1 Ava., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 153 
There may have been farms that have been abandoned, but, if there are, [ know 
of very few of them, and if they have been abandoned it has been owing to a 
too high rate of interest and a bad bargain. A man naturally asks for as much 
money as he can get; and if the financial institution is so foolish as to lend more 
money than the place is worth, then the blame is with itself. If a man, how- 
ever, is charged a too high rate of interest, how can he be expected to pay it and 
live? I think co-operation is a grand thing, and one which we should encourage 
in every way.. I have in my eye a number of co-operative creameries that have 
sprung up in our district ; and if we go on, we shall do greater things yet. Mr. 
Peek deprecates Government aid in the shape of lending money, but I differ 
with him. If a municipality wants money, 
I it-can get it cheaper through the 
Government than in any other way, and I think farmers could also get it much 
cheaper through the same source. ois 
Mr. T. Mackay (Cairns): Mr. Aiken stated that the earning value of land 
was not increased by population. The earning value of land depends upon 
communication and other things, and people taking up land away from settle- 
ment are handicapped by want of roads and railways, which they cannot obtain 
until increased population comes. Therefore, I say that the increase of settle- 
ment largely increases the value of the land. In parts of the Cairns district, 
10 or 15 years ago, we had no communication with markets, but now, owing to 
tramways, &c., the value of the land has increased a hundredfold. Its value 
has increased. in every shape and form