaba and .Ayr should be built. we came to the conclusion that it was very There should be a Government railway, at much better to ask the House to abolish any rate, between Bowen and Townsville. these two small railway districts and include Hon. members will see that the total con them in the greater district, and make the struction is £85,000. The original cost of whole of the greater district responsible for the tramways was £78,000 or £79,000, and the loss on these two small tramways, calling this last year the tramway, after paying them practica1ly a part of the North Coast running expenses, returned ·£11 7s. 7d. in Railway system. Then on page 5, in clause terest, so that I do not think the purchase 8, I wish to draw the particular attention of is at all bad business. hon. members to quite a new departure, and Mr. FERRIOKS : .A good bargain. one that I am fully in accord with-that is, Mr. LENNON: It will return 13 per cent. that the cities and towns in the various rail way districts should bear a proportionate The SECRETARY FOR R.AILW.AYS: cost of any deficiency that may occur in the Yes. The purchase money of £85,000 is to working of the section in their railway dis be part of the cost of the line in that section, trict. following out what I have said that the cost OPPOSITION MEMBERS : Hear, hear ! of wny of the local authorities tramways taken over by the Government is to form part of The SECRETARY FOR R.AILW.AYS: the construction of that section. The rates The reason why I had a table prepared of and fares are practically those charged on the valuations of the, respective shires, cities, the State railways. and towns, was in order to show hon. mem Mr. O'SULLIVAN: They won't be included bers how extremely difficult it was for myself in the benefited area, though. and the officers of the Railway Department to approximate the proportion of ·any defici The SECRETARY FOR R.AILW.AYS: Oh, yes; they are in the benefited area. If ency or any responsibility that may arise in the railwruy sections. I would like to say you look at the plan you will see they are this, without referring specially to par included in the benefited area, as all the ticulars: Taking the city of Rockhampton towns wnd cities are. The clause goes on to and the municipality of North Rockhampton, say that there is a power of purchase over I think their valuations amount to something tramways built by other local authorities. like £950,000. But the valuation of the re The Bowen-Proserpine Tramway Board have mainder of the railway district comprised in already offered theirs at cost price. the shires is a very small one. But I may Mr. FERRIOKS: They should never have point out that when the railway is built we had it to offer. The Government could have may rea'sonably expect that the local autho built it at £20,000 less. rities' valuations in the shires will rise very The SECRETARY FOR R.AILW.AYS: considerably indeed, and therefore the total .All I can say is that it shows some enter valuation will rise. .And it cannot be expected prise on the part of the local ruuthorities in that the valuations of the cities and towns that electorate. I regret that thev did not will rise corr0spondin!"ly. Probably where build their tramline as economically as the land is valued at lOs. or £1 per acre by the local authority in my district did theirs. local authority, when the railway is built the For the information of hon. members, the local authority will value it at three or four Proserpine Tramway runs from Bowen to times the amount, but the local authority Proserpine, length 38 miles, and the sum of in cities or towns will not be able propor £94,000 has been borrowed from the Trea tionately to raise the valuation. .A great deal surer, and the board estimate further liabili of trouble was gone to in trying to approxi ties at £4,267 2s. Sd., and there is also in mate this responsibility, and in the end I terest in addition. The line was opened fixed the proportions in the city of Rock for traffic on the 11th July. 1910, but it is hampton and town af North Rockhampton, not yet quite finished. The Mulgrave Tram conjointlv at one-fifth, and the remaining way Cairns to Babinda, is 37 miles long, ratepayers four-fifths. If we had left the and' the first section was opened in 1907. valua.tions a·s thev were, and the whole of the The total of several loans from the Trea valuations took 'the same proportion of re surer is £129,726 14s. lld., or £3,506 per mile, sponsibility, probably the citv of Rockhamp including rolling-stock. The revenue is ton, which will not be benefited to the same £10,000 per annum, and expenditure about extent as country lands, would have had to £5,000. In 1909 the earnings_per train mile bear something like four-fifths. were 5s. 9id., and the expenditure 3s. 7id. Mr. LENNON: How is it you are not taking Mr. RYLAND: What are you going to put over the Johnstone Shire Tramway? on for the enhanced value? The SECRETARY FOR R.AILW.AYS: The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: It is ru 2-feet tramway, and this railway is to The hon. member savs "Whv do you not be built on the 3-feet-6-inch gauge. We are value it on the enhanced vahi.c '" There is not taking over the Johnstone Shire Tram an enhancement of value in the valuations wav at the present time, because, unfor made by the Railway Department in pro tunately, it is not of the same ga.uge as the portion to the contiguity of the lands to standard Government railways. If hon. mem the railway. With respect to the city of bers turn to clause 7, they will see a refer Gympie, I can inform the hon. member that ence to the Macgregor Creek and Cattle his council have voluntarilv offered to take Creek Tramways in the Mackay d,istrict, up a portion of the responsibility of a rail which were taken over by the Government way proposed to be built in the immediate under the authority of this House last year. vicinitv of Gympie, although outside the That was where a difficulty occurred about boundariee. Hon. W. T. Paget.] 