Apple Bounty Act 1918

Legislation au C1918A00021 Not in force Act

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APPLE BOUNTY.

 

No. 21 of 1918.

An Act to provide for the Payment of a Bounty on the Export of Evaporated Apples from the Commonwealth.

[Assented to 19th June, 1918.]

Preamble.

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate; and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia for the purpose of appropriating the grant originated in the House of Representatives, as follows:—

Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Apple Bounty Act 1918.

Appropriation for payment of bounty.

2. There shall be payable out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, which is hereby appropriated accordingly, the sum of Twelve thousand pounds on or before the thirtieth day of June One thousand nine hundred and nineteen, for the payment of bounty in accordance with this Act.

Bounty on export of evaporated apples.

3.—(1.) The bounty under this Act shall be payable upon the export from Australia of apples grown and evaporated in Australia and sold to the Imperial Government for delivery between the first day of April and the thirty-first day of August One thousand nine hundred and eighteen.

(2.) The bounty shall be payable to the grower of the apples only.

(3.) In order to entitle a grower to bounty, the claim for bounty must be made within three months after the export of the evaporated apples in respect of which the claim is made.

(4.) The bounty shall be payable at the rate of ten per centum of the value of the evaporated apples, the value being taken for the purposes of this sub-section to be sevenpence per pound.

Conditions of bounty.

4. Bounty under this Act shall be payable only in respect of evaporated apples which—

(a) are, in the opinion of the Minister, of a merchantable quality;

(b) have been grown and evaporated subject to the prescribed conditions; and

(c) have been grown and evaporated by white labour only:

Provided that the employment in the growing or evaporation of the apples of any aboriginal native of Australia or of any coloured person born in Australia and having one white parent shall not prejudice the claim to bounty in respect thereof.


Owner deemed employed in growing or evaporation of apples.

5. The owner occupier or lessee of any land in which the apples were grown or factory in which they were evaporated or in which they have undergone any process, shall, unless the Minister in writing otherwise directs, he deemed to be employed in the growing or evaporation of the apples.

Conditions of employment and rates of wages.

6.—(1.) The Minister may make application to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, or to any Judge of a Federal or State Court or to any person or persons who compose a State Industrial Authority, for a declaration as to what wages and conditions of employment are fair and reasonable for labour employed in the growing or evaporation of the apples on which bounty is claimed.

(2.) On the hearing and determination of the application, the President, Judge, person or persons shall have all the powers which under the Excise Procedure Act 1907 belong to the President of the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, and all witnesses and persons summoned to appear or appearing before him or them shall be entitled to the same privileges and protection, and be subject to the same liabilities and penalties, as witnesses or persons summoned to appear or appearing before the President on an application within the meaning of that Act, and the provisions of that Act shall so far as they are applicable apply accordingly, mutatis mutandis, as if the application were an application within the meaning of that Act.

(3.) Every person who claims the bounty payable under the Act shall, in making his claim, certify to the Minister the conditions of employment and the rates of wages paid to any labour employed by him, other than the labour of members of his family.

Offences against Act.

7. No person shall—

(a) obtain any bounty which is not payable;

(b) obtain payment of any bounty by means of any false or misleading statement; or

(c) present to any officer or other person doing duty in relation to this Act or the regulations, any document, or make to any such officer or person any statement, which is false in any particular.

Penalty: One hundred pounds, or imprisonment for twelve months.

Return to be laid before Parliament.

8. A return setting forth—

(a) the names of all persons to whom bounties were paid under this Act;

(b) the amounts of all such bounties;

(c) the names of the places and States in which the apples were grown and evaporated; and

(d) the number of persons employed in the growing and evaporation of the apples, wages paid, and hours observed in the growing and evaporation of the apples,


shall be prepared in the month of July One thousand nine hundred and nineteen, and shall be laid before both Houses of the Parliament within thirty days after its preparation if the Parliament is then sitting, and if not, then within thirty clays after the next meeting thereof.

