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385

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

No. 119.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE • THURSDAY, 28 th AUGUST, 1919. '

1. M eeting of S enate.—The Senate met at three p.m., pursuant to adjournment.

2. PRAYERS.

3. P apers.—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator Millen) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz. :— ‘

By Command — Papers presented to British Parliament— _

Industrial Conference : Report of Provisional Joint Committee presented to Meeting held at Central Hall, Westminster, April 4th, 1919. National Expenditure—Select Committee : First Report. Pursuant to Statute— .

Public Service Act 1902-1918— .

Promotion of A. E. Whiteside and T. Pittman, Prime Minister’s Department.

4. Questions.—Questions on notice were answered. ‘ 5. P ostponement.—Ordered—That Private Business, Order of the Day No. 3, be postponed until Thursday, 18th September next.

6. Suspension of Standing and Sessional Orders.—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator Millen), pursuant to contingent notice, moved—That so much of the Standing and Sessional Orders be suspended as would prevent the Moratorium Bill being passed through its remaining stages without delay. Question—put and passed. -

7: Moratorium Bill.—Order of the Day read for the consideration of the Bill, as reported. The Acting Minister for Defence (Senator Russell) moved—That the Report be adopted. Question—put and passed. The Acting Minister for Defence moved—That the Bill be now read a third time. ' Question—put and passed. '

Bill read a third time and passed.

8. Commercial A ctivities Bill.— The Senate, according'to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the further consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

■ Consideration resumed of Clause 6, and of the amendment moved thereto by Senator O’Keefe, viz., . . ■ to add the following new sub-clause :— .

“ (4.) The Government of the Commonwealth shall pay to the employees of the Colonial Combing, Spinning, and Weaving Company Limited, and Whiddon Brothers Limited twenty per cent, of the net earnings received from the said companies under agreements between the ■ Government and the companies, the said twenty per cent, to be distributed amongst the - employees in such sums and in such manner as a committee of ten persons appointed by the

employees may decide.” Amendment negatived. .

Clause 6 agreed to. Clause 7 read— Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., line 41, after “ sugar” insert “ produced in Australia ”, Debate ensued.

Amendment negatived. '

Clause further considered. Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., sub-clause 2, add the following proviso :—“ Provided that the general policy to be observed shall be equality of treatment.” Debate ensued. ' Amendment negatived. .

Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., at end of clause add the following proviso:—“ Provided that nothing in this Act shall preclude the importation of "sugar into the Commonwealth for the purpose of being used in the manufacture of goods exclusively for export beyond the Common­ wealth.” .

Debate ensued. . .

■ Amendment negatived. . Clause 7 agreed to. Clauses 8 and 9 debated and agreed to. Clauses 10-12 agreed to. Clause 13 read — Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., lines 17-18, leave out “ or imprisonment for six months, .

or both Debate ensued. Amendment negatived.

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Clause 13 agreed to. Clause 14 read— Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., at end of 'clause, add “ if proceedings be commenced within six months after the expiry of the regulation.” Debate ensued.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 14 agreed to. The First Schedule read— . Senator O’Keefe moved an-amendment, viz., page 8, line 7 of Regulation 3, after “ Government ”

insert “ three persons nominated by the Leader of the Opposition as representing the consumers of the Commonwealth”. .

Debate ensued. -

Amendment negatived. Senator O’Keefe moved an amendment, viz., page 8, line 7 of Regulation 3, after “ Government ” insert “ two representatives of the employees for each of the States of New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland and one representative of the employees for each of the States of Tasmania and

South Australia. Such representatives of employees to be nominated by the organization covering such industry ”. Debate ensued. ·

Amendment negatived. Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., page 8, Regulation 6, leave out “ subject to the approval of the Minister”. ■ '

Debate ensued. ·

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., page 9, Regulation 10, leave out “ thirtieth day of June 1920, but shall be eligible for re-election ”, insert “ expiry of the Act ”. Debate ensued. '

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., page 9, Regulation 13 (1) (a), leave out “ as far as possible ”. Debate ensued.

