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PARLIAMENT.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1895.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at half-past

4. o'clock.

PETITION.

Mr. HARPER presented a petition from residents of Greenhills concerning the con- traction of the railway to that district.

QUESTIONS.

The ATTORNEY GENERAL, in reply to Mr. Piesse, said that the Government had no intention of introducing a measure dealing with the destruction of ground vermin and bird pests this session.

The DIRECTOR of PUBLIC WORKS, in reply to Mr. James, said that the dredge Black Swan had been employed on the Canning River since August, 1892, to date, or three years exactly. The work done had been 7,250 lineal feet, or about one and one

fifths miles of channel, dredged to a minimum   depth of about 4ft., at low water, with the

exception of same silted-up patches which would require further deepening. This chan nel had been piled, staked, and wattled  

throughout the greater portion of its length, and wherever deemed necessary minor acces- sory works had been executed in the way of general improvements. The labour had been practically all convict. The cost to date was £3,113. Tbe object of the work was to provide a channel for river steamers and other small craft from the mouth of the river up to  

the Cannington landing. Without these   works shallows and snags rendered the water unnavigable, and prevented advantage being taken of the water carriage to develop in- dustries and settlement on the banks of the river. The amount of work to be done was about 900 lineal feet sf dredging and piling  

and about 400ft. of staking and wattling. This would bring the new channel into about 4ft. natural depth of water. The time ex- pected to be taken with the remainder of the work was about five months. It was ex-

pected that the principal work could be   finished about the new year.  

REPORTS ADOPTED.

The report of the Committee on the Rail way and Theatre Refreshments Licensing   Bill was adopted and the third reading made an order for Thursday.

The report of the Committee on the Duties on Estates of Daoe'ased Persona Bill was adopted and the third reading made an order for Thursday.

THE MARRIED WOMAN'S PROPERTY

BILL.

This measure was considered in committee. On clause 5 (Short Title),

Mr. JAMES drew attention to what he termed the scandalous injustice in connection with the law in regard to married women. At the present time, although a woman might own £ 10,000, she could not be compelled to pay any debts she had incurred. He moved to report progress on the clause.

Progress was reported.

ROCKY BAY.

The HOUSE went into committee to consi- der the message of the Council in reference to the depositing of stone, etc., in Rocky Bay.  

The COMMISSIONER of RAILWAYS, moved that a message be sent to the Council stating that a report had been adopted that stone, etc., deposited in Rocky Bay should not go beyond a certain line near the shore.

The motion was agreed to and reported.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

5 The House went into Committee of Supply.

Mr. LEAKE said that he wonld withhold    

from a criticism of the Estimates in detail, but would criticise them more closely, espe- cially the Public Works Department, later on. The departments were larger, and there were more salaries to be paid. He was glad to see that the Government had followed out   the idea of constructing public works from revenue-an idea whioh came fron the Op- position side of the House. (Laughter) He was glad the Government had accepted the proposal. There was no room for attack in the principles of the Budget, and they had to congratulate the country on its sound financial position, which allowed them to be liberal. It was comforting that the policy of borrowing was checked or suspended, but the Government was going to ride its other favourite hobby, and that was spending money. Was the expenditure of the money justified? He thought they should   be more liberal in their taxation. Had the estimates been before the House when the Repeal Duties Bill was discussed he had little doubt they would have added to the free 1 st, extending the Bobedules and reducing the ad valorem duties by 15 per1 osnt. to 30 fer cent. Had they the finaootal proposals of the Government before them, they could have gone further in seeking the reduction of taxation. He was' more than ever convinced Of the-nece«sity for the rédac- tion ot Customs taxation, especially when he considered that the revenue was likely to increase even beyond the estimate of the Premier, who nattered himself it was goad polioy to nnder-eatimate to be on the safe side. He was of opinion that the surplus revenue for the next year wonld be consider- ably in excess of the bon. gentleman's estimate. He would not be surprised to learn on the 30th of next June that the revenue exceeded the expenditure by a quarter of a million. There was no reason why the progress should be hindered. Everything went to prove tbat the progress had only just began, and would continue at a greater rate next year. In re- gard to tbe increases, instead of the increases of ¿610 he would prefer to see a fixed salary against each position. The idea of the small increases was unsatisfactory to the Govern- ment, to the members of the House, and to the clerks themselves. Ministers must be pestered with frequent applications for in- creases just before the estimates wera pre- pared. The lower branches of the servie» were well paidas compared with the remunera- tion paid to those who had been a period of some dozen years in tbe service. There were a few itemB on tha estimates about which he would like ta make a few observations. The firsi he wished to refer to was the "medical." Last year a Bill had been pa=sed under which a Medical Board waB to be appointed for the beuefit of fôe management of the various hospitals. He could not find from anything in the esti- mates that this Board hid been appointed. What were the Government doing in this matter? The Police Department was the next subject be wished to refer to. He thought tbat as the district* were extend ng vary rapidly they should have more inspsotors and better administration generally. He suggested that the members of the local detectives shsuld be exchanged for short periods with the other colonies, so a3 to enable them to become acquainted with tboae undesirable persons who were finding their way-among the many desirable persons-to tha colony. The other colonies might be in- duced to lend ihñr officers to U3 in order that they may spread their knowledge of the criminal clares among our own detec- tive force. .With reference to oiiaon dis- cipline, he strongly objacted to the practice

