Queensland Parliamentary Debates [Hansard] Legislative Assembly THURSDAY, 24 OCTOBER 1912 Electronic reproduction of original hardcopy Gommonwmlth Deposit Bill. l24 OcTOBER.] Appropriation Bill Nc,, 3. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, THURSDAY, 24 OCTOBER, 1912. The SPEAKER (Hon. W. D. Armstrong-,.. Lockyer) took the chair at half-past 3 o'clock._ APPROPRIATION BILL No. 3. AsSE_:ifT. The SPEAKER : I have to report that I,_ this day, presented to His Excellency the· Governor Appropriation Bill No. 3 of 1912- 13, for the Royal assent, and that His Excel­ lency was pleased, in my presence, to sub­ scribe his assent thereto in the name and, on behalf of His Majesty. Hon. W. D. Armstrong.] 1934 Export Tax on Hides. [ASSEMBLY.] Supply ASSEKT TO BILLS. SUPPLY. The SPEAKER. announced the receipt of RESUMPTION OF COMMITTEE-SEVENTH messages from the Governor, CDnveying His :Excellency's assent, on behalf of His ALLOTTED DAY. _Majesty, to the following Bills:- (.fir. J. Stoclart, Logan, in the chair.) Drainage o.f :i\lines Bill. HO)JE SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT-PRISONS. Wynnum and Manly Gas and Lighting Que,,tion-That the sum of £27,954 be C<>mpany, Limited, Bill. granted for " Prisons "-stated. Appropriation Bill Ko. 3. lVIr. WELSBY (Jierthyr) noticed the sum Govern;nent Savings Bank Stock, Loan, of £600 was put down for Comptroller­ and Treasury Bills Acts Amendment General of Prisons. He had looked through Bill. the Estimates, and had not found any in­ crease made in the salary for a good many PAPERS. years past. Captain Pennefather had h<;>ld The followmg papers, laid on the table, high positions in the State, and a gentl~man 'Were order;:,d to be printed:- with his knowledge should receive a higher Report upon the working of the Queens­ salary than £600 per annum. The other land Government Savings Bank fo.r evening, when discussing the amount to t~e the year ending 30th June, 1912. Commissioner of Police, he had spoken of the ~n:nounts paid t<l the •, a rio us Und0r Secre­ Report of the Engineer for Harbours taries, and he had then in his mind the and Rivers for the year ended 30th salary which Captain Pennefather was re­ JunB, 1912. ceiving. They would remember that 'Western Australia, some years ago, availed itself of 'SUGGESTED EXPORT TAX ON HIDES. Captain Pennefather's services in connection \Ir. ADAli.ISON (Rockhampton) asked the with a return which they asked him to make, •Chief Secretary- and the great majority of the recommenda­ tions made by Captain Pennefather were " 1. Is he aware that owing tD the fierce competition in the Brisbane hide carried into effect. Although it was not in order to move an increase of the amount n1arket, consequent upon the operations put down in the Estimates. he thought it o£ ' dealers ' cr ' shippers,'' local tanners was their duty to acknowledge the work of are unable to. obtain sufficient hides for their requirements, and are further a man like Captain Pennefather for so many forced to pay abnormally high rates for years past, and give him a: higher salary <;n such as they ar•\ able tD secure? the Supplementary Estimates. Captam Pennefather was not a young man. and he "2. Is he aware that as a result of had worked faithfully and well for the St":te. the operations of theRe 'gamblers ' As they had seen their way clear to g1ve thousands of· hides are shipped from this the Commissioner of Police an extra £200- State monthly to Antwerp, London, whether it might be in accordance with a Liverpool, Canada, and other oversea promise given some years ago, or on accou~t ·countries, thus starving the local market of certain action taken this year, he d1d requiring them for legitimate consump­ not know-he thought they were entitled ·tion? to benefit Captain Pennefather for the work " 3. Is he aware that this results in he had done in connection with prisons. He high prices for tanned leather, which in found that the amount which was put dowiJ, turn increases the cost of nroduction of for St. Helena was slightly increased. .Any Queensland-made boots a!1d shoes to remarks he made on this matter was entuely such an extent that this importunt in­ \vith the vie\\.,. o£ saving 1noney in connection dustry is thrown more and more open to with St. Helena. An amount of £34,729 was oversea competition. and that as a result put down for new buildings there. He did the local trade is in a. highly dewessed not know whether those buildings were to