The Comptroller-General of Customs forwards the following case for opinion:

Application has been made to the Commonwealth that pecuniary assistance or tariff protection may be extended to the blind employed in public institutions in regard to goods they manufacture and it has been suggested such assistance may take the form of a bounty. The powers of granting bounty under section 51 (iii) of the Constitution Act appear to be very comprehensive and I would be glad to know if it is considered we may properly limit a bounty to certain goods manufactured by the blind and further whether such bounty may be made payable to the recognised public institutions employing the blind in the manufacture of such goods. Enquiry is being made as to the rates of remuneration paid by such institutions and the conditions under which the labour is employed.

In my opinion, there is power under the Constitution for the Commonwealth Parliament to grant a bounty on specified classes of articles made by the blind, and to pay such bounties to institutions of the kind mentioned.

[Vol. 8, p. 284]