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his pastoral leases from the Government. When the country he 

 was occupying was selected by the Midland company he lost his 

 security of tenure, which, although not legally expressed, is felt by 

 those who have the state for their landlord. The position of the 

 pastoralists in the Midland district, in being liable to be turned off 

 their leaseholds at a quarter's notice, was voiced by Mr. Lefroy in 

 the Legislative Assembly in terms which are instructive, as showing 

 one of the reasons why the contemplated, or rather advocated, 

 taking over of the line by the Government is so strongly supported. 

 Speaking of the graziers in the electorate of the Moore, the hon. 

 member said : " They may lease land from the company, and may 

 stock it with 10,000 or 20,000 head, and then receive notice to quit, 

 and have to sell their stock at a great loss at a forced sale. In con- 

 ditions like these a leaseholder might be ruined. It is, I am sure, 

 not the desire of Parliament that any of our people should be subject 

 to conditions of this sort. It is all very well to say that similar 

 conditions apply under the land regulations administered by a 

 Government responsible to the country and to Parliament. A 

 Government could not do anything harsh or arbitrary, and yet 

 private companies might do those very things and be within their 

 rights. I am not saying that anything of this sort is likely to take 

 place in the case of any leaseholder under the company, but the 

 fact remains that this is the position in which the leaseholder stands/' 

 Yatheroo is always kept understocked, it being the rule of the 

 owner that two well fed beasts are much better than three that are 

 out of condition. He is a great believer in the subdivision of paddocks 

 in order to conserve and properly stock the pastures. There are 

 150 miles of fencing. The water supply has also received liberal 

 consideration. There are forty wells and tanks on the estate. As 

 well water can be struck at a depth of eight or ten feet the 

 cost of these works is comparatively small. The losses of stock do 

 not exceed one per cent, per annum. After the true grasses have 

 been burned at the end of the summer, the cattle are turned out on 

 the scrub feed until the autumn rains come, when the vegetation on 

 the burned places springs rapidly and the herbage is very succulent 

 and wholesome. Every three years the scrub country is also rired 

 in order to prevent the scrubs becoming coarse and debilitating. 

 The further north the paddocks are, the quicker the feed grows, 

 owing to the greater heat of the climate. About 1000 acres have 

 been cleared at Yatheroo, which is the exemplar of what a grazing and 

 farming property should be, but it is somewhat singular that cereals 

 will not grow on the richest limestone areas. These crops have to be 

 put in what, for the sake of distinction, we must call the second 

 class land, although this second class country would be termed 

 first class almost anywhere else. On the limestone the wheat 

 springs well, but before it ripens it wilts away. Mr. Roberts does not 

 attempt any explanation of the fact, but it certainly is not due to 

 the poverty of the soil. The homestead is replete with every 



