50 



out by nurserymen, but he thought the planters were to blame. 

 They would insist on getting their trees as cheap as they 

 could. If they went to reliable nurserymen they were generally 

 well served. He did not think the Government ought to inter- 

 fere as to stocks. In fact, no one could tell what stocks the trees 

 were worked on. 



Mr. Williams withdrew his motion. 



Mr. M. Katanagh, of the Goulburn Valley Vine and Fruit 

 Growers' Association, read the following paper : — 



Mr. Chairman. — The present • system of rating land is a hard- 

 ship on industry, and tends to check the progress of the higher 

 culture of the vine and fruit. Especially so is this felt in con- 

 nexion with irrigation and water supply trusts, for the fruit 

 and vine grower has not only to pay from five to ten times 

 more taxation for his land to the shire, but also the same 

 amount to the water trust within the district. Now, we claim 

 that, by our industry in planting orchards and vineyards, we 

 make employment, we increase the returns of the railways ; 

 besides, we enhance the value of our neighbours' land, and 

 therefore we say that the Local Government Act should be 

 so altered that all land should be valued irrespective of im- 

 provement. Where the State or land-holders expended money, 

 and so increased the value of land, that land should pay a higher 

 rate or tax than the land that received no benefit ; or, in other 

 words, differential rating should be encouraged on the basis of 

 the unimproved value of the land, and when we have a tried and 

 trusted friend like the Hon. W. T. Webb at the head of Agricul- 

 ture, it is our duty, as fruit and vine growers, to put our grievances 

 fairly before him, with the view of getting them redressed. 



As an instance of how this rate affects the people of the 

 Goulburn, all orchards and vineyards within the Rodney shire 

 are rated at £1 per acre, while the land equally as good 

 alongside is rated at 4s. 6d. per acre. Then the irrigation 

 trust must take the shire valuation, which doubles the rate. 

 In the Shepparton shire orchards and vineyards are rated at 

 £5 per acre, and other lands quite as good at 5s. per acre. 

 In the latter instance the owners appealed against the valuation, 

 but got very little redress. 



Another grievance is the railway charges on fruit and wine. 

 We find from Mooroopna to Melbourne, a distance of 110 miles, 

 the freight for apricots, peaches, and nectarines is £1 Os. lOd. per 

 ton, while grapes and apples are taken for los. lOd. To send 

 one gallon of wine the same distance will cost 3s., and the 

 wine is only worth 2s. 6d. Now, as every taxpayer is a 



