Mr THOMAS - I believe there are temporary hands who are even better than some of the permanent hands, but it is only right and fair that the latter should perform the work of supervision.

I make this explanation in justification of what I said yesterday, because I promised the honorable member for Melbourne, who spoke after me, that I would give my authority. I recognise that this statement by the Postmaster-General rather limits the area of employment. The unemployed problem referred to by the honorable member for Melbourne last night is a very difficult one; and I agree with Burns, who says that one of the saddest sights is a man in quest of work and unable to find it. We are a highly-civilized community, with a genius for legislations and I regret that the question of unemployment has not taken precedence of many measures on the statutebook of the Commonwealth.