cómmoa in the colony now of remitting the I p

sentences of hardened and' blood-Btained criminals who had been sentenced for life or for a long term of years. Although he did not at this moment intend to go into the items in detail, be desired to say something in regard to the item beaded Defence. " Under " this heading he noticed ¿62,856*for " field days expenses and 8 oat« ceremonials." This seemed a very large sum, and he would like to know if thia was the thin odge of the wedga-a permanent militia.

The ATTORNEY GENERAL: The item, ia om the Estimates every year.

Mr. LEAKE : Last year it was only £200 ; this year it ia ¿£2,856; If, he added, they were going to barn gunpowder and hoisfc flags to tbo extent of ¿82,858 per year he sap paged they would have some very imposing oeremonia's. (Laughter.) Coming to the Agricultural Lind Bank, he was very much afraid that tbis institution waa not going; to be that success which those who voted for ita

establishment lait yean imagined.

The COLONIAL TREASURER : There is plenty of time ; we will see bye aud-bye..

Mr. LEAKE, proceeding, said they had now had a trial of the working of tnis institution for the past fe-ir months, and it oertainly could not be regarded as satisfactory. He saw no suggestion even that the iastitution should pay ita way. Yet thia was the strongest argument in favour of the estab- lishment of this bank last year. Its support era -said, " Oh, it will pay its way,." but tbey now found th»*; this was not likely to be so. At present, there waa not the ghost of a ohanoe of ita paying ita way. The only way to get rid of tbis bank was to repeal the Statute creating it ; bat he was not prepared to say whether the preaent was the proper time to repeal the measure.

AN HON. MEMBER : Will it be time next year.

Mr. LEAKE would not say that even next j ear would be a proper time ; but it was a proper time new to warn hon. members what waa coming. It was time to warn them that the Agricultural Bank must eventually prove an absolute and fetal failure.

Mr. SIMPSON : Hear, hear. (Laughter.) Mr. LEAKE, resuming, said that the method of collecting fees was unsatisfactory. There waa too muoh cash going through the banda of the clerks. He hoped that the Government would see their way to institute a system of alampa. Thia system would be especially advantageous in court reosipts. It

might also be extended to the Post and Tele- \ graph Department. He nnderatood that a similar system had been adopted in the other colonies.- He thought that the Work* De- partment estimates reqnirei going into thoroughly. He gathered from the way the estimates had been framed that it was the intention of the Government to separate the Worka and Railway departments. I£ this was so, he thought it was a move in the right direotion, and perhaps it would avoid f nture collisions. With referenoe to the proposed espinditnre for publio works out of revenue, he thought some districts had nothing to complain of. Perth and Fremantle seemed to get the lion's share, but it was a curious fact that Albany got very little. Perhaps it served Albany right, however, for sending Buch a member to the House. Large expendi- ture was promised in York, Northam, New- castle, and Beverley, for court-houses. No doubt the House weuld require some

g on explanation of thesa items later os.

