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Pamphlet

ment.

DOMESTIC AND PUBLIC ECONOMY.

120. In view of the possibility of the effects of the war and of dry seasons Prepared by necessitating the initiation of a national policy of thrift and economy, the Department prepared a pamphlet - "Facts about Food." The pamphlet dealt with the main constituents which are needed to build up the body and maintain it in a vigorous condition; substitutions for meat were suggested, and hints were given as to economy in the provision of food, as to buying, the utilizing of leftovers, &c. The pamphlet also contained thirty-one recipes for nutritive, inexpensive, and palatable dishes.

Need for thrift and

121. The pamphlets were distributed to parents through the public schools and in other ways. It cannot be said that the venture was successful and that economy not the Department's action met with much appreciation from the public. Apparently the need for thrift and economy has not been generally realized by our people.

realized.

Considere tions involved.

Increased

ADMINISTRATION OF THE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS BY THE STATE.

122. The question that the State should take over and administer the Grammar schools has been discussed from time to time, and the present Government has given very careful thought to the matter. The taking over of the Grammar schools involves various considerations :-(1) the abolition of fees ; (2) increased staffs which would be required to cope with the increased attendance which would follow the abolition of fees; (3) additions to schools to accommodate the increased attendance; (4) the extension of the system of allowances of £12 and £30 per annum to pupils in existing State High schools-such allowances not being paid at present to pupils attending these schools unless they are eligible scholarship-holders; (5) increased expenditure to provide for (4) and, as the making of the Grammar schools free would result in a larger influx of pupils who would require the scholarship allowances, increased expenditure to make provision for those allowances also; (6) general overhaul of the buildings to make them accord with modern departmental requirements; (7) writing-off the State loans to Grammar schools.

123. A rough approximation shows that the increased annual expenditure expenditure. to the State would be at least £40,000 per annum. In addition there would be an expenditure of, roughly, $20,000 in enlarging and overhauling the buildings, and a loss of £20,520 in writing off existing loans.

Taking over

124. It is obvious that in the present state of the finances this expenditure

of Grammar is a matter which would require the most serious consideration;

schools not a

matter of

urgency.

Scholarships

affected.

more

over, as by means of the State High schools or through the scholarship
system, secondary education has already practically been made free to
every candidate who can pass the qualifying examination, the taking over of
the Grammar schools cannot be regarded as a matter of urgency. The expenditure
involved could at the present time be spent to more advantage in connection
with primary schools in building new schools, making additions, providing play-
sheds, erecting residences for teachers, fencing school reserves, improving existing
buildings, &c. The Department has not the funds to meet the reasonable demands
made upon it in these respects, and the question of the taking over of the Grammar
schools may very well stand over until these demands have been met.

125. There is also an important matter of external school policy involved likely to be in this Grammar school question: if the Grammar schools were absorbed by the State, it is likely that scholarships would be confined to pupils in places where State High schools or Grammar schools did not exist; scholarships would not be necessary in the places where these institutions did exist, as the pupils would be required in ordinary course to attend the State Secondary schools; for examplewhy should the State pay to a private school in Brisbane £14 to £16 per annum for the secondary education of a Brisbane pupil when the pupil could attend the State Secondary school? At present there are 9 private and 25 denominational

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institutions which have been approved by the Governor in Council as eligible to receive State scholarship-holders, and there are 175 scholarship-winners in attenddance at these schools. The withdrawal, practically, of the privilege of receiving scholarship-holders would probably result in much dissatisfaction in these schools, and this aspect of the question should not be overlooked in arriving at a determination on the whole matter.

MEDICAL AND DENTAL INSPECTION.

Extension of

126. The extension of the system of medical and dental inspection is part system

of the policy of the Government. To enable the system to be extended the sum of £10,562 was provided on the Estimates for 1915-16; this amount is £3,953 in excess of the sum voted in the previous year. The chief aim of the Department is, as far as practicable, to have each school visited once a year for the medical and dental inspection of the children.

127. The revised scheme provided for the appointment of three additional Additional

appoint

account of

full-time medical inspectors and four nurses. In deference, however, to the wishes mer ments of the Defence Department, further action in connection with the appointment deferred on of the additional full-time medical inspectors and the nurses has been deferred. the war. War requirements have demanded so many doctors and nurses that difficulty has arisen in meeting these requirements. Naturally the Department regarded the war claims as of paramount importance, and did not wish to add to the difficulties of the Defence Department in this respect. When conditions are normal the question of the appointment of additional full-time medical inspectors and of the necessary nurses will be further considered.

number of

128. Under the old arrangements there were only four part-time medical Increased inspectors-namely, two in Brisbane, one in Rockhampton, and one in Townsville. medical Under the new scheme the number has been increased to fourteen, an increase of inspectors. ten. The allocation is now: three in Brisbane and one in each of the following places :-Bundaberg, Cairns, Charters Towers, Gympie, Ipswich, Mackay, Maryborough, Mount Morgan, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, and Townsville. An appointment has not yet been made to Warwick, as there is not an applicant for the position.

ened.