2398 North Coast [ASSEMBLY.] Railway Bill. Mr. HAMILTON: The cities on the coast will Mackay at the present time, and the open benefit by t.he \Vestern extensions. ing up of the Northern coast lines has been The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: almost entirely neglected. In reply to the interjection of the hon. mem· An OPPOSITION MEMBER: The North has ber, I quite acknowledge that they will benefit been entirely neglected. by the Western extensions, and I only regret The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: that, after having gone very fully into the The North has not been entirely neglected. matter as to whether the:y should not bear a portion of the responsibihty, the difficulty of Mr. NEVITT: It is the Gulf that has been apportioning the responsibility in a place like neglected. Brisbane, where it should fall, was the reason The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYB: which actuated me in excluding the cities of A verv large proportion of the capital in· Brisbane, Rockhampton, and Townsville from vested' in our railways has been expended in a responsibility in connection with railway the North; but I desire that somewhat more· districts on the Western line. shall be expended in that part of the State. Mr. LENNON: 'I'he Brisbane Courier would The construction of this line is justified from. not have stood it. a land settlement point of view alone, as witness the vast strides settlement has made The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: between Caboolture a.nd Bundaberg, without It was a matter that had my closest and most considering the beneficial effect it must have serious attention. on existing industries and on the ,starting of Mr. O'SULLIVAN: It is a pity you did not new industries. The project is perfectly do it. sound financially ; and it is brought forward The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS.: not only in the interests of the countr;y be· It is a great ptty I could not do it. I found tween Rockhampton a.nd Cairns, but in the myself apparently against a stone wall, and 1 interests of the whole State. did not quite see how it would be possible An OPPOSITION MEMBER: Rockhampton has for us to make these places bear a respon· had three railways the la.st couple of years. sibility, for a benefit will undoubtedly accrue to them. The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: Mr. HAMILTON: The Goondiwindi exten· I desire to say that this is not a l'ail way for sion is for the benefit of Brisbane. Rockhampton. (Opposition laughter.) I wish to specially emphasise that fact. It is a rail· The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: way running away from Rockhampton. How This in connection with the North Coast can the hon. member for Cairns possibly go Railway was an easier problem to solve, and to his electorate in the course of the next I am quite prepared to take the responsi· four or five years by rail unle3s he goes bility of having tried to apportion the re· through Rockhampton? I shall go through sponsibilty in connection with these respec· Rockhampton in the course of the next two tive districts. The cities of Rockhampton or three years to my electorate. and Townsville are to bear respectively one· :fifth, and the towns of Mackay, Bowen, and An OPPOSITION :,fEMBER: You won't be· Cairns one·tenth. here then. Mr. MANN: Cairns won't pay any one· The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Will tenth. hon. members make pertinent interjections if they do interject, not impertinent interjec· The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: tions? (Hear, hear!) Probably the hon. member for Cairns does Mr. O'SuLLIVAN: Bring him to order, Mr. not wish the electorate he represents to be Deputy Speaker. benefited in any way at all from the building of this railway, from the position he has The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The assumed to-day. hon. member for Kennedy is the greatest Mr. MANN: It should not be penalised if offender in this matter, and I call him speci there is no benefit at ·all. ally to order. I refuse to accept any dictation The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: from him. It says here, in clause 10- The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: The construction of the C'iorth Coast Railway I was sa;ying I considered that the building shall be commenced as nearly as may be simul of this railway would be in the interests of taneously at Rockhampton, Mackay, Bobawaba, the whole State. Everybody must profit by Townsville, and Cairns (or, if the Cairns-Mulgrave the increa,sed prosperity that will accrue from Tramway is acquired under this Act, at B"'binda), the making available of such vast areas of and shall be continued from those places without fertile land, and I have no hesitation in stat interruption until the said railway is completed. ing that the proposition is financially sound. I have already given information respecting This proposal, together with the one already the plans. As a matter of fact, the sectiOn presented to the House, ha,s been termed a at the Rockhampton end is the shortest, being two-edged sword which will de«troy the Go· on1y 22 miles, while that at the Ingham end, vernment that has brought it in. I say, Sir, going towards Cairns, is over 60 miles. in connection with these two great railway Mr. FoLEY: Are the plans ready for the proposals, that the Government has forged a line from Townsville to Ingham? two-edged sword that will cleave the way for the settlement of many millions of people on The SECRETARY FOR RAILWAYS: the lands of this great State. I have very Yes; for 65 miles. Parliament still retains much pleasure in moving the second reading power over the construction by means of the of the Bill. annual appropriation for the continuation of HoNOURABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear! the railway each succeeding year; and the Commie,sioner will make a special report Mr. LENNON: I move the adjournment annually to Parliament respecting the pro· of the debate. gress of the work. In conclusion, I would Question put and passed; and resumption like to say there is not one mile of State· of the debate made an Order of the Day for owned railway between Rockhampton and Friday next. [Han. W. T. Paget. Local Autlwrities Act [29 NOVEMBER.] Amendment Bill. 2399 LOCAL A"CTHORITIES ACT AMEND bring the Act .into line. Then in connection MENT BILL. with the next section, the words "copy of