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be to abolish the Agricultural Council and place the existing col- 

 leges under the Agricultural Department. The Conference had 

 said that the Department of Agriculture was an important 

 department of the State. He admitted that it was important, 

 because from out of the surroundings of that department must 

 arise all the elements necessary to lift the colony out of 

 the depression, for it was the agricultural, pastoral, and 

 horticultural industries of this colony that they must depend 

 upon. Of course there were other important industries, 

 such as mining ; mining was very important, but by comparison 

 it meant nothing as compared with the agricultural industries. 

 For instance, the return from the agricultural and horticultural 

 industry amounted to about £20,000,000 a year, while mining had 

 not in the last few years exceeded £2,500,000. Those figures 

 therefore showed the importance that must necessarily be at- 

 tached to agriculture in preference to any other industry carried 

 on in this colony. They were different again in this respect, that 

 mining and other industries were speculative. The department 

 could encourage them by prospecting votes, but still the result was 

 speculative. One could not tell, when he spent £100,000 whether 

 there would be any result at all, but in agriculture whatever en- 

 couragement was given results must necessarily follow. When 

 they cultivated a large area over the colony they knew what 

 returns would come in year by year, consequently whatever assist- 

 ance was given to agriculture, pasturage, or horticulture, results 

 must and always would follow. It was admitted that the 

 efforts of the Agricultural Department had induced a better in- 

 dustry and the production of more satisfactory results. It had 

 been said that the wine industry had been neglected. He ad- 

 mitted that it had, and he looked on the wine industry of this 

 colony as one that ought to develop in the same measure as the 

 butter industry had done. It only needed encouragement. The 

 department had offered bonuses for the establishment of wineries, 

 not so much with a view to having places to mature wine in, but 

 to encourage the distillation of wine. The export of brandy 

 would grow to much larger proportions, he thought, than the 

 export of wine. Efforts were being made also to encourage 

 the meat industry. He felt that that was one of the most 

 important they had to develop, and he might mention that the 

 Government intended to erect freezing works at Port Melbourne, 

 as near the ship's side as possible, and there to store not only 

 meat but all other perishable products. The Government 

 also meant to encourage the establishment of chilling places 

 in the country. When these were obtained the facilities 

 for export would be much greater than now, and the industry 

 would develop into large proportions. Then there was the 