Regulations.

9. The Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed for giving effect to this Act, and in particular for prescribing the proportion in which bounty shall be payable to claimants who have complied with the prescribed conditions in cases where there is not sufficient money available to pay the full bounty in respect of all the claims.

 

Overview

The Apple Bounty Act 1918 was enacted by the Parliament of Australia with the purpose of providing financial incentives to apple growers for the export of evaporated apples, specifically to the Imperial Government, thereby bolstering the agricultural sector and supporting economic growth in the post-war period. This Act was designed to ensure that the bounty was only paid for apples of merchantable quality, grown and evaporated under prescribed conditions, and by white labour only, except in specific circumstances involving aboriginal natives and certain mixed-race Australians. The Act also included provisions to ensure fair wages and conditions of employment for those involved in the growing and evaporation processes, and set out penalties for fraudulent claims. The Act appropriated a sum of Twelve thousand pounds to be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund by 30 June 1919 for these bounties, and mandated that a detailed return be submitted to Parliament outlining the distribution of these payments, the locations of apple production, and employment details.

Scope and Application

The Apple Bounty Act 1918 applies specifically to growers of evaporated apples in Australia who export their produce to the Imperial Government between April 1 and August 31, 1918. This Act is concerned exclusively with the payment of a bounty for such exports, with the bounty payable at a rate of ten per cent of the value of the evaporated apples. The bounty is only payable to the growers of these apples, and it is contingent upon the apples meeting certain quality standards, being grown and evaporated under prescribed conditions, and produced using only white labour, with specific exceptions noted for certain native and mixed-race Australians. The Act extends to include the owner, occupier, or lessee of land or factory where the apples were grown or evaporated, who is deemed employed in the process unless otherwise directed by the Minister. Additionally, the Act outlines procedures for determining fair and reasonable wages and conditions of employment for those involved in growing or evaporating the apples. The Act provides for the Minister to seek declarations from relevant authorities regarding these conditions and wages. The Act also includes provisions for offences related to the misuse of the bounty system and mandates the submission of a detailed return to Parliament regarding the distribution of the bounty and the conditions under which the apples were grown and evaporated. Furthermore, the Governor-General has the authority to make regulations to further implement the Act, including provisions for allocating bounty payments when funds are insufficient to cover all claims.

Key Provisions

The Apple Bounty Act 1918 (sections 1-3) establishes the framework for a bounty payment system for the export of evaporated apples from Australia. The Act provides for a bounty payable to growers of apples that are grown, evaporated, and exported from Australia to be sold to the Imperial Government between 1 April and 31 August 1918. The bounty is set at ten per centum of the value of the evaporated apples, with the value being sevenpence per pound. The bounty must be claimed within three months of the export of the apples. Section 4 of the Act outlines the conditions under which the bounty can be paid, including that the apples must be of merchantable quality, grown and evaporated under prescribed conditions, and by white labour only, with certain exceptions. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties it governs. The owner of the land where the apples are grown or the factory where they are evaporated is deemed employed in their growing or evaporation, unless otherwise directed by the Minister (section 5). Claimants must certify the conditions of employment and wages paid to any labour, other than family members, when making a claim (section 6). Additionally, the Act mandates the preparation and submission of a return detailing the recipients of the bounty, the amounts paid, and employment details (section 8). The Minister is authorised to seek a declaration from the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration or a Federal or State Court regarding fair and reasonable wages and conditions of employment for labour involved in the process (section 6). The Act also establishes specific offences and penalties for breaches. Section 7 of the Act prohibits the obtaining of any bounty that is not payable, making false or misleading statements to obtain a bounty, and presenting false documents or statements to an officer or person involved in the administration of the Act. The penalty for these offences is a fine of one hundred pounds or imprisonment for twelve months. Additionally, the Act requires the Governor-General to make regulations for its effective implementation, particularly regarding the proportion of bounty payable in cases where there is insufficient money to cover all claims (section 9).

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.