He was pleased to note that it was intended to give new Polioe and Supreme Courts for Perth. He would like to suggest, whilst on tLii subject, that he taw no good reason why thoso two Courts should not be under one roof. This would be a very con- venient arrangement, and he hoped to see the Government carry the idea oat. He -could not, however, for the life of him tee where the necessity had a ison for ereoting all the agricultural halla wbioh it was pro- posed to do all 0T;r the ojlony. The Uou e, too, would no doubt want soma r xp'an*tion of the proposed expenditure of ¿830,000 on ths goldfields for development. What did it mean? He would like to kaow, too, how muoh the Government had lost on these fields. It will be remembered that labt year a very large sum was lost. He required more information and mere weighty reasons for the erection of a third bridge at York. York had already two bridges, and he would like to know what York had done to deserve another. (Laughter.) He was glad to see that the Government were looking after the Mining Department. He hoped the House would deal in no niggardly manner with these efficera wbo had to put up with so muoh inconvenience on the goldfields. They should give salaries wbioh would indnoe the best men available to aooept what might be oalled unsatisfactory b lleta. He would have liked to have seen a great many mare altera- tions made in the Education Department. What had been done with the money voted last year for teohnioal inatrnotion F He as- sured the Government of his support in es- tablishing institutions for technical eduea tion for the young throughout the land. It should be the aim of a good Govern- ment to teach ohildren something that would prove useful to them in after life. He did not think that they could do better than to teach their ohildren the principles of firafeaid. If they taught their children to be humane they taught them to be good men and good women. In the Post and Telegraph Department they found the expenditure there had increased enormously. The department was likely to come in for some adverse criticism, to say the least, dnring the debate. It Was a pity that the Minister wbo had con- trol oí thOtdepartment had not a swat in the House to hear the criticisms of bon. members, not only on the Opposition aide, but on the Government side of the House. What he had to complain of waa the niggardly apirit in the control of tbat department. Taking the telegraph operators, for instance, who spent from 8 to 12, or perhaps more, hours per day ia transmitting messages all over the colony and oat of the colony. How were they paid ? He found there were no less than ten operators reoeiving ¿8110 annuilly, and Bix of them were reoeiving ¿8100 a year. That waa not the way to get good work done. If there waa any department in the publio service which was underpaid it wa3 that of the Telegraph Department. These men had to qualify for these positions, and then they found that they had the enormous prospect before them of receiving from ¿6100 to ¿6190 a year. He would like to see the Government more liberal in this direction. The operators were not only required to be qualified, but they must be trusted by the department and the business people, and if they did not pay them well pernaps they could not afford to be honest. If taey heard of a leakage in the telegraph department there was something wrong. Rumours had been about that inform, ation of value had crept out of the telegraph office, and one way to prevent this was to have not only efficient but trustworthy officials in charge. The Postal Department was never expected to be directly remunerative, and it seemed to him that the Postmaster General's first pride was to balance his returns as equally as possible. He was never told to do that, but to make the department efficient. He thought the Government waa following a goo-I principle in asking the House to advance monies for publio works cut of current revenue. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. ILLINGWORTH supposed that both sides of the House were fairly well satisfied with the estimates. He cong atulated the Mipistry and the country on the success cf the past year, which had exceeded the ex- pectations of the most sanguine. There was

\

a danger arising ont of the success, a danger that the success would oontinne-and continue ia the same ratio. Beoanse there waa au inorease there was no reason for extrava- gance, and he complimented the Government on resisting the temptation in this direction whioh had no doubt been holdout to them. They bad not too greatly discounted the future. He thought the Premier had done him au injustice, possibly unintentionally, in saying he had Btated it was easy.to estimate the revenue of the country. He had-not saf d that, oat that ic waa easy for a commercial man to estimate tbe reveaue through the Customs and he now deolarad that the Government had under estimated the Customa revenus by .£100,000. He had twitted tae Government last year with under estimating the revenue, and for the reason that as they were then going to borrow they, should have counted upon all the resources of the country, for then there wonld have been no necessity to borrow so largely. He thought this year it was a virtue to undi» estimate the revenue, because the Government wonld be the bet ser able to assist tha- applications for expenditure. He drew the distinction between this year and last year. Last year they were going' to bcrrow;

g this year they were going to spend.

The Treasurer had been oat 30 per cent, in his estimate, and it was fortunate that he was out on the right side. He thought the Treasurer should be more accurate, and that more reliable information should be given to the House to. carry oat their im- portant duties. The Treasurer had received ¿6513,000 through the Customs, meaning ¿65 10s. per head. The Yiotoriau Customs taxa- tion was ¿£1,809,000, about £1 16s. per head of the population. The country might be able to afford this taxation at present-he thought it waa ¿ but it was a heavy tax. He impressed upon tho Government the absolute necessity of using surplus money only upon those works whioh could be Btopped at once, that there be no permanent increase in. the expenditure. There were bright days before them, but assuredly there were also darker days, and it was the wisdom of ti» Govern- ment not to make a heavy permanent in- orease. He did not ask that men shonld be nnder paid, but well paid. At the same tima they should be careful haw they extended the Civil Service, which meant permanent ex- penditure. When the dark days came it wonld he hard for them to reduce the Civil

\ Service. He congratulated tha Government

on making pnblio works out of revenue. He was of opinion that the Public Works and the Railway departments should be separated, as combined they were too great for one man to have the opntrol ti them. He thought the country was loading Mr. Venn too heavily in giving him both departments to aonlrql, and he thought the Government eh-iuld oonsider whether be shonld not be relieved of ona of those departments. He regratted that the Government had not paid off the Treasury Bills.