every notification shall be served upon the (Mr. K. 1lL Grant, Rockhampton, in the chair.) owner or occupier of any structure with Consideration in Committee of Legislative regard to which any encroachment" is Council's amendments. decided " were repealed. On new clause, to follow clause 3- Mr. CoTTELL: Why do ;·ou r(\peal them? The following provision is added ta the first paragraph of section fourteen of the principal The HOME SECRETARY: The amend· .Act:- ment proposed to lessen the cost of pro Any person who under subsection five of section ·cedure. The subsection as amended would twenty-four of this Act is entitled to vote in read as follows:- respect of land whereof a corporation. or joint stock company is the occupier or mrner shall, so long as The Minister shall, by notification in the Gazette he remains so entitled, be qualified to be elected or and in some newspaper, appoint a day (not later appointed and to act as a member of the local than thirty days after the expiration of such period authority of the area in which such land is situated. of three uonths) on which he or some person, being But not more than one director of any such com an authorised surtVeyor, appointed by him in that pany shall be so qualified. behalf, wdl hear and determine all objections to such map or plan. On the day so appointed the The HOME SECRETARY (Hon. J. G. Minister, or such person as aforesaid, after hearing Appel, .4.lbert) moved that the new cLmse the local authority and any person who is, in his inserted by the Legislative Council be agreed opinion, entitled to be heard, shall determine all It objections lodged and all questions of alleged en to. made the representative of a corpora croachment as aforesaid, and shall finally fix and tion or company eligible for election as a declare the alignment of every road. member of the local authority in respect to which they paid rates. The Bill brought The subsection as amended would read- down the voting power of public corporations If any existing structure is found to encroach and companies to that of an individual voter; wholly or in part upon a road. as fixed and declared and this amendment conferred on the repre by the alignment thereof, the owner or occupier sentative of the company or corporation the shall, upon application, be entitled to receive a right to be elected a member of the local diagram showing the extent of such encroachment. authority, which right he would possess if he In connection with the next subsection, were an individual ratepayer. which had been amended by the Legislative Mr. RYLAND asked if there was any Council, the subsection as amended would machinery by which it could be decided read- which member of a board of director.s should If the owner of any land abuttilig on any road be qualified. is able to establish his title to any part of the The HOME SECRETARY said that would ·Baid land which the alignment aforesaid declares to be an encroa0hment upon, or to form part of, such be a matter for the board of directors to road, such land shall nevertheless be taken to form decide. part of such road, and the person deprived of such Question put and passed. land shall be entitled to compensation in a sum which shall bear th0 same proportion to the present The H0}1E SECRETARY moved that the value of the whole of the land that the area of the Council's amendment in dause 19, now 20, part excised by the alignment bears to the area of page 5, adding the worCls "or residential the whole: Provided, however, that no conlpensa purposes," be agreed to. It would be recol- tion may be claimed where the area of the land is lected tha.t he had accepted an not reduced by the alignment to a lesser area than [8 p.m.] amendment allowing the local is conveyed by the deed of grant or the certificate of authorities to use land for busi title. ness purposes, and the Legislative Council This provided for a reason:1ble and just had pointed out ·cases where the land could basis upon which claims for compensation be used as lodging-houses or for residential may be made, and protect€d local authori purposes, and that being in accord with the ties from the liability of having to defend original suggestion, which was to enable the claims that might be exorbitant and unjust. local authorities to make use of their pro In connection with the last subclause, the perty, it was an amendment that should be words "and description" were repealed; accepted. also the words "the situation and," and the Amendment agreed to. wor.ds "earriage ways and footways" in the third and four.th lines, and the word "road,;" The HOME SECRETARY moved that the substituted therefor. That was really bring Council's amendment, inserting a new clause ing it into line with the first amendment, to follow clause 22, be agreed to. The new and simply declared that the width of the clause repealed the words " carriage ways road and ·the alignment was all that was and footways," and "roads" was inserted in necessary. !ieu thereof. Th_e clause was really designed m connect10n wrth the survey and delinea Mr. COTTELL had no objection to the tion of the width of carriage ways and foot Council's amendment, except to the repeal ways, which would be useless, and cause ing of the words " A copy of every such a considerable expense. The widctih of the notifi.cation shall be served on the owner or roadway was the only width that was neces· occupier with respect to which any encroach sary to determine. The width of the foot ment as aforesaid is allowed." They all way was really fixed, and there was no knew that very few oecupiers or owners saw necessity to go to the expense of a particular the Gazette, and •cer'tainly where a road survey, which would be necessary if the fronting a man's property was ,being altered clause was left as it was. In connection that man should get notice of the alteration. with the next paragraph, the word He disagreed entirely with the omission of " licensed " was repealed, and iihe word those words. " authorised " inserted. In the Act the sur The HOME SECRETARY pointed out veyors were referred to as " licensed sur that the notification was not only pubHshed veyors," but under the Land Surve"ors Act in the Ga::ette, hut also in some newspaper. of 1908 they were termed " authorised sur The new clause had been inserted for the veyors," and the amendment was simply to purpose of saving needless expenditure. Hon. J. G. Appd.l 2400 Local .!luthoritie$ Act [ASSEMBLY.] .!lmtndment Bill. Mr. COTTELL could not see where the area. He tlterefore suggested to the Minister owner or occupier was safeguarded in any that he should insert after the word "sur way. The local authority was safeguarded, veyed" the words "or subdivision." and the Minister was safeguarded. Suppose The HOME SECRETARY: The matter the matter was advertised in the Gazette or referred to by the bon. member was already Courier the owner or occupier of the J'ro provided for in the Undue Subdivision of perty ~ight not see that notification, an he Land Act, which ena!Cted that land must be could not appear before the Minister, and of not less than a certain area, unless the the case would be heard ex parte. J:ie local authori•ty consented ,to a smaller area in iihoug·ht the Committee -should sa:feguard the tlte case Df land to be used for business pur interests of the owner or occupier, and see poses, and that the rDads should be of a that he had sufficient notice that the original certain minimum width. Moreover, where alignment was to be altered. He moved i!hat an owner was not dealing with his land for the following words be omitted:-" Also, the the purpose of oonveying it to another, there words ' A copy of every such notification was absolutely no necessity to put him to the _ shall be s0rved upon the owner and the occu expense of depositing a plan of his land pier of any structure with respect to which with the local authority. any encroaahment as aforesaid is alleged' are repealed." Mr. LENNON thought the hon. member for Carpentaria had in his mind not only Mr. LENNON thought the proposed the undue subdivision of land, but also the amendment was a sensible one. A large surveying of properties with frontages to number of men who occupied small holdings dead-end streets. Out where he lived there --canecutters shearers, and miners-had were streets with dead ends, which were a frequently t~ go away in search of work, disgrace to the city of Brisbane, and he and in their absence their wives were not thought the local authority should stead likely to notice an advertisement in . the fastly set its face against that kind of thing- newspaper or in the Gazette. A serious alteration ought not to be made to a man's The HOME SECRETARY: Under the frontage without his consent. He thought existing law, before a plan was accepted by the Minister should accept the amendment the Registrar of Titles it must have t-he oon as an improvement to the clause. sent of the local authority endDrsed thereon, and the local authority before giving its The HOME SECRETARY: There was consent should insist upon having the matter absolutely no need for the words proposed mentioned by the hon. member attended to. to be om'itted from the principal Aot. They were only Slij'plusage. As to th_e argum~nt Mr. CORSER : The reason for the amend that miners and canecutters might be m ment was that a person proposing to cut up jured during their absence from home if a piece o£ land which he owned personally py with the local auth<>rity. [8.30 p.m.] antee fund should be available He moved that the amendment be agreed to_ to the local authorities concerned_ As it secured the object intended, he moved Mr. NEVITT: According to the amend that the amendment of the Council be agreed ment a person who subdivided a property of to. 3 or 4 acres for the purp<>se of erecting small Amendment agreed to. oottages upon t•hem need not deposit a copy The HOME SECRETARY: On page 13, of the plans with the local authority unless line 8 " also " had been struck out, and on he actually transferred the allotments. He line ll the Council had added the following thought it was advisable in such cases that words:- plans should be deposited with the local a1so, after the words H or land, and" the words authority, in order that they might prevent " expend such sums of money as they may deem the land being subdivided into too small expedient in endeavouring to" are inserted. [M1'. Cattell. Local Authorities Act [29 NovEMBER.] Arnendrnent Bill. 2401 In subsection six of the said section, the word The HO~fE SECRETARY: On page 22, '""in", where it first occurs, is repealed, and the commencing on line 42, a new clause had words " with the intention of " are inserted in lieu thereof. been inserted by the Council, which pro· In subsection eight of the said section, the words vided- 47. After section two hundred and fortv-four of '· for the extirpation and destruction of " are re~ pealed, and the words " in endeavouring to extir the principal Act, the following- section is in· pate and destroy" are inserted in lieu thereof. serted :- [244A.] It shall be lawful for the registered pro The amendments were inserted with a view pnetor of an estate in fee~simple in land under the of getting over a difficulty which occurred Real Property Acts, 1861 to 1887, which is not in what was known as "the l\faroochy case." subject to any registered encun1brance, lien, or The Maroochy Shire Council sued a per· interest, and upon which land there is not, in the opinion of the local authority, any nuisance, to son for the recovery of the expense transfer the same to the local authority for the incurred in connection with the extirpa· .area within which such land is situate: Provided tion of Noogoora burr. The judge held he shall have first paid and discharged in full to that as the burr had grown again it the local authority all rates and other liabilities in had not been eradicated, and that the coun respect of such land up to the date of such trans· cil could not recover. Under ihe amendment fer: And provided also that he shall, at the time made, local authorities might enter upon land of such transfer, deliver to the clerk at the office of the local authority the certificate of title or and expend a sum of money in the destruc deed of grant of the said Janel, together with a tion of noxious weeds, and could recover the proper instl~ument of transfer duly executed and amount BO expended. Ron. membevs were completed of the said land in favour of the local aware that it was practically impossible