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— Mr. T. Watrernny said they had been told that the price of sugar had 
reached such a stage that if something was not done for the industry it was in 
danger of collapsing. If this were so, the Northern farmers would have to look 
to other crops. Mr. Denman had said that fruit had been tried, but had not 
‘been a commercial success. ‘There were, however, other erops, such as coffee, 
tea, manilla, which might be tried, and which would perhaps be able to 
somewhat relieve the sugar industry. With regard to the labour question, it 
appeared that it depended on outside countries where labour was cheap, and the 
matter then resolved itself into what the industry could afford to pay. If this 
were so he was inclined to think it would perhaps be better to let the industry 
go. Of course that was his own opinion. aie 
Mr. Deyatay said the cultivation of coffee would bring them still further 
into the labour difficulty. Coffee woul require more cheap labour than sugar. 
The chief present trouble of planters was the low price of sugar. If all the 
Kanakas in the Mackay district were taken away the industry would collapse. 
All the small cane planters employed Kanakas. He generally had about four 
himself. One of the great advantages of the Kanaka was his reliability, | 
which was quite of equai importance to cost. 
Mr. McLean instanced the case of the Mackay central mills, which were 
established to assist the production of cane by Kuropean labour. Financially 
the mills had been a success, but the agreement that they should only 
use cane grown by white labour had never been kept. Shortly after they 
started, three-fourths of the cane that went through them were produced by 
black labour. : 
Mr. Deacon (Allora) said many people were afraid coloured labour was 
never going to cease in the North. Were Asiatics to be employed when the 
supply of Kanakas became exhausted ? ! 
Mr. Denman said the Kanakas would last out their time. 
Mr. Deacon, continuing, said the question of the reliability of white 
labour was one the Downs farmers had also to deal with. They were always 
troubled with men at the busy seasons who wanted wages and not work. 
Only recently he had offered two men, who were doing nothing, 4s. a day and 
rations, but it was refused. 
Mr. Lery reminded those present that theirs was a large colony, with very 
different conditions, and if they were all to progress as agriculturists it must 
be by a certain amount of mutual giving and taking. The black labour 
question was, perhaps unfortunately, a political one. Jt was, however, a 
question of livelihood to many of them. He might first inform them the law 
relating to the legal employment of Kanakas was enforced by the Northern 
farmers. He then asked, Was the South going to participate in the 
benefits of the sugar industry by encouraging its development. in 
the North, or were they going to extinguish it? The only way in which 
the South could assist the North was to allow it to grow cane in a manner that 
would enable them to compete with other sugar-producing countries. If the 
South were blind enough to stop this, the blow would fall on the North, but 
the South would feel it almost as quickly. The Kanaka question was one of 
economy. It was also one of reliability. Kvery’planter must have a staff of 
reliable labour. Unless he ean keep this labour, he cannot carry on his occu- 
pation as a sugar-grower, and at the present price of sugar it was impossible 
to pay white Jabour wages which would be remunerative to both employer and 
labourer. As it was, they were handicapped by having to pay 2s. Gd. a day 
for their cheap labour. If they were io open up the North they must haye 
cheap reliable and acclimatised labour. 
Mr. O’Kerrr (Laidley) said the question appeared to be one of pounds, 
shillings, and pence. The North, however, was the only part of the colony 
which got the benefit of this cheap labour. He asked: Could’ maize be grown 
by white men at present pricesin the North? The Southern maize-grower 
could get no assistance in the shape of coloured labour. 