rondition. resulting in a large amount be of brick or wood, but no matter what the ot une;npbyment amongst its operatiw<> ? benefit of the island might be to certain "4 If be is not aware of the position, prisoners, it was the duty of the Government 'JS set forth in the foregoing questions, to save money if they possibly coufd, and will he cause official inquiries tD be made hllilc1• si1niJar prisons on sin1ilar hnes. ~~n with a vievr to verifying . or refuting shore; and if a saving of money might san1e? be effected by having them built on "5. If-or when-he is aware of the shore, it should be done. FJ;e had facts, will he 1nake such repn_ ">entation given this matter serious attent10n for to the Fedenl Government, through its several years. Several friends of his, who Queensland members, as will secure the W(\re contractors, had worked out ~he cost placing o£ an adequate E'xport tax upo1~ of buildings, of wood, cement, or bnck, and al! hides leaving Australia in a raw or the carrying of the material down to St. only pu-tially tanned state, or, at the Helena and thev had told him that at least Joast, force attention tD the serious ne·erls 75 per' cent. wo'Uid be saved. Why should of t\vo mo.st in1portant industries tl() in1.­ the Government not save 75 per cent. of mediate relief-viz., the tanning and boot the £34,729. which was put down for build­ and shoe manufacturing industries?" ing .. by build in" them on shore? T~e othe.r The PR•.1::\IIER (Hon. D. Ir'. Denham, evening, in the dic<'ussion on the Pohce Esti­ ·O;dey) replied:- mates. the Home Secretary used a very "1. No. sensible argument. He said that when the "2. No. matter of the prison came up in the House "3. No. in connection with his department, he would "4. Yes. take all the necessary blame, as head of the department. He might be treading on the "5. I will not advocate export tax 01~ toes of the hon. gentleman, but he was hides. The remedy lies with the Govern­ doin"' it in the most friendly way. The ment that controls duties of Customs." Hon;'e Secretary spoke of the prison at St. Supply. [24 OcToBE:~t.] Supply. 1935 Helena, and he (Mr. Welsby) would like to see the men sent down there come back mention what had taken place in other years better men but he was afraid that there on the islands. He had gone to the trouble was not m;,ch hope of reforming some of .of going through all the "Votes and Pro­ them. It was a well-known fact that ceeaings " from 1899 to 1910, and every one criminals came from the other States, and -of these mentioned the strong anxiety which committed crimes in Brisbane for the was felt about the condition of the buildings pleasure of going to St. Helena. (Oh l -at St. Helena. The Treasurer himself, in and laughter.) Members might laugh,_ but 1906, was reported in Hansard to have said- he had that information on exceedmgly high authority, and it was a fact. Another " He would also like to know whether matter in connection with St. Helena that the Government proposed to take- any was dr'<erving of attention was, that the un­ action in regard to the buildings at St. fortunate warders down there were only Helena? It would be an awful thing if, allowed one week in six for a holiday after atteution had been called to the ashore with their families. Most of the danger of the present buildings, a num­ warders were married men, but the only ber of people lost their lives down women on the island were l\frs. Ryan, the there." superintendent's wife; Mrs. Bo\\·den, the The danger from fire in St. Helena was far rhi0-f \varder's wife; Mrs. Dav1dson, a vvar­ greater than one could imagine. He had dm~'s wife; and JYlrs. Hennessey, the "tore­ made inquiries, and had seen the place keeper's wife. A book- by a .warder w~s Jor himself on many occasions, and if ever published in Brisbane some tim? ago, Ill a iire took place inside tho stockade ther0 which was told what was happemng at St. would be a serious loss of life. \Vhen the Helena, and he was sorry he had not a c;op_y prisoners were locked up at night in the with him. But he asked hon. members If It stockade-he did not know whether they was fair that warcl.ets should be kept away were all locked up-the:t:e might be 150 per­ from their homes and their families in the sons there. There were eight warders-four manner they were kept from them at St. on duty and four asleep. In some cells, Helena? He also. m1derstood that the ~ar­ men were locked up singly, and the keys ders were not fed m a proper manner.