authority, together with stamp duty ancl registra~ to destroy in one season the Noogoora burr; tion. fees. if the local authority attempted during the Then the remaining portion of the clause pro one season to complete the destruction of that vided the machinery to deal with the matter. noxious weed, the expense upon the rate This was to give persons owning land which payers would be greater in some cases than was too small to make use of-provided there the va.lue of the land. Yet it was absolutely was no nuisance upon the land, and they had necessary that an attempt should be made to paid the rates, and provided they paid the destroy the weed, and, owing to the verdict reg~stration fees-the opportunity of trans· in that particular case, these amendments had ferring the title to the local authority. He been suggPsted, so that the local authorities understood the local authorities were not going in and de~troying weeds, as far as averse to the proposal. He moved that the possible, might recover the amount which amendment be agreed to. had been incurred. He moved that the Council's amendments be agreed to. Mr. CORSER: It mig·ht not be wise to give power to any person to transfer to the :Mr. CoTTELL: Is there anv definition of local authority land which he wanted to get " agricultural land " in the Bill? rid of. It might be a large area of land, The HOME SECRETARY did not think carrying a considerable deferred obligation by the definition was necessar:y, because it wa.s reason of the construction of a railwav or well known wha,t agricultural land consisted tramway under the guarantee syotem. " of. On the same page, on line 52, a new subclause was added, defining the word "con Mr. RYLAND asked whether this pro duit"-- vision was intended to be compulsory? In this subsection " Conduit" means and includes :!Ylr. COT1'ELL: Yes. any combination or aggregation of electric lines laid in one receptacle underground, or carried Mr. RYLAND: He knew some people above ground by one line of pole• or standards. who owned land they would be very well pleased to get rid of by transferring it to The last Local Authorities' Conference passed the local authority. a resolution to the effect that clause 197, sub· clause (3), be amended, so as to provide that The HOME SECRETARY did not think a fee of £3 per mile should be paid for .each there could be any doubt about the local separate length of electric ca,ble. It was after authority· having to take over the land, pro· vided all the conditions laid down in the wards pointed out that the word " conduit" clause were complied with. might be liable to m~sinterpretation, and it was decided to define the word. Without that Mr. LE::"f:l'\ON: The clause came as a definition it might possibly have been con· rather pleasant surprise to him. He had an strued that, as three cables were laid in one allotment on which he had been paying 5s. pipe, a charge of £3 per mile might be made a year for over twenty years, but under this in respect of each of these cables in the one clause he would be able to get rid of that pipe, and the definition clause was put in in liability. This was apparently a philan· order to obviate any misconception. He thropic clause inserted by the Council for mm·ed that that amendment of the Council the benefit of people burdened with allot· be agreed to. ments on which they had been paying rates Amendment agreed to. for a number of years. Mr. COTTELL objected entirely to the The HO-:\IE SECRETARY: On page 19, clause, under which local authorities could line 25, the following clause was re-enacted be saddled with a lot of rotten allotments by the Council:- simply because some members in another 38. Subsection four of section two hundred and nine place had some land they wanted to get rid of the principal Act is repealed, and the following of. If a man owned an allotment, he should subsections are inserted in lieu thereof :- pay the rates. He knew people who had As hon. members were aware, this omission land which they would give away, and pay wa.s made when they were dealing with new the cost of registration and transfer, if any· clauses, in place of those originally prop'?s~d, body would take it. A good point had been and it was then arranged that the addition raised by the hon. member for Maryborough should be made in the CounciL He moved in connection with guaranteed railways. that the amendment be agreed to. Mr. MURPHY: On one occasion the late Amendment agreed to. member for Kennedy, Mr. Jackson, brought 1910-7 H Mr, Mvrphy.] 2402 Lorat Authorities Act [ASSEMBLY.] Amendment Bill. down a pile of deeds relating to land pur landholder.s if the clause were passed. His chased by his brother in various parts of the experience of local authorities was that they State, and generously offered any han. mem would not get value for the ratepayers, but ber any of that property, because he was for themselves and their friends. If the pro tired of paying the rates. He presumed perty was worth anything they would take some members in the Legislrubive Council good care that the ratepayers did not get it. had been speculating in land, and waiting, He was certainly opposed to the clause. The like Micawber, for "something to turn up"; late Minister for Mines some time ago and the Local Authorities Bill turned up in brought a bunch of deeds to the House which due course. They took the opportunity of he said he would give away to anybody. The· inserting this clause, under which they could local authority would not get a.ny property give the land they did not want to the local that was worth anything. authority. They became socialists in one The HOME SECRETARY: He proposed night. (Laughter.) They were in favour of to leave the matter entirely to the sense of the nationalisation of land in places where the Committee. land was not valu!!!ble; and the democratic Home Secretary, being in favour of land Mr. HARDACRE: There was a good cleat nationalisation, was prepared to accept the of difference of opinion on the matter, and amendment. on this occasion he would vote with the Mr. CORSER moved the insertion, after Government. 