On the mine of the Ivanhoe Gold Corporation there is at present a high speed engine, built by Hick, Hargreaves, and Co. It is a cross compound Corliss valve engine, of 950 horse-power, and cost £2,679 f.o.b. London; oversea freight shipping charges, duty, and landing charges at Fremantle, £750, representing 27 per cent. of the f.o.b. price. Railage and cartage from Fre

flourishing as it was in years gone by. Only by the use of modern machinery-by the use of all that the highest skill and energy can give us can the industry be pushed ahead. It is by such means that trial position, and we certainly must not Australia. has achieved her present indusmantle to the mine amounted to 329, representing 12.3 per cent. of the f.o.b. price; so that the retrogress. In Western Australia and total charges from port of shipment (London) to Queensland--notably at Charters Towers time of delivery on mine amount to 39.3 per cent. of the f.o.b. price (total cost on mine, £3,738). It displaced three slide valve and one cross compound engines. It is now used as the main driving engine. Since it was started it has saved the company £580 per month, the savings being 102 for labour, and the balance, £478, in economies of fuel, water consumption, and repairs. It is the best driving engine on the mines, and gives the best results, viz., 13 lbs. steam per horse-power per hour.-(Q.41350).

hard ground and refractory ores have to be dealt with.

Senator Lt.-Colonel GoUID.-And lowgrade ores.

Senator HENDERSON.-That is so. We must all recognise that those low-grade cost, and the most scientific treatment apores must be worked at the least possible plied to them if the industry is not to go Having regard to the position of the mining down. For these reasons I desire mining industry in Australia to-day, this evidence machinery to be free, provided that some is surely strong enough to induce us to arrangement can be made to protect the endeavour to free it of any obstacle likely revenue of the Commonwealth, and to preto be placed in its way by the Tariff. vent the free importation of machinery should like to bring under the notice of the that is being made in Australia, and used Committee a case which came under my with satisfactory results. I should not own observation, in which a very large sum like to vote for Senator Macfarlane's rewas collected by way of duty on a highquest in the restrictive form in which it class engine imported into Western Austra- has been proposed; but if the Government lia. It is a type of engine which has not press the demand for the pound of flesh been made in Australia, and is not likely for which they now ask, I am very much to be made here for many years. As afraid I shall have to vote against them. Senator Gould has pointed out, we shall need a population of something like 50,000,000 or 60,000,000, and to have the world's market available to us, before we shall find men ready to erect in Australia the machinery necessary for building such engines. Under the present Tariff, the mining company which imported the engine to which I have referred, had to pay no less than £1,500 in respect of duty upon it. The treatment of low-grade ores necessitates the use of the most up-to-date engines and machinery to insure success. The number of persons absolutely depen dent upon the industry constitutes an additional reason for taking action to relieve it of such taxation as is proposed by the Government.

Senator Lt. Colonel GOULD.-There are more than 126,000 persons engaged in the mining industry.

Senator MACFARLANE (Tasmania) notice of the Committee the following [3.28]. I should like to bring under the the free-trade section of the Tariff Comstatement which appears in the report of

mission

that

Engineers and others agreed, on examination, converters and certain other classes of machinery, particularly high-speed engines for generating electricity, that patented machinery, of which much was used on the goldfields, and cannot be made in Australia, should be exempt.

Senator TRENWITH.-But the honorable senator is not proposing to apply this provision to machinery used only on the goldfields.

Senator MACFARLANE.-My request does not go so far as I should like it to go, but I am prepared to accept Senator Lynch's suggestion, and to modify my proposal so as to place on the free list highmeans that there something like speed reciprocating engines, coupled with generators or dynamo electric machinery.

Senator HENDERSON.-And

are

that

We

500,000 persons dependent upon it.
have evidence that the industry is at pre-
sent at a low ebb, and it behoves us to do
something, not to retard, but to advance
it, so that it may again become as

Senator BEST. To be used for mining purposes.

Senator MACFARLANE.-If it is thought desirable to limit the amendment

to mining machinery, some one else can move in that direction.

Request amended accordingly. Senator GRAY (New South Wales) [3.31]. I hope that honorable senators in considering this great question will disregard their leanings to free-trade or protection, and try to do what is best for the development of Australia. I was delighted to hear the speeches of Senators Henderson and Lynch. It would be impossible to controvert the statements which they made. The mining industry employs, perhaps, more men than any other in the Commonwealth, and it must be recognised that it is now passing through a critical period, making not only the development of new mines, but even the continuation of old mines, a matter of difficulty. Within the last eight months the price of copper has fallen from £115 a ton, at which it stood for three or four years, to £56 a ton, and the price of lead from £22 108. to £13 10s. a ton; while the prices of silver and other minerals, with but few exceptions, have been seriously reduced.

