1 Juny, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. ily 
Mr. A. Macrartane (Rockhampton) congratulated the writers of the 
papers, and, in connection with Mr. Deacon’s, thought the Conference should 
pass a resolution in favour of reduced railway freights, which, in his opinion, 
was a matter of the utmost importance. They would not be asking too much 
if they asked the Railway Commissioner to bring Queensland. rates somewhat 
in line with those in force in New South Wales. With regard to the 
publication of agricultural statistics, he was glad to hear from Mr. McLean 
that the Agricultural Department had been up to date on this point. 
Co-operation, of course, had the sympathy of every settler on the soil; but 
he thought some of those who had spoken expected too much from co-operative 
societies. My. Peek’s paper was a very good one from a producer’s point of 
view. (o-operative socicties, however, had to compete ou an open market 
with other merchants and dealers, and he thought, therefore, that the benefit 
to the farmer would not be so much from the enhanced value of his produce as 
from the bonuses he would receive. If farmers expected co-operative societies — 
to raise the price of produce, he thought they expected too much. Although 
several attempts made in the district to establish co-operative companies had 
hitherto been unsuccessful, he was not without hope that, after the Conference 
was over, the seed which was now being sown would take root, and they would 
shortly hear of the establishment in Rockhampton of a Seen bacon and 
dairy factory. Everything was in its favour, as Central Queensland was 
undoubtedly eminently suited for pig-raising, and for dairying they could not 
have a better climate. ue 
Mr.-Sanprock pointed out thatin the North it was not railway but 
steamer freights they often had to contend against. He agreed that more 
system in the marketing of produce was a matter of vital importance to 
farmers. Shipping fruit was a case in point. He had shipped fruit to 
Townsville, and in return had received a bill for expenses which the sale price 
of the fruit was not sufficient to fully cover. As for the Government taking 
over the markets at Brisbane, that was hardly practicable; but some local 
authority should surely be able to do so. Some supervision over the markets 
was evidently wanted. An attempt had been made in his district to establish a 
co-operative society there, but somehow or other the farmers could not be 
brought together to combine, and after a long struggle the scheme had fallen 
through. 
Mr. E. Swayne (Mackay) said they had heard of some of the failures of 
co-operation, but in the Mackay district the farmers had reduced the cost of 
purchase by 10 per cent. through co-operation. He spoke of buying, but 
doubtless a similar advantage could be secured in selling. He would like to 
ask Mr. Peek if he knew anything of the selling co-operative companies in 
New South Wales. He believed that in some places they were taking the 
places of the commission agents, and he thought there was a co-operative 
company in South Australia which was of great assistance to farmers in 
connection with the sale of wheat. 
Mr. W. R. Rozryson (Toowoomba) thought it rather hard that they 
should burden the Agricultural Department with the collection of the statistics 
that had been mentioned. Agricultural societies should coliect such informa- 
tion, as it would give them something more to do than the holding of third-rate 
shows. With regard to farmers’ unions, Queensland farmers had had rather a 
bitter experience of them. A union was started in Toowoomba, but many of 
the shareholders were found to prefer to hawk their produce about the town 
instead of disposing of it through the union; or they only fell back on the 
union when other means of selling failed. Many farmers were considered 
unreliable by produce dealers, and they had themselves to blame for this 
reputation. A point worth remembering was that a farmer had only to sell to 
one man, but the auctioneer had to sell to perhaps twenty, and take as many 
risks. The farmer, on the other hand, took very little risk, and there were 
probably few people who made less bad debts than farmers. Railway freights 
were always a sore point with the Warwick people, but he saw no reason why 
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