'l'he Assembly )fad passed a "interest," of the words "and upon which no minimum of 5s. rates, and the Council now railway or tramline guarantee exists." Sup proposed in their amendment that if the pose a person had two pieces of ground, one owners did not want to pay the 5s. minimum of considerable value, and the other of little thev could hand it back to the counciL value, and he knew that by joining in a He" was distinctly in favour of that, as the guarantee for a railway he would be able to old proposal wou.ld allow them to have it for sell one at a lar!?"e price, and under this clause seven years longer and pay no rates, and in he would be able to transfer the other to the seven years' time it would enable the council local authority-he would be able to make a to do what it was proposed to allow the nice thing out of one, ,and saddle the local council to do now. Under the .old provision authority with the liability in regard to the the council· could do nothing for seven long other. years. The HOME SECRETARY: I will accept The ACTING CHAIRMAN: I think the the amendment. amendment is inserted in the wrong place. Mr. }10RGAN honestly thought it would I think it should be inserted after the word be a mistake to saddle any local authoritv "encumbrance," on line 47. with an additional burden; and, as far as Mr. CORSER agreed to the alteration. the amendment proposed by the han. mem ber for Yl:aryborough was concerned, it Mr. CO'l'TELL pointed out that there would only apply during the present Parlia were other claims besides railway or tram ment. Suppose a local authority had a lot way guarantees. As had been pointed out, of useless land put on their hands, and it nearlv all the local authorities in Queensland was decided to build a railway in that dis had a loan of some sort, and in Brisbane trict, tha~ land would be in the benefited alone there were a lot of allotments whwh area, and the local authoritv would have to had been bought for speculative purposes, and pay the guarantee as far a", that land was why ·should Parliament allow those men to concerr.>ed. Let the people who had specu throw the land on to the shoulders of the lated m land take the responsibility, and local authorities? bear the lo-s. Mr. LENNON: In case there should be Mr. :UURPHY: They had been told that any misapprehension regarding his attitude the only good title that could be given for on that question, he wished to say he was land was freehold, and they wanted those prepared to sacrifice himself and go on pay people to hang on to that freehold. That ing 5s. a year. He was entirely in accord was the object in opposing the with the views a.s expressed by the hon. mem [9 p.m.] amendment. The difference be- ber for Toowong. tween the freehold •system and Amendment (llfr. Corser's) put and nega the perpetual lease system was this: In the tived. newer goldfields there was no freehold land, and \Yhen they desired to esc·lpc paving rates Mr. HARDACRE: There was a big prin th0y simply declined to pay the rental a.t the ciple involved in the clause proposed by the end of the year, and the property reverted Council. If they allowed the municipal coun to the Crown. \Vhy should they- pass an cils to get hold of the lands now they were of amendment in order to enable a man who little value, they would get the unearned in had been speculating in freehold la.nd to crement. Rather than continue to force the escape the whole of his liability? Possibly man to keep the land and let the individual he bought that land at atime when the local get the increased value-- anthorit.·- had borrowed money to carry out JI.Ir. FOLEY: They may never become valu a water supply or the construction of roads able. and bridges, and why should they not have Mr. HAHDACRE: It might become valu to bear a share of the expense? able. He knew of some people who had said Mr. WINSTANLEY said loans were ob they had land in Redland Bay which they tained for quite a number of things, such as would give away, but if the Government sanitation works and water works, for which built a railway to that district, that land, the property was practically a guarantee, and which was not valuable now, would immedi whether the allotments were used or not atelv become valuable, and that wa.s o, they had to pay the water rates. sple;.,did opportunity by which the council Mr. CoRSER: Surely land in that position could get back land of which they had been would be wor'th something ! deprived in times past. Mr. WIXSTANLEY was convinced that Mr. MULLAN: And sell it immediately: it the local authoritie~ would become fairly large becomes valuable. p!r. Murphy. Local Autho1'ities Act [29 NovEMBER.] Amendment Bill. 2403 Mr. HARDACRE did not think they could the local authority, which they should not be resell. One of the objects of taxation of land called upon to bear, and he thought th'-1t values was to compel people who owned land members should consider that matter in -deal and kept it idle to give it up. ing with the Council's amendment in the HoN. R PHILP thought it was a capital clause now under consideration. thing for the council to get hold of that Mr. MORGAN: If it was a fair thing for land. Land that was sold ten years ago for the Opposition to keep to their platform 'n a mere song had now become very valuable. this paDticular instance, then it was a hir 'What was to hinder a man transferring those thing for members on the Government side lands to .someone who had no money behmd of the House who believed in freeholds and him at all? It was quite easily done. Why in private ownership of land to vote for the not allow the local authorities to ~>et the exclusion of this amendment. If they did land, as some day it might become valuable. not believe in the local autho6ty taking Mr. FOLEY favoured wiping out the over good land, they should not believe in amendment altogether. On many occasions a local authority taking over useless land. · " man bought an allotment in the dark. and Mr. O'SULLIVAN: Under the amend afterwards found that he had "fallen in," ment of the Council, if a town was going and he would be very glad in such circum down the hill, people who bought land in stances to hand over his land to the local •that town, believing that it was a good authority. He knew a case in which a man speculation, could allow their property to bought an allotment with a creek 40 feet fall into ·ihe hands of the local authority, wide running through the centre of i£. 