The COLONIAL TREASURER: They have ¿14,000.

Mr. ILLINGWORTH: When did yon do that?

The COLONIAL TREASURES : Long ago. Mr. ILLINGWORTH was glad of it. He attributed to the loan policy the fal iag away of exports. They had tallen off to the amonat of ¿52,621,000, the difference between ex- ports and imports, and the public debt had increased to ¿63,000,000. The weight fell on thî weakiBt production, and tbat was the pastoral iudustry, which paid the worst. Directly tbey borrowed money they discour- aged production, and they discouraged it where it was weakest. As to mining, he as cud the Government not to repeat that the mines were a burden on the oolony.

Air. FORREST : They never said BO.

Ur. ILLINGWORTH : They said it again and again.

Mr. FORREST: Where?

Mr.ILLINGWORTH: It is in Hansard, all over the pages.

Mr. FORRES V : Point to it.

The COLONIAL TREASURER : We have always said the opposite.

Mr. ILLINGWORTH said that ¿6165,000 had been obtained in direct taxation from the »iaes and ¿6102,000 had been spent. The mining industry had contributed to many sources of revenue and he thought the Gov- ernment should give it all the consideration it deserved. (H«ar, hear). Throughout the estimates he could see the principle of "spoils to the viator." He was certain that the Gjveroment would deal fairly with all the constituencies. |He had had no cause for complaint in the past and had no doubt he would bave nothing to ocmplain of in the future. He 6Unamed up by saving there had been a sueoesaful year, with a surplus, and the Government had acted wisely generally in disposing of the surplus. It was aprinciple that I unproductive works shonld come fromrevenue,

and borrowed money should only bj spent on reproductive works. Then the country wonld escape the disaster whioh had befallen the colonies in the East, and Western Australia would be led to a great and glorióos future. (Applause).

6.30 The CHAIEMAN left the Chair.

TO-DAY'S BUSINESS.

The Legislative Assembly sits this after- noon at half-pa^t four. The following busi- ness appears on the agenda paper :

Qaestiscs.-1. Mr. Throssell : To ask the Premier - Whether the Government has oansed inquiry to be made as to the success attending the Byatem of National Life Assur- ance in New Zealand as promised last session ; and if so, whether the result of such inquiry will be laid on the table of the House. 2. Mr. Throssell : To ask the Commissioner of Crown Lands-Whether the Government has oaused inquiry to be made as to the working of the "blocker" system of land settlement in South Australia, as promised last year; and if so, whether he will lay the result of suoh inquiry upon tbe table of the House. 3. Mr. Moss : To ask the Director of Public Werks-(1) Whether any, and if BO what, claims were received by the Public Works Department from residents of Fre- mantle, claiming compensation for damages sustained to their property in consequence of the explosion of a quantity of dynamite on the night of the Ißt or the morning of the 2nd of January, 1895 ; (2) Whether any of tha claims have been paid or compromised, or agreed to be paid or compromised ,* and if so, the names of the parties and the amounts paid or agreed to be paid to them.

Notices of Motion.-Mr. James : To move, that the Government should give a favour- able consideration to the request of the lessee of lease 2/434, Eucla division, by which he seeks to have expended the right to purchase the lands oompriaed in the lease : provided

that the Government are satisfied that the

land ia not auriferous, and that in any case provision is made to Becu-o the payment of a royalty for all gold got or won : and provided that the right of purchase be not extended beyond 1st October next, and a substantial deposit paid at once. Mr. Simpson : To move, tbat in the opinion of this House, the con- tinued reservation of Assent by the Crown to " The Constitution Act Amendment Bill," re- lating to tho abolition of the Aborigines Board, unanimously passed by the Legislature, is subversive of the rights of the people of this colony, and is not calculated to inspire confidence in the Imperial recognition of the principle of oolonial self-government." Mr. Sandell : To move, for leave to intro- duce a Bill to enable Associations

incorpórate. Mr. Piesse: To move, That

:o- -

to ] at (-I

in the opinion of this House it ia in the I interest of land settlement in this colony that the Government' should, during thia session of Parliament, introduce a measure dealing with the fencing of land» upon the lines laid down by the Feaoing Bill, as placed before thia House hwt'seBíioa.

Orders of the day.-1. Estimates. 1895-96. Committee of' Supply-Progress-Tote, office of Colonial Secretary. 2. Goldfields Bill. Committee Progress- (danse 18>. 3. Protec- tion and reooVery of Crown Property Bill second reading. 4i. Sale of Gooda Bill seoond reading.

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