AUSTRALIA 39 



A leading breeder with experience of the " inside " and 

 " outside " country, who is specially competent to take a 

 broad view of the general situation, writes : " After looking 

 into your questions I think it all comes back to the lack of 

 confidence that has been firmly established in the minds of 

 those who hold land of any description that the trend of legis- 

 lation is to ' kill ' rather than foster the development of the 

 pastoral industry. We are prepared to face droughts, dingoes, 

 and rabbits, as we know something about them, and how 

 best to fight them, and we have confidence in ourselves, 

 but they are as nothing compared with the uncertainty 

 of land legislation. The man with capital who would be 

 prepared to face all the risks and develop and improve 

 his holding stands down and gives \ ay to the speculator, 

 who only holds to get out at the first favourable opportunity. 

 This class of pastoralist is no good for developing country or 

 improving stock. The State could do better without him. 

 The practical man who has the means looks to the future, and 

 providing he could feel confident of being undisturbed by his 

 landlord, would be ready to tackle all the other odds against 

 him. Rabbits, of course, have killed much or nearly all the 

 drought-resisting stock fodders or plants, and a great portion 

 of southern pastoral Australia will never again be capable of 

 carrying the same quantity of stock. There is much of Aus- 

 tralia that can be settled and developed, but legislation must 

 restore confidence, which has been so sadly shaken that I 

 question whether we will ever again see private enterprise as 

 enthusiastic as in the past. Certainly not till railways are 

 extended, with branch feeders, will the out-back country be 

 taken up and settled. The stud-breeder in the inside country 

 and the pastoralist out-back can successfully fight and with- 

 stand droughts and keep vermin within bounds, but the legis- 

 lator can kill the freeholder and the Crown lessee by a stroke 

 of the legislative pen. And he is doing it, and that spells 

 national disaster." 



