108 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ava., 1898. 
export of sugar. ‘That being so, sugar in England would be 2:d. 
per lb. against 62d. to Sd. per Ib. in Germany, and he did not 
see how the Germans and Belgians could possibly compete against 
England at those prices. It should also be remembered there was a protective 
duty on sugar in the continental countries, and if the 33d. duty was taken off 
it would only bring the price of continental sugar down to about 43d. Even 
at that rate, how could continental manufacturers possibly compete with 
England, when the former paid 43d. for their sugar, and the latter 
23d.? The meeting of bounty by bounty, in his opinion, would not 
affect, in the smallest degree, any of the manufacturing industries of 
England. Personally, he favoured the idea of meeting bounty by bounty. 
Mr. Chamberlain had pointed out that countervailing duties would cause 
an enormous amount of inconvenience, but he had also repeatedly said 
that although he saw great difficulties and considerable interference to trade 
in the event of those duties being imposed, yet none of the objections were to 
his mind vital, and that when “all the resources of civilisation” had been 
exhausted, when no other means could be found to put an end to this iniquitous 
system, he would be in favour of the countervailing duties. There was one more 
thing he (Captain Henry) would like to say. Ie would like to emphasise the 
fact that it was their duty to point out to the public, all the world over, that the 
present advantage it was gaining by the cheapness of sugar was as nothing 
compared to the future danger consumers ran of having to pay enormously for it 
if once the cane industry was crushed. The Rockhampton Bulletin had said the 
other day, in reply to a letter of his, that supposing the price of sugar did go up, 
would not the cane industry, if destroyed, be re-established ? He would ask 
those present, if the £1,500,000 worth of machinery engaged in the sugar 
industry in Queensland were once abandoned and left to go to ruin for two or 
three years, whether it was likely, or possible, that anyone would set to work 
and take the industry up again. 
Mr. J. E. Noakes (Maryborough), after thanking the delegates for the 
kind way in which they had received his paper, stated that it was about nine 
years ago when Mr. Soutter got from him the seedling cane he had referred to 
in his paper. The seed was got from Rappoe cane. As it had taken nine 
years to get one perfect cane, they could easily understand how the raising of 
such canes should be the work of a Government Experiment Farm, and not of 
private individuals. Mr. Noakes also mentioned that he had himself grown 
sugar-cane 20 feet long, and not one stick only, but several. 
Mr. Cuaraway said it was pretty evident the Conference generally 
considered the continental sugar bounties iniquitous, but it would be well to 
remember that practically at that moment the Central Queensland Stockowners’ 
Association were asking for a bonus of £10,000 to encourage the export of 
chilled meat. Apparently bounties were unfair in one place and quite fair in 
another ; as a matter of fact, Queensland had been giving a bounty on the 
export of butter to England, and was knocking the English farmer kite-high 
in the process. That countervailing duties would do away with the continental 
sugar bounties was believed by a great many people, but he was not going to 
discuss the matter just then. Mr, Swayne and his friends, however, had 
shown in a practical manner their faith in that belief, and the Anti-Bounty 
League in Mackay had forwarded £100 to England in order to show their 
sincerity in what they were agitating for. Whether they were right or not 
was a matter which they understood much better than the speaker. Mr. 
Deacon, who had been a warm friend of the sugar people, desired an extra 
duty on bounty-fed sugar imported into Australia. Victoria had done it, but 
he was afraid the other colonies were hopeless cases. He would inform Mr. 
Peek that the seedling cane he had referred to was now in perfectly safe hands, 
and was being well looked after. 
The Conference then adjourned, 
