CO885-(18-19) — Page 478

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C.O.885

19 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

IALLY WITHOUT PLISETS -

19052

12

No. 29.

QUEENSLAND.

THE BISHOP OF NORTH QUEENSLAND to SIR C. P. LUCAS.

MY DEAR SIR CHARLES LUCAS,

(Received 27 May, 1908.)

[See No. 34.]

37, St. George's Square, S.W., 25 May, 1908. REFERRING to our conversation last Wednesday; I beg to acquaint you with the following facts about the proposed Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine:

(1) It is proposed that the Institute shall be in Townsville, Queensland, which is within the area of tropical diseases, and which is the first large port of call for vessels coming to Australia from the Far East. The area of investigation will not be restricted to North Queensland, but will include Papua (or British New Guinea), the Northern Territory, and the islands adjacent to the North Queensland coast. It will in time include the tropical parts of Western Australia.

(2) The Hospital at Townsville is large. It is subsidized by the Queensland Government as a base hospital," and it frequently receives patients from Papua and the far north. The Hospital Committee have undertaken to set apart separate buildings for the initiation of the work of research free of cost, and they are also willing to undertake the charge of patients under special observation for tropical diseases as ordinary patients in the hospital.

(3) The Queensland Government have promised an annual subsidy of £250 per annum, and the Commonwealth Government have also promised an annual subsidy of £450 per annum towards the work of research in the Institute.

(4) The Universities of Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide have undertaken to support the Institute. It is proposed that a Committee of Management be appointed consisting of one representative from each of the Universities named, and (until a University of Brisbane be established) one representative of the Government of Queensland. The representative of the University of Sydney to be Chairman.

(5) It is proposed that the Senate of the University of Sydney be requested to undertake the financial management of the Institute (N.B.-I have been informed by the Queensland Government, and by the Prime Minister of Australia, that no objection will be raised to the Council of the University of Melbourne undertaking the financial management of the Institute if the Sydney Senate cannot see their way to doing so.)

(6) It is proposed by the University of Melbourne that the initiation of the Institute, by the selection of the first Director, be entrusted to the Royal Society and to the English Schools of Tropical Medicine. The appointment is to be for a term of years not exceeding five. The salary should be at least £600 per annum, with passage money to Australia. It is further proposed that a Professor Martin, of the Lister Institute, Professor Anderson Stuart, of Sydney University (if in England), and myself Le a committee with power to act on behalf of the Australian Governments and the Universities concerned.

(7) It is proposed that the initial expenses shall be met as follows:-

13

(9) It is further proposed that the management of the Institute, after the term of office of the first Director be remitted to the Australian Committee for early report without delaying the inauguration of the Institute; and that enquiry be made as to the possibility of research scholars of the Australian Universities being attached to the Institute as qualified assistants, and that the first Director be appointed, if possible, as from the first of July, 1908.

My purpose in writing is to enquire if the Advisory Committee of the Tropical Diseases Research Fund could consider the advisability of assisting the formation of the Institute by a grant of £300 per annum for a term of years. I think that Australia will certainly bear the whole burthen, sooner or later, and that Austra- lians individually will give generously to support scientific research of a nature so important to the welfare of their country, when once that work has been initiated. It is, however, highly advisable that the initiation of such work should not be delayed. As you are aware the colonization of tropical Australia presents a problem of great urgency and difficulty to the whole Empire, and to quote M. Gaston Doumergue, once Minister for the French Colonies," In order to colonize we must render the Colonies healthy."

Sir Charles Lucas,

19052

Colonial Office.

Believe me, &c.,

GEORGE H. NORTH QUEENSLAND.

No. 30.

AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND

GOVERNOR.

(Sent 4 p.m., 26 May, 1908.) TELEGRAM.

[Answered by Nos. 32, 35 and 36.]

Bishop of North Queensland is inviting co-operation of Tropical Diseases Research Fund Committee with regard to proposed Australian Institute of Tropical Medicine at Townsville. Committee anxious to give what help they can, but would in any case be glad if your Ministers could kindly give assurance that proposed contribution of [£450] [£250] from [Commonwealth] [Queensland] funds will be forthcoming this year and is likely to be continued.-CREWE

19755

No. 31.

SOUTH AFRICA.

THE HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 30 May, 1908.)

High Commissioner's Office, Johannesburg, 11 May, 1908.

[ Published as No. 12 in Appendix VII. to [Cd. 4476], March, 1909.]

Commonwealth Government (vote,

Passage for Director

£100

(No. 388.)

1907-8) Queensland Government (vote,

1907-8) Australian Universities (special

votes)

£450

Passage for Assistant

50

Fitting up laboratory

450

250

Apparatus and materials

300

Books and journals

75

300

Incidentals

25

20167

£1,000

£1,000

(8) The estimated annual income and expenditure will be as follows:- Commonwealth Government (vote,

Salary of Director

£600

1908-9) Queensland Government

£150

Unqualified Assistant

150

(vote,

Boy

26

1908-9)

250

Apparatus, materials, &c.

100

Debit balance

300

Travelling expenses

100

Incidentals

24

£1,000

£1,000

No. 32. AUSTRALIA.

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 10.45 a.m., 3 June, 1908.)

TELEGRAM.

Referring to your telegram of 26th May,* Prime Minister informs me that this year's grant, £450, will be forwarded to London in a few days, and that he is intending to continue grant.-NORTHCOTE.

• No. 30.