30 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Juny, 1898. 
essay on— - 
Mr. J. Hupsoy, of Rosewood, then read his paper on— 
SOME OF THE DISABILITIES OF FARMERS. 
Want of capital is one of the disabilities of farmers, and one that has paralysed 
aud crippled his efforts up to the present. Ninety: per cent. of the farming 
settlement of Southern Queensland was by poor men, and their iron wills and strong 
arms have done wonders ; but to bear the expense of taking up land. then to clear and 
fence it, buy implements and horses necessary to bring his selection into a state of 
cultivation, and cattle also to stock it, and at the same time feed and clothe a family, 
is a task Hercules and such as very few could accomplish without getting involved— 
a task, perhaps, that no country or Government is justified in expecting without help. 
Thousands know, to their sorrow, how they have had to pay through the nose for a 
little accommodation. Further, if farmers could have obtained money at a moderate 
rate of interest, farming matters would be in a very much further advanced 
state in this colony than we see them to-day. I think when money can be obtained 
from the old country at such a low rate of interest, and while it is being imported for 
rep meatworks, the sugar industry, &c., a point might have been stretched 
and a little more imported in the interest of small farmers. { know some will say— 
“ Keep away from class interests’”; but I think this matter-should not be called class, 
because if the matter of cheap money helps to make the farmer prosperous, then he, 
in return, will help to make everybody else prosperous. But if the farming industry 
languish, then every other industry will. I do not look upon this matter as one for 
co-operation among farmers. Doubtless they could do much for themselves in that 
direction; but no authority could obtain money so rapidly and cheaply as the 
Goreme and no other authority could work out and manage an affair of that sort 
so well. 
Mr. T. Wutretey, of Coowonga (Rockhampton), then read the following 
OUR COUNTRY ROADS. ~ 
In my opinion the state and condition of our country roads should be of vital 
importance to all members of the farming community, no matter what particular 
branch of the industry they may follow. That the very opposite state of affairs 
exists is fully verified by the small proportion of the votes recorded at our 
divisional board elections as compared with the number of ratepayers. At 
each meeting of these boards, a lot of time is occupied in considering corres- 
pondence relating to the bad state of the roads. If this correspondence were 
properly analysed, I venture to say that a large number of the complainants would 
be found io be people who had not troubled to record their votes, and very 
likely had not even paid their rates. There appears to be amongst ratepayers 
a universal craze for the reduction of rates and valuations, but worse still, in 
my opinion, is the disgraceful manner in which some appeal cases are allowed 
to go through the appeal court. For instance, a case which occurred 
in this district a few years back. A certain landowner leased a piece of 
property, the lessee to pay the rates. This gentleman appealed against 
a valuation of 10s. per acre, and swore in the witness-box that the property 
was not worth more than 7s. 6d. per acre. A short time afterwards the board 
desired to open a road through a portion of this same property, and approached 
the owner with a view to purchase. The lowest sum asked was £5 per acre. 
To all outward appearance no effort was made to prevent the appeal from being 
upheld, neither has any attempt been made to have it altered since, as the 
same property is paying rates on a valuation of 7s. 6d. per acre while all the 
neighbours around are paying on 10s. ‘There were no improvements effected 
by this road to enhance the value of the property, nor did the road in any way 
depreciate the value of the remaining property. This is not the only 
case; but such cases occur again and again, and, to all appearancd, little 
effort is made to alter the state of affairs. And it seems almost impossible 
to obtain witnesses against an appeal, as almost all the people around 
are only awaiting an opportunity to go and do likewise. In my opinion 
this policy of reducing valuations is suicidal, as it simply amounts 
to depreciating the value of their own property. Is there any wonder 
