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175

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA-

JOURNALS

No. 62.

OF THE SENATE.

WEDNESDAY, 6 t h OCTOBER, 1920.

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

2. PRAYERS.

3. P apers.—The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell) laid on the Table the following Papers, viz. :—

Pursuant to Statute— Defence Act.—Regulations amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 161—No. 164—No. 165. Public Service Act.—Regulations amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 153-—No. 169. Railways Act.—Report, with Appendices, on Commonwealth Railways, 1919-20. W ar Precautions Act.—Regulations amended.—Statutory Rules 1920, No. 168.

4. Navigation Bill.—Message from the House of Representatives.—The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :—

Me . P resident, Message No. 47.

The House of Representatives returns to the Senate the Bill intituled “ A Bill for an Act to amend the ‘Navigation Act 1912-1919 and acquaints the Senate that it has agreed to the same with the amendments indicated by the annexed Schedule, with which it desires the concurrence of the Senate.

E lliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 6th October, 1920.

Ordered—That the consideration of the Message in Committee be an Order of the Day for to-morrow.

5. Commonwealth Conciliation and A rbitration B ill .—Message from the House of Representatives.— The following Message from the House of Representatives was received and read :—

Mr. P resident , Message No. 48.

The House of Representatives returns to the Senate the Bill intituled “ A Bill for an Act to amend the ‘Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904-1918’,’’ and acquaints the Senate that the House of Representatives has agreed to Amendments Nos. 2, 3, ,4, and 5, made by the Senate, and has disagreed to Amendments Nos. 1 and 6, as set forth in the annexed Schedule, and for the reason assigned therein.

The House of Representatives desires the reconsideration by the Senate of the Bill in respect of the Amendments disagreed to.

E lliot J ohnson,

House of Representatives, Speaker.

Melbourne, 6th October, 1920.

Ordered — That the consideration of the Message in Committee be an Order of the Day for to-morrow,

6. Question.—A question on notice was answered.

E.251.

176 No. 62.—6 th October, 1920.

7. W ar Service H omes* B ill..—The Senate, according to Order, resolved, itself into a Committee for the consideration of Message No. 44 of the House of Representatives.

In the Committee.

Message reao. The Committee proceeded to consider the amendments, which are as follow :—

Schedule showing the Amendments made by the H ouse of R epresentatives in the W ar Service H omes Bill.

After Clause 14 add the following new clauses :— 15. Section thirty-nine of the Principal Act is amended by adding at the end HomafiSst of sub-section (2.) thereof the following proviso :— Account.

‘' Provided that the Treasurer may at any time direct that the whole or part of any moneys which by paragraph (c) of this sub-section are directed to be credited to that Trust Account shall be paid to the Treasurer for credit to the Loans Sinking Fund, and any moneys so paid to the Treasurer shall be credited to that Fund.” . ■ ■

16. —(1.) The Commissioner shall as soon as possible after the close of the Annual Report financial year submit to the Minister an annual report, showing for each State, the commissioner, number of applications received and dealt with, homes erected and average costs, a resume of operations, and a balance-sheet showing cash and stocks on hand, and an account of moneys received and expended during that year, also a balance-sheet showing trading operations in connexion with timber mills and a profit and loss at count of each timber mill.

(2.) The annual report shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament within fourteen days after its receipt by the Minister if the Parliament is then sitting, or if the Parliament is not then sitting, within fourteen days after the next meeting of Parliament.

Amendment inserting new clause 15 agreed to. Amendment inserting new clause 16 read— The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell) moved—That the amendment be agreed to with the following amendments :—

(1) Before the words “ (1.) The Commissioner ” in proposed new clause 16 insert “ After section 50a of the Principal Act the following section is inserted :— 50 b.”.

(2) Omit from sub-clause (I.) of proposed new clause 16 all the words from and including the words “ the financial year ”, and insert in their stead the words “ each financial year furnish to the Minister for presentation to the Parliament— (a) a report on the administration and operation of this Act showing particularly,

in respect of each State— (i) the number of applications for homes and advances received and dealt with ; (ii) the number of homes erected ; and (iii) the average cost of each home erected ; (b) a balance-sheet showing cash and stocks on hand and an account of moneys

received and expended during that year ; and (c) a balance-sheet showing trading operations in connexion with timber mills acquired by the Commissioner and a profit and loss account in respect of each timber mill And Amendment No. (2), having been amended, after debate, by leaving out from paragraph (c)

all words after “ with ”, and inserting in lieu thereof the words “ all industrial or manufacturing concerns acquired by the Commissioner, and a profit and loss account in respect of each such concern ”— Question—That amendment inserting new clause 16 be agreed to with amendments (as indicated

above)—put and passed. Resolutions to be reported.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported that the Committee had considered Message No. 44 of the House of Representatives in reference to the War Service Homes Bill, and had agreed to the amendment made by the House of Representatives inserting new clause 15, and to the amendment inserting new clause l ’6, with amendments. Whereupon the Senate adopted such Report.

8. W estralian F armers Agreement Bill.—The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell), 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.

9. E ntertainments Tax B ill.—The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell), according to Order, moved—That the Bill be now read a second time. Debate ensued. Question—put and negatived.

N o . 62.— 6 th October, 1920. 177

10. I ncome Tax Bill.—The Vice-President of the Executive Council (Senator Russell), according to Order, moved—That the Bill be now read a second time. Debate ensued. Question—put and passed. Bill read a second time. ■

The Senate, according to Order, resolved itself into a Committee for the consideration of the Bill.

In the Committee.

Clauses 1-3 agreed to. Clause 4 read— Senator Earle moved—That the House of Representatives be requested to amend the clause by inserting after the word “ hundred ” in line 22 the words “ and fifty ”.

To report progress and ask leave to sit again.

The President resumed the Chair ; and Senator Bakhap, from the Committee, reported that the Committee had considered the Bill and had made progress, and asked leave to sit again. Ordered—That the Committee have leave to sit again on the next day of sitting.

11. Adjournment.—The Senate adjourned at twenty minutes past five p.m., till to morrow at three p.m.

12. Attendance .—Present, all the Members except Senators Adamson (on leave), Cox, Crawford, Foil, Foster, Gardiner, Sir T. W. Glasgow, R. S. Guthrie (on leave), Keating, Lynch (on leave), E. D. Millen (on leave), J. D. Milieu, Payne, Pearce, Reid, Thomas, and Wilson.

GEO. H. MONAHAN, CZe/-v of the Senate.

Printed and Published for the G overnment of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J . M um nw, Government P rin ter for the State of Victoria.