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lay their case in their hands, and if this Conference says they are 

 an unnecessary hody, let it say so and dissolve the Viticultural 

 Board in an honorable way. But if, on the contrary, it says 

 the Board is necessary for the forwarding and ultimate perfecting 

 of the wine industry, then let this Conference ask the Govern- 

 ment for such legislation as will give the Board full and legiti- 

 mate power to do that which it was intended to_ do, namelyj 

 to bring the wine industry to that perfection in Victoria which 

 Grod and nature designed it to be brought to. 



Mr. Vahland (Bendigo) said he was appointed one of the local 

 Phylloxera Board at Bendigo, and had an excellent opportunity 

 of studying the question of phylloxera there. Unfortunately, the 

 conclusion had been come to that once phylloxera had come into 

 a vineyard, that vineyard, whatever its size, must be destroyed. 

 His own vineyard was 25 miles from the present outbreak^ 

 but at any moment he might be in the same position. He 

 thought the G-overnment should deal as liberally with those now 

 affected with the phylloxera as they did years ago in the case of 

 those affected at Geelong. If a district had been devastated by 

 a sudden flood, sympathy would at once be shown for the people 

 in that district, but because the action of the phylloxera was 

 gradual the sympathy was alienated. He thought this Conference 

 should not lose sight of the question of compensation. As those 

 affected were quite innocent as to the origin of the pest, and 

 as they could not get a living off their land if devoted to any 

 other purpose than vines, he thought they should be dealt with 

 liberally and justly. 



Mr. Gross*, said that on the 8th of December he discovered 

 the insect in his vineyard. On the same day, within an hour, 

 he wrote to Melbourne to have the Secretary of Agriculture 

 informed and an inspector sent to the vineyard as soon as possible. 

 On the same day the Secretary of Agriculture wrote a letter tO' 

 Mr. Hopton, the inspector, who went up on the Monday, and 

 on the Tuesday they were in the vineyard uprooting the vines, 

 A crowd had collected at the vineyard, but Mr. Hopton was 

 very careful not to announce what he saw, but before he left 

 in the afternoon he informed me privately and confidentially that 

 I was correct in my opinion, that it was the dreaded phylloxera, 

 Mr. Hopton had been sneered at in the Age newspaper as incapa- 

 ble, but he (Mr. Grosse') wished to give his most emphatic 

 testimony as to Mr. Hopton's ability and energy. Being an in- 

 terested person he could not say anything on the subject of 

 compensation, and Mr. Vahland had dealt fully with that subject. 

 • He thought there could be no complaint as to the methods that 



