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there were many admirable propositions put forward in that 

 country which would be useful in guiding them. The chief 

 objection was that it was establishing a dangerous precedent if 

 •cuttings were allowed to be imported. It would bring about a 

 great danger from the spread of phylloxera, and if they could get 

 satisfactory results from seed he did not see why they should 

 introduce an element of danger. He would now tell what was 

 done on the subject last night. It was agreed that the subject 

 was such a large one that they could not bring forward any 

 ■detailed proposals in so short a time. It was suggested that there 

 should be a settled policy for the dealing with it, so a committee 

 was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Craike, Vahland, Grosse, 

 Bragato, Martin (Secretary for Agriculture), French, and him- 

 self. He (Mr. De Castella) would move — " That, in consequence 

 •of the danger of delay in the constitution of the new Board, and 

 of its not being in working order sufficiently soon to deal with the' 

 vital question of phylloxera, it is recommended that the following 

 •committee be appointed to draft out a complete phylloxera 

 policy which will guide us as to the means we are to adopt in 

 combating the pest. Names of committee are as follow : — 

 Messrs. Craike, Vahland, Grosse, F. de Castella, French, Bragato, 

 and the Secretary for Agriculture." The following was a short 

 ■outline of some of the more important elements of such a policy : — 

 "(1) That reconstitution on American resistant stocks being 

 recognised as the only complete solution to the difficulty, steps be 

 taken to encourage the employment of these vines by the dis- 

 semination of useful information on the subject, and by the 

 establishment of collections where a check can be kept on the 

 authenticity of these vines. (2) That steps be taken to give as 

 much time as possible to vignerons for the important work of re- 

 ■constitution, and with this end in view that — 1st. The spread of 

 the insect from district to district be prevented by more strict 

 supervision being kept over the circulation of cuttings, and rooted 

 v^ines be prohibited ; 2nd. That some similar system to the 

 •extinction system be adopted to prevent the spread of the disease 

 from vineyard to vineyard' in the same district, and to localize 

 ■outbreaks within the narrowest possible limits." The committee 

 also proposed to consider the question of compensation, and the 

 levying of rates on vineyards. It was a big question, and one 

 that no time should be lost about. He was of opinion with regard 

 to the tax on vineyards, or compulsory insurance, that something 

 should be done in the way of relieving the poor vine-growers by 

 causing the vineyards to be rated by the shire councils at a more 

 iair valuation, instead of them being rated high for the benefit of 

 the councils, and their improvements being taxed in an unjust way. 

 If the amount were devoted, not to the shire council who had no 

 sright to it, but to the establishment of a fund to meet the dangers 