Amendment·, by leave, withdrawn. Senator Pratten moved an amendment, viz., page 10, leave out Regulation 23. To report progress and ask leave to sit again.

The President resumed the Chair : and Senator Shannon, from the Committee, reported that the Committee had further considered the Bill and had made progress, and asked leave to sit again. Ordered—That the Committee have leave to sit again at a later hour of the day.

At half-past, six p.m. the sitting of the Senate was suspended till eight p.m.

Sitting, interrupted by the suspension, resumed.

9. Wheat I ndustry.—P roposed Commonwealth Guarantee of P rice.—Senator Lynch,' pursuant to notice, moved—That as the safety and advancement of the Commonwealth demand the adoption of a spirited public policy that will aim at utilizing to the utmost its great advantages of climate, soil and ample territory ; and as the present baneful tendency of the time is to encourage and aggrandize urban life and urban activities at the expense of and injury to rural prosperity ; and as a consequence the tide of population has steadily set towards the city to the abandonment of the

countryside, and as. the wheat industry, which stands out immeasurably over all industries, rural or urban, in providing homes and employment for the greatest number of people, shows signs of arrested development, if not actual decline ; therefore the Senate is of opinion that— 1. Neither the vital needs of the nation nor the highest principles of social or industrial

equality require that- -(a) that parent industry should be any longer sweated for the benefit of other industries without countervailing advantage, nor (b) a vast number of people employed in it should be condemned to a joyless

existence of excessive hardships and ill rewarded toil, nor

. (c) the industry itself should be called upon to contribute an undue share to the

upkeep of the nation ·.

■ Wherefore in respect to these considerations the Senate is further of opinion that— (1) to insure a living wage for the wheat cultivators of the Commonwealth ; and (2) to successfully reclaim the immense areas of light and semi-arid soils for ’ which the wheat industry offers the only hope for their profitable

utilization ; and (3) to cause a permanent and prosperous peasantry to be rooted in the soil— 2. The Commonwealth Government should guarantee a fixed minimum of as. per bushel at port’s of shipment on the exportable surplus for the next five years, with a

cirresponding value for the quantity required for home consumption, and 3. Should the London parity he above or below such guaranteed minimum, the National Treasury to be debited or credited to the extent of the difference in each year. Debate ensued. On motion of Senator Russell, the debate was adjourned. Ordered—That the resumption of the debate be an Order of the Day for Thursday, 25th September • . next. ‘

10. POSTPONEMENTS. —Ordered—That the remaining Private Business be postponed until after th e consideration of Order of the Day, Government Business, No. 2.

387 No. 119.—28th August, 1919.

11. Commercial A ctivities B ill.—The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the further consideration of the Bill.

In the'Committee.

Consideration resumed of the First Schedule, and the amendment moved thereto by Senator Pratten, viz., to leave out Regulation 23. ·

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The First Schedule agreed to. The Second Schedule read— '

Senator Lieut.-Col. O’Loghlin moved an amendment, viz., page 13, line 1 of Regulation 3, leave out “ eight ” insert “ eleven ”. Debate ensued. Amendment negatived. .

" Senator Lieut.-Col. O’Loghlin moved an amendment, viz., page 14, Regulation 10, add the following new sub-regulation :—“ (3.) The Central Wool Committee shall make arrangements to enable bond fide country wool buyers to purchase wool to an amount equal to the average of wool 'purchased by them during the three years prior to the war.” To report progress and ask leave to sit again.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Shannon, from the Committee, reported that the Committee had further considered the Bill and had made progress, and asked leave to sit again. Ordered—That the Committee have leave to sit again to-morrow.

'12. A djournment.—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator Millen) moved—That the Senate do now adjourn. Debate ensued. · ■ '

Question—put and passed. The Senate adjourned at thirteen minutes to eleven p.m. till to-morrow at eleven a.m.

.13. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senators Barnes, Fairbairn, Gardiner, Grant, Guy, Mulcahy, Needham, Newland, Pearce (on leave), and Senior.

C. GAY AN DUFFY, Clerk of the Senate.

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