56. Major OWENasked the Minister of Agriculture,. seeing that the Commissioners of Crown Lands, in order to improve the Crown property comprised in the lease of the Amalgamated Slate Association, Limited, made a free grant of £6,000 to the company in 1917, and further grants of £3,000 each in 1926 and. in 1928, why the Commissioners recently refused to make a grant in order to remove the overburden, and so enable the quarries to be worked profitably?
§ Dr. ADDISONThe estimated cost of removing the overburden was £20,000 at the least, and the Commissioners of Crown Lands were advised that this sum was much greater than any return which they could hope to receive from the quarries in the future. In these circumstances, they were unable to make the grant asked for by the Amalgamated Slate Association, Limited.
Major OWENIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that since 1918 this company has paid. in wages a sum of £625,848, in rents and royalties £21,615, and in Income Tax £4,054, and, in view of the fact that the company is not insolvent but is unable to carry on the work owing to the overburden left by a previous company, will not the Crown reconsider their decision in order that these 500 men who have been employed in this quarry may not be permanently out of work?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have taken great care in considering the actual cost, and I am very sorry that the money required is so great that clearly it would not be within the power of the Crown Lands Commissioners, under the Acts under which they operate, to advance so large a sum of money on what is regarded as rather a speculative undertaking.
Major OWENIn view of the unsatisfactory reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment of the House.