'I'hat and· thus repudiate their just obligation,;, man would be very glad to get rid of his leaving the local authority, possibly with an purchase, and so escape the payment of overdraft, to impose heavier burdens on the rates year after year. On the Ross River ratepayers who remained in the town. He did bank there were allotments which were en not believe in the local authol'ity taking over tirely covered at every tide. land which was valueless; but if the hon. The HO:iiE SECRETARY: Do you mean to sg,y member for \Voolloongabba could show hin, that the council rates those lands? where the local authority could take over good land, he would support a proposition Mr. FOLEY: Yes; they were rated. Two to enruble ·them to do so. He would vote of those allotments were made a present to against the amendment. the lrorker newspaper, in Brisbane, and h.e believed the proprietors of that paper would Mr. CORSER: He would certainly opposo be only too glad to get rid of them, as they this amendment, because it would open the were on a mud flat, and quite useless to any door to a great deal of useless land b8tng body. He hoped the amendment would bn thrown into the hands of the local authority. rejected. Wi•th such a provision in the law, a m:tn Mr. D. Hl:::\TER: He always understood might cut up an area of land, sell all tho that members opposite were absolutely good portions, and allow the useless land to opposed to private ownership in land, and go to -the local authority. desired to take e\·ery opportunity to get the Mr. J. M. HUNTER thought the amGnd lands of t-he State into the hands of the ment was simply a provision to enable people. If they were going to take only a persons who had useless land, possibly land certain area of land, they were departing infested with prickly pear or other noxi<)lls from the principle they were always advo weeds, to pass it on to the Iocal authority. cating. On this occasion they found members The HOME SECRETARY ; The clause says hmd on the Government side fighting to take ov or upon which there " is not in the opinion land for the people, and members of the of the local authority any nuisance." Opposition, who had gone round the country crying out ·that the people should get the Mr. J. M. HUNTER: He would ratncr see the clause made optional. land for themselves, fighting against th~.t Yery principle. Thus they were throwing The HOME SECRETARY ; r.t is optional. overboard another of their planks. They had Mr. J. M. HUNTER: It seemed to .tnm talked much about the unearned increment that it was compulsory. He was satisfied on land,_ and contended that it belonged to that no person would make a present of the pubhc, and now when they had an op'por land to a local authority unless it was worth !unity to take over land they fought agaimt less or worse than useless. The proposal in It. He would support their platform in this the amendment was a proposal, not to instance, and stick to the Government. nationalise land, but to nationalise liabili Mr. COTTELL wi,hed to remind hon. ties, and therefore, though he believed in members that clause 156B declared the plant the municipalisation of land and industricos, commonly known as " prickly pear" as a he would certainly vote against this amend noxious weed, and provided that- ment. When the Governor in Council is satisfied that Question-That the Council's amendment any are~ or division of an area is entirely free be agreed to-put and negatived. from priCkly pear, or that prickly pear exists in any aret~. or division to such extent only that such The HOME SECRETARY: In clause 54, area or division may be entirely freed from prickly page 25, line 51, the Council had inserted a pear, the Governor in OounPil may. by Order in new clause, providing that the Governor in Council, declare accordingly, and direct that the Council ".may" make regulations provisions of this section shall be applicable to [9.30 p.m.] for prescribing- the qualifications such area or division. required of candidates for the posi 'Gnder the amendment of the Council, if free· tion of engineers, surveyors, etc. The clause hold land was so infested with prickly peu was designed to make provision that persons that the owner did not wish to pay rates on who were employed by local authonties to that land, and he handed it over to the local carry out works should have a certain authority, then the local authority might he amount of competency. In some instances, called upon by an order of the Governor in incompetent persons had been employed, and Council to clear that land of prickly pear. the result had been to cast a burden upon That would be putting a heavy burden en the local authority. The amendment made Hon. J. G. Appel.] ~±04 Local Authorities Act [ASSEMBLY.] Amendment Bill. it optional on the part of the Governor in system they coul-d not even get a plumber to Council, under certain conditions, to make do any work in connection with the laying regulations for the examination of persons on of water unless he had a certificate of so employed. competency, ·and there would be no harm in Mr. FoLEY: \Vhy not make it "shall" expecting con1potency fron1 persons doing instead of " n1ay" ? work in connection with these local authori ties. He pointed out that the provision did The HOME SECRETARY: There might not apply to an employee who was in the be cases where employees were sufficiently emplov of the local authoritv on the 1st of competent, but for work which had 'to be January, 1911. . carried out with loan money an employee might not have the necessary qualification, The HOME SECRETARY: That is so. and the Governor in Council might make Mr. RYLAND: It would not apply to the regulations prescribing a certain degree Gf case quoted 'by the bon. member for Mitchell. competency in that case. He himself had Mr. GUNN did not think much of the seen cases where men professed to have clause. The Bill would be just as well with cm•tain skill, but the work had resulted in out it. In many districts in the interior it loss to the ratepayers. He moved that the was difficult to get a foreman of works at all; amendment be agreed to. and there were plenty of districts where the :Mr. FOLEY thought the new clause a principal