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fields, with only one small breakin the shape of asmalltownship. Only last month, 
on her revisiting the district, I again performed the same journey with her. 
The change she saw drew from her the remark: “ What a change! What 
desolation!’’ Now, what was the change? Along the whole route there was 
not a vestige of cane or of any other ‘cultivation, and the township was almost 
deserted ; a few cattle roamed over the abandoned canefields. A portion of 
the land referred to is the River Fstate. In his evidence before the Sugar 
~ Commission the late manager of the estate said that £129,685 13s. 1d. was 
invested in the property. ‘The working expenses in 1888 were £15,000 per 
annum. ‘The wages to Europeans amounted to £3,702 Is. 10d., to Kanakas 
£1,460; European rations, £718; Kanaka rations, £1,754. This estate fed 100 
horses daily. 
I have pictured the desolation caused by the closing of a single estate ; but 
who can say what would be the distress and destitution which must have over- 
taken some of the large number of citizens and labourers who formerly received 
this large sum in wages ? 
You may be interested in a few figures concerning a modern sugar estate; 
so I will take Homebush, formerly a cattle station employing two white men 
and a few aboriginals. The Colonial Sugar-Refining Company bought it, and 
converted it into a sugar plantation, and obtained certain concessions on the 
understanding that they expended £250,000. This the company did, and at one 
time were paying as much as £1,000 a month in wages. 
_ At present this estate is held by farmers under purchasing leases to grow 
cane. Now, let us analyse these figures— 
170 white farmers settled on the land. 
100 white men constantly employed by them. 
120 extra men during the six months’ cutting season. 
120 extra men in the mill, and white cane-cutters earning from £2,000 
to £3,000 during the season. 
Then we have— 
7,000 tons of freight for coastal steamers. 
7,000 F eS teamsters and railways. 
7,000 » sugar for wharf labourers to handle three times. 
7,000 tons for the refineries in Brisbane and Bundaberg. 
Nearly 1,000 tons of Southern maize shipped, handled, and consumed on 
the estate; and, including contractors, 700 white men and 400 
kanakas to consume Southern produce. 
_ Surely, gentlemen, this is a very desirable change; and yet I tell you 
honestly that were those 400 Kanakas taken away, this gigantic co-operative 
plantation would collapse, and, still, not a session passes without someone 
tabling a motion for the abolition of this labour. Gentlemen, you can and will, 
I trust, assist in making this suicidal policy impossible. 
The Government of Guseteland advanced £50,000 to the farmers to 
enable them to erect mills and do without this class of labour. The attempt, 
honestly made, was a failure; and the restrictions, as far as they applied to field 
labour by Kanakas, had to be rescinded. The opinion of all those who have 
visited the sugar districts, and have seen for themselves, is that Kanaka labour 
isan absolute necessity. — 
Many think that labour-saying machinery may be invented to obviate the 
necessity for this class of labour. During my thirty-three years’ experience of 
cane cultivation I have heard many devout wishes expressed on this point, but 
I fear we are no nearer the production of such machinery than we were in 1864, 
The cane farmer would hail it with joy. We do not employ coloured labour 
because we like it, but because it is an absolute necessity. Still, the members 
of the Pioneer River Farmers’ Association, whilst in favour of Kanaka labour, 
are decidedly averse to Asiatic labour of any kind. 
I see that the total output of gold in Queensland for thirty-eight years: 
has reached 12,000,000 oz., worth about £40,000,000. These figures would 
make gold-mining appear to overshadow every other industry. But let us. 
ee 
