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adopt Mr. Irvine's suggestion to form themselves into a com- 

 mittee to consider the various questions, and they could then 

 present some definite basis on which legislation could take place. 

 Mr. Caughet observed that he had listened with very great 

 attention to the various papers that had been read, and there was 

 scarcely a single suggestion in those papers that had not already 

 been brought "forward by the Board of Viticulture and pressed 

 upon the Government. In fact, if that Board had had the power 

 that Mr. Irvine and Mr. West proposed such a Board should have^ 

 all those things that had been suggested would have been carried 

 into effect long ago. Mr. Irvine stated that the present Board 

 were a nominee body. He objected to that description. The 

 members of the Board were the Presidents of the various associa- 

 tions of the country, and those associations were most particular 

 as to whom they appointed to the position of president. The 

 presidents were elected by the votes of the members, and the 

 Government selected them as the proper men to represent the 

 interest in town ; therefore the Board could hardly be called a 

 nominee body. As to one of the principal things the Board took 

 in hand after they came into office — viz., the schools of viticulture 

 —he was glad to see that they were supported in the steps they 

 took by the papers that had been read, and if the gentlemen 

 present were aware of the exertions of the Board to get that 

 matter into full working order they would not blame them for not 

 being able to carry it out. In the first place they went the length 

 of getting 1 ,000 acres set apart, of which 200 acres were fenced 

 off. Of the 200 acres, 20 acres were planted with vines. The 

 Board urged over and over again that that 20 acres was not of 

 the slightest use unless they had also a cellar and a school, and 

 they pointed out that the school would be altogether self- 

 supporting. They knew positively, from the number of applica- 

 tions they received for admission from students, that such an 

 amount would be taken annually as would be sufficient to work 

 the place, besides which the students would work from the first 

 planting of the vines. Whether it was from impeeuniosity or not 

 he did not know, but while the various Ministers of Agriculture, 

 Messrs. Dow, Graham, and Webb, were anxious it should take 

 place, there was always some hitch, and they could not get the 

 amount placed on the Estimates. The consequence was that the 

 place was a white elephant to the Government at the present 

 time. He might mention that the resistant stocks were planted 

 there, and were available at the present time. They were planted 

 there in spite of great opposition from some of the Rutherglen 

 people, who had the idea that the American vines might intro- 

 duce the phylloxera, but they had now overcome that fear. As 

 to what Mr. Irvine had said about the bonus system not being 

 carried out, the Government were not to blame for that. The 



