50 
FIRST SESSION. 
Tuurspay, lOrn Junn, 1897, 11 A.M. 
CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS. 
The CuarrMan (Hon. A. J. Thynne) said: Gentlemen,—Before opening 
this Conference I think it behoves me to say a few words upon the business 
we have in hand, and generally upon the subject of agriculture. I think, 
however, 1 cannot begin saying anything before offering to you all a most 
cordial welcome to this, the Agricultural College of Queensland. ‘T’o we it is 
an element of the greatest possible satisfacticn that the first Farmers’ Confer. 
ence that it has been my fortune to preside over, should hold its meeting in 
this College, and I am sure that your sympathy and support will be enlisted 
and secured in the objects for which this institution is established. I have to 
express personally my great obligation to the representatives of the different 
societies for the hearty way in which they have accepted the invitation of the 
Department to attend the Conference; and if there can be any degree of 
cordiality in this welcome, I should say that those gentlemen who have come 
great distances from the North are entitled to 2 greater welcome than the 
others. On behalf of the farmers of the South, we welcome among us the 
farmers from the North, to join with us in discussing matters of general. 
agricultural interest. Whatever may be the effect of individual transactions, I 
am sure the general result will conclusively show that the interests of the 
agriculturists of one part of the colony are equally the interests of agricul, 
turists all over the rest of the colony. This gathering, representative ag it 
is of nearly the whole colony, is indicative of a desire on the part of agricul. 
turists everywhere to mutually aid and assist each other in the promotion of 
the agricultural interests of Queensland. I taink that in offering to you 
this welcome to this Conference, I ought in the first place to make some 
reference to the origin of the idea of holding it. Some months ago the 
gentlemen connected with ihe Pioneer River larmers’ Association made a 
suggestion that such an agricultural conference should be held. At that time 
my association with the Department was not of a character which would entitle 
me to make any arrangements for any long period ahead. Later on I felt that 
if we could arrange a conference so that it could be held in this building, a very 
great gain would be secured, and therefore as soon as I ascertained the time 
when the buildings would be available, the invitations for the Conference were 
sent out. 
The objects of the Conference mainly are to discuss matters of mutual 
interest to the agricultural community. We have on our list a number of very 
important and very useful subjects which are to be introduced by those gentle- 
‘men who have chosen them for their papers, and subjects which have also been 
suggested for discussion, I will, however, refer to one or two matters which 
are not included in our syllabus,and to which I think it would be an advantage 
_if the delegates and the farmers generally of Queensland gave some little 
attention. First, there is the important question of the transportation of pro- 
_ duce. Ido not think I am at all exaggerating when I say that our methods of 
handling produce, especially grain produce, are most primitive, and that until 
some better means of handling grain produce is devised we can never really 
attain the production of grain which this colony ought to be producing. During 
last year I happened to be on the Downs, and at one of the railway stations in 
a grain-growing district I saw a very Jarge number of farmers’ teams waiting 
their opportunity of getting their loads away by rail. I could not help feeling 
what an unnecessary waste of energy, waste of time, and what a tax it was 
upon the industry that such a system should continue. I have since given the 
_ subject some little consideration and attention. When in Canada in 1894 I saw, 
as a passing traveller, some of the means which they took for handling their 
grain, and I can assure you that the system they have adopted there effects 
such a saving in time, labour, and expense generally as to provide a handsome 
profit to the grower of the grain and to the merchant who buysit. By the use 