to

the globe; but they won their name only because their manufacturers had the cuteness to recognise that their machinery must be of the best, and the courage to discard anything old-fashioned. In the West Riding of Yorkshire, a mill was considered old when it had been in existence for five years. Within that period the owner e'ther built a new mill or completely renovated the old and replaced the machinery with newer patents. The same thing has been done in the cotton, and in many other industries. It is this readiness adopt improvements that has kept England to the front as a manufacturing country. Her manufacturers have been wise enough to recognise that they must constantly strive, not only to increase their output, but to improve its quality, so that it shall be superior to the productions of any other country. Why was it that the New Zealand Woollen Mills were successful, although protected by a duty of only 15 per cent., and the Victorian Woollen Mills had a struggle under a duty of 40 per cent.? It was because the New Zealand manufacturers kept themselves abreast of modern developments, whereas Senator GRAY.-No; but the yield has Victorian manufacturers depended entirely declined, especially in Western Australia. on the Tariff, and practically forgot that It, therefore, behoves us to do what we new machinery was constantly being incan to improve the conditions of the mining vented. They were like children who deindustry. The mining of low-grade ores pend entirely on their mothers for their food, has become extremely difficult, because of and could not do anything without Gothe almost infinitesimal profit obtainable. vernment support. The real prosperity and But upon the continuance and prosperity of development of our industries will be due, the mining industry depends the well-being not to the Tariff, but to the personality of of thousands of miners and their families, those conducting them. If our manufacand of those dependent upon them. There- turers adapt their methods to new condifore, instead of handicapping the industry tions, and take the fullest advantage of we should brush aside everything that the brain power of the world, they will suctends to retard its development, and we ceed, and Australia may become though I should give all possible encouragement to think not for a long time vet-an exporter those connected with mining ventures. of manufactures. The fact that raw maseems to me, however, that Senator Lynch terial is close at hand, and available to is one of those geographical fiscalists who any extent, will count for much. But our have regard only to the interests of their manufacturers must be ready at all times own State. to adopt the latest improvements. ThereSenator LYNCH.--What about the Broken fore, instead of levying a duty on maHill mines?

Senator TRENWITH.-The price of gold has not come down.

It

Senator GRAY.-I think that the honorable senator narrows his sympathies to that industry which is, perhaps, more important in Western Australia than in the sister States. Even if industries are established by the Tariff, they can become permanent only by keeping in touch with the latest improvements and developments in other parts of the world. The Yorkshire woollen mills have a reputation all over

chinery, we should, if it were practicable-which it is not offer a bounty for its importation. Senators Lynch and Henderson have proved that we shall act unjustly, and in the worst interests of the Commonwealth, if we levy a tax on mining machinery, especially at a time when the condition of the industry is critical. It is almost impossible, at the present price of metals, to make mining operations profitable, and to pay wages, which are not too high, to

Senator DE LARGIE.—I have already pointed out that the mining industry has special claims on our consideration for the reason that it cannot derive any advantage whatever from a protective policy. I have just instanced the agricultural industry as one which will obtain advantages that we cannot extend to the mining industry.

Senator GRAY.-Does the honorable senator wish to limit this proposal to gold mines?

Senator DE LARGIE.-Undoubtedly. Senator GRAY.-Why not extend it to tin mines?

Senator DE LARGIE.-I do not know sufficient of tin mines to be able to say whether this class of machinery is much in use upon them.

Senator GRAY.-I think that we ought to have a quorum present. [Quorum formed.]

Senator MILLEN (New South Wales) [4.1].-Senator de Largie offered just now the strongest possible reason why if these engines are to come in at all they should come in as free for one industry as for another. He said that there would be an inconsistency if we allowed steam turbines to come in free, whilst we made dutiable high-speed engines which were used for the same purposes. I was glad to hear him say so, because, if he wishes to avoid inconsistency, seeing that steam turbines come in free, not only for mining, but for every one who wants them, he ought, on his own showing, to vote to make highspeed engines similarly free for any industry that needs their assistance. No more glaring inconsistency could be conceived than to allow steam turbines used for the generation of electricity to come in free for every industry, and at the same time specially to pick out the mining industry as the only one in Australia entitled to get free high-speed engines. cannot vote for any such selfish proposition. I am not prepared to give a vote which would be a class vote in its narrowest possible form. Who use these high-speed engines, and what are they used for? Senator de Largie interjected. they used for the generation of electricity. Mines are not the only industry that requires electricity. A large and increasing number of people in Australia are becoming more and more dependent upon electricity. Municipalities, when they proceed to light their towns-a purely municipal undertaking, to which the poorest ratepayer contributes--require an engine of this kind. Senator W. RUSSELL.-That is a bit of Socialism.

I

As

are

Senator MILLEN.-Very likely; but I appeal to the honorable senator for his vote on that very argument. As a Socialist, he should say that that socialistic enterprise shall not be called upon to pav 20 and 25 per cent., whilst the individualistic enterprise of the mine-owner shall be al

Senator DE LARGIE.-We have also to bear in mind that in another portion of this schedule it is proposed to admit steam turbines which are used in connexion with the electrical motor industry and which are required to do the same work as the high-speed reciprocating engines to which I have alluded-free. Of course, I recognise the danger that would result from the admission of high-speed reciprocating engines free, if they were subsequently used for any industrial purposes other than those of mining. I think that stationary engines and engines required for driving our mills can be made just as well in the Commonwealth as they can be in any other part of the world. I am anxious that the engineering industry shall not be injured. In order to safeguard it we shall have to be very careful in our definition of a high-lowed its machinery scot free. These enspeed engine. That can be done by saying that the engine shall be connected directly with an electric generator or motor. This will insure that it shall not be used for any other purpose than the one which we desire. I hope that those who look at the matter from a mere trade stand-point will see that a very good case has been made out for giving the mining industry what is really the only advantage we can give it in the Tariff.

gines ought to be free, for the simple reason that they are not being made here. Even the engineering manufacturers of Australia import them when they are called upon to supply a plant containing one of them. This item brings rather forcibly to my mind the unfortunate way in which the whole division has been drafted. I am a free-trader, but, in view of the character of the Tariff and all that has preceded it, it would be idle to suppose that even