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119

COMMONWEALTH OY AUSTRALIA.

No. 41.

JOURNALS OF THE SENATE.

THURSDAY, 12th AUGUST, 1920.

1. Muktinu uf Senate.—The Senate met at three p.m., pursuant to adjournment.

2 PRAYERS.

3. P apers.—The Minister for Repatriation (Senator E. D. Milieu) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz. :— Pursuant to Statute— W ar Service Homes Act.—Land acquired at—■

Lewisham West, New South Wales. ■

Lismore, New South Wales.

The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce) laid on the Table the following Paper, viz. :— Pursuant to Statute— Defence Act.—Regulations amended.·—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 128.

4. P ublic W orks Committee.—Senator New land brought up the following Report from the Parlia­ mentary Standing Committee on Public Works :— Report, together with Minutes of Evidence, relating to Proposed Alterations and Additions to the General Post Office, Adelaide.

5. Questions.—Questions on notice were answered.

6. Arbitration (Public Service) Bill.—The Minister for Defence (Senator Pearce), according to Order, moved—That the Bill be now read a third time. Debate ensued. Question—put and passed. Bill read a third time and passed.

7. Quarantine Bill.—Order of the Day read for the consideration of the Bill, as reported. The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell) moved—That the Report be adopted. Question-—put and passed. Ordered—That the third reading of the Bill be an Order of the Day for the next day of sitting.

8. Commonwealth P ublic Service Bill.—The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the further consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

Clause 5 further considered. To report progress and ask leave to sit again:

The President resumed the C hair; and Senator Bale hap, 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 tt e day.

At a quarter to four p in. the sitting of the Senate was suspended till eight p.m.

Sitting, interrupted by the suspension, resumed.

9. R ural and other Industries: Proposed Commission of Inquiry.—Senator Lynch, pursuant to notice, moved—That, inasmuch as the financial needs of the 0 mmionwealth arising out of the war require a substantial increase in our surplus wealth to enable it to m e e t ob i'-ioAns, and a s such increase can only follow on a corresponding increase in the output of commodities, ai.d th in turn requires a free field having no artificial restraints or burdens ; and that, n m der to insur

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120 No. 41.—12th August, 1920.

that each industry shall be given the opportunity to yield its maximum by standing on its own base, and neither leaning upon or being leaned on by any other industry, the' Senate is of opinion— (1) That, for the purpose of determining the true standing of conditions in the industrial

field and removing, as far as the power of Parliament can do, any maladjustment whereby one or more industries stand to be systematically sweated for the direct gain of other opulent industries, the Government should, as a commencement, instruct the Inter-State Commission to inquire into and report upon the following seven industries,

viz., the pastoral, metalliferous mining, wheat-growing, coal mining, shipping, textile manufacture, machinery manufacture (embracing only machinery used in agriculture and mining) in respect to— («) the general result of operations extending over the last seven-year period ;

di) the earnings of capital in each industry viewed as a whole; (c) the scope there is (if any) in each industry for the further absorption of labour and capital, and to what extent men of small means can engage in each industry ; (d) the hours of labour and rates of pay per hour, per day, or per year, according

to custom obtaining in each industry; (e) what wages an average employee could earn in a year in each industry— working to the standard “ a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay ” ; (/) the amount of time lost in each year, and expressed in money, in each

industry, through industrial unrest and the effect of same on that industry as well as sister industries ; {g) nature of each industry as affecting the lives and health of the operatives.

(2) That, as wheat raising and metalliferous mining between them provide homes and livings of a kind for a vastly outstanding proportion of our population, the Commission should commence its investigations of them, in order that any discovered grievances found crippling or retarding their progress may be thoroughly ventilated and effective

remedies applied without further delay.

On motion of Senator de Largie, the debate was adjourned. Ordered- That the resumption of the debate be an Order of the Buy for Thursday next.

10. Commonwealth P ublic Service B ill.—The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the further consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

Clause 5 further considered— Senator Foil moved an amendment, viz., page 1, section 5, after sub-section (1.) insert the following new sub-section :—· “ ( l a.) In making appointments under the provisions of this section, preference shall be given,

other things being equal, to returned soldiers or sailors.” Debate ensued. Amendment agreed to. Senator Payne moved a further amendment, viz., page 4, section 11, line 49, leave out “ may, if it

thinks fit,”. Debate ensued. Amendment, by leave, temporarily withdrawn. Senator Elliott moved a further amendment, viz., page 4, section 11, after paragraph (ix) insert the

following new paragraph :— “ (x) dismissal of inefficient officers 1 >ebate ensued. Amendment, bv leave, withdrawn. Senator Payne moved a further amendment, viz., page 4, section 11, line 49, leave out “ may, if it

thinks fit,”. Debate ensued. Amendment negatived. Clause 5, as amended, agreed to. Clause (i agreed to. .

Schedule agreed to. Title agreed to. Bill to be reported with an amendment.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported accordingly. Ordered—That the Bill, as reported, be considered to-morrow.

11. A djournment.—The Senate adjourned kt thirteen minutes to ten p.m. till to-morrow at eleven a.m.

12. Attendance.—Present, all the Members except Senators Bolton, Fairbairn, Gardiner, R. S. Guthrie (on leave), and Prat-ten. C. GAVAN DUFFY, Clerk of the Senate.

Printed and Published fnr the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government P rin ter for the State of Victoria.