duty of the foreman of works was very good one, because it provided that the to superintend the destruction of pricld v pear man in charge of the work should be com· and Bat)lurst burr. · peteiJit. It provided for examination before Mr. O'SULLIVAN asked whether the board a board of examiners, and !f it was a good would take into consideration practical men? thing it should be made compulsory. There The HOME SECRETARY: There will be an were some works that the average man examination for practical men. would be able to carry out, and in th11.t case there would be no objection on the part Mr. O'SULLIVAN said these boards gener of the board ,to pass such a man. ally made examinations stiffer and stiffer. Mr. CaTTELL: You don't know much about The Hmm SECRETARY: We have established examiners if you say that. technical colleges, and we want to give the Mr. MuRPHY: Better make it permissive. young men who attend them a chance. Mr. O'SULLIVAN agreed with the prin :Mr. FOLEY : With that exception the ciple of the clause, but he would like the clause was a good one, and should be board to give consideration to practical men. adopted. Mr. CORSER thought the clause would bs Mr. MORGAN supported the clause. very bad, if it were not for the qualification. Thousands of pounds had been wasted by He had had experience for twenty-Jive years the employment of men who did not know in local authority work, and for twenty anything abouf the work they were employed years they had had a man who was not a to do. The clause did not intend to deprive professionally qualified man, and yet no one any man of the position he occupied at who had passed as an engineer or surveyor present; it only provided that in future, when could ha.ve done his work better, if as well. a local authority required ru surveyor or an There were some small shires in which, if engineer, the man applying for the position they employed a professional man, it would should be possessed of certain qualifications. absorb all their rates for the year. Mr. J. M. HUNTER thought the clause Mr. PAYNE endorsed the remarks of the could very well be dispensed with. It might bon. member for Maryborough. He knew a be very well left to the good sense of the man in charge of works at Longreach who local authority whether they would employ he did not think had ever passed an engi· an engineer who could pass an examination neering examination, but he was a very or whether they would employ a practical capable man, and if the clause were passed man to do their work. There were local in its present form it would harass that man. authorities who could not afford to employ The whole matter appeared to him to be left an engineer to supervise their work, and he with the Governor in Council. He would did not see why this should be maicle com like to see the clause amended so 'that if a pulsory. council considered a man was suitable he Mr. G. P. BARNES: It is not compulsory. could get a certificate of competency. Mr. J. ::Yl. HUNTER: There would be a Mr. COTTELL drew attention to the boa.rd of examiners, but it was not known trouble that local authorities in the far dis- wha.t they would require. 1ant portions of the State might get into if ;\1r. MAY was rather in favour of the they passed such a clause as this. It was all clause. He had been chairman of the works very well to say that the Governor in Council committee in connection with a local might authorise a board to appoint men authority. and he thought the best man to with certain qualifications, but what about superintend works was a practical man with the practical man who could hardly write his some theoretical lmowledc·e. An entirely name, but knew more of the practical work theoretical man in th<· back blocks would be in connection with local authorities than quite out of pla.ce. men who could pass a theoretical examina Question-That the new clause be agreed tion? He did not see that the local authori ties would benefi,t by the clause, and the to-put and negatived. CommitteD would be well advised to throw it On the Council's amendment in clause 53 out. Before the Treasurer would pass money (now 56)- to local authorities, he would send one of The HOME SECRETARY said this re his officers to see that the work was properlY' ferred to the personal liability of members done. By passmg a clause like this it would of local authorities. It had been inadver impose a hardship on far West~rn local tently omitted from the principal Act: and authorities. he moved that the amendment of the Mr. RYLAND: They should remember Council be agreed to. that even in connection with our waterworks Question put and passed. [llrn . ./.G. Appel. Mackay, Etc., Bill. [29 NOVEMBER.] Harrisville, Etc., Bill. 2405 The House resumed. The ACTING CHAIR as is thought most desirable in the interests MAN reported that the Committee had agreed of the school. The matter has been con to some of the Council's amendments, agreed sidered by a Select Committee of the House, to one with an amendment, and disagreed who have concurred in the views of the trus to others ; and the report was ,adopted. tees, and have recommended that the Bill be adopted. I now beg to move the second On the motion of the HOME SECRE reading of the Bill. TARY, it was ordered that a message be Question put and passed. transmitted to the Council intimating that the Assembly agreed to the amendment in clause 22, with an amendment omitting Cm.IMITTEE. " Also, the words ' A oopy of every such (Mr. K. !vi. Grant, Rockhampton, in the chair.) notification shall be served upon the owner and the occupier of any structure with Clauses 1 and 2 put and passed. respect to which any encroachment as afore On clause 3-" Power to sell and convey'·' said is alleged ' are repealed," in which Mr. SWAYNE moved the insertion, on amendment thev invited the concurrence of line 27, of the words- the Council; disagreed to the new clause to With the consent of the committee of management follow clause 45 (now 46), " because it may of the Mackay i:lchool of Arts for the time being, lead to a local l!ttthority being loaded with testified in writing under the hands of the members a lot of worthless land which, as they could of the said committee or a majority of them. not resell. but only lease, would r