129. The dental staff has been strengthened by the appointment of two Dental staff additional full-time dental inspectors; a further appointment has yet to be made. strength130. The duties of the various medical and dental officers have been very Duties clearly defined, and, generally, the branch has been thoroughly organized, both clearly from an administrative and a field-work point of view.

defined.

131. A scheme of "follow-up" work has been inaugurated in Brisbane. "FollowThus, if within a specified time the parents have not notified the head teacher up" work. that physical defects in their children detected by the medical inspector have been attended to, the school nurses visit the homes to try to induce the parents to take the action recommended by the inspector. The "follow-up" work is necessary in an efficient system of medical inspection.

132. The Department is in communication with the Home Office regarding Necessitous the possibility of getting the State-endowed hospitals to treat free necessitous children. children who are sent to them by the medical inspector for treatment.

133. With the concurrence of the Dental Board it has been arranged that the dental inspectors shall treat, free, children in necessitous circumstances and children in places in which there is not a dentist or which a dentist does not visit. Necessitous cases are regarded as those in which the income of the parents does not exceed £156 per annum or £30 per annum per member of family. The free treatment is to embrace cleaning, scaling, extractions, and fillings.

134. In the metropolitan area the necessitous cases are to be treated free Departat the Brisbane Dental Hospital. The annual Departmental grant to the hospital to hospital has been raised from £300 to £400 for the purpose.

mental grant increased.

135. Owing to the war it has not been possible for the Department to give Medical full effect to its proposed scheme of medical inspection. As indicated above, the inspection additional full-time inspectors required could not be obtained. Moreover, our

handicapped.

Reports.

School site unsuitable.

medical inspection has been further handicapped by reason of the absence of Dr. Bourne (Chief Medical Inspector), Dr. Rodger (Ophthalmic Inspector), and Dr. Sweet (full-time Medical Inspector) on military service. There is thus not a full-time medical inspector available at present, and the Department is carrying on wholly with part-time officers. So far as the administrative work is concerned, the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Moore, has kindly consented to act in a consultative capacity; needless to say, his help is invaluable and is highly appreciated.

The dental work, however, is proceeding satisfactorily. Assistant Dental Inspector Watts is on military duty, but his place has been taken by a temporary

officer.

136. The foregoing out'ine will show that despite difficulties the Department has made determined efforts to extend the system of medical and dental inspection.

137. The detailed reports of the medical and dental inspectors will be found in Appendices D and E.

BRISBANE CENTRAL SCHOOL RESERVE.

138. The opinion is general that the site on which the Brisbane Central schools stand has become unsuitable for school purposes by reason of increased traffic, railway and tram extensions, and the general noise, bustle, and congestion found in the heart of a large and growing commercial city. Various schemes have been suggested for the utilization of the grounds, and in September last a Committee consisting of His Worship the Mayor of Brisbane, Alderman G. Down (chairman); Mr. E. C. Barton, Secretary, Town Planning Association, Brisbane; Mr. A. B. Brady, Under Secretary, Works Department, Brisbane; Colonel C. D. Miller, Administrator Federal Capital; Mr. R. E. Sexton, Chief Engineer, Railway | Department, Brisbane; Mr. J. D. Story, Under Secretary, Education Department, Brisbane; and Mr. H. Templeton, Deputy Postmaster-General, Brisbane, was appointed by the Government to consider the matter and submit recommendations.

139. The Committee submitted, through the Chairman, Mr. Down, the following report :

"The committee appointed by you consisting of Messieurs Barton, Brady, Colonel Miller, Sexton, Story, Templeton, and myself-for the purpose of considering and reporting upon possible schemes for the future use of the land at present occupied by the Brisbane Central schools and the Defence authorities, met on the 4th instant.

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Every member was present, and I was unanimously chosen as chairman.

"After a full consideration of all the interests involved, the committee, with the exception of Mr. Templeton, recommends that

(1) With a view to increasing the number of city open spaces and providing
better and quicker access between the Central Railway Station and the
General Post Office and vice versâ, it is desirable that a scheme be
evolved to enable the town area bounded by Adelaide, Edward, Ann, and
Creek streets to be obtained and utilized for the purposes specified;

(2) The scheme outlined in the plan herewith be adopted in general principle;
(3) For the purposes of the scheme the private property facing Creek street be
resumed;

(4) To enable the new street shown in the plan to be constructed, the necessary
area required for the purpose between Queen street and Adelaide street be
resumed;

(5) Provision be made for the necessary widening of Adelaide and Ann streets in any scheme which may be finally approved;

(6) To ensure that buildings of suitable design shall be erected on the site and to preserve a symmetrical scheme generally in regard to buildings

(a) Plans of buildings, other than Commonwealth buildings, be subject to the

approval of the State Department of Works.

(b) In regard to Commonwealth buildings, the State Department of Works be given an opportunity of examining the plans and expressing an opinion thereon so far as the scheme of symmetry is concerned.

(7) The question of finance and resumptions be a matter for the determination of the Commonwealth and State Governments and the Brisbane City Council. "The scheme outlined above for the utilization of the ground is considered the major and ideal one, and the committee hopes that it will be possible ultimately to give effect to the scheme in its entirety; if, however, it is not considered practicable at present

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General

Part

Office.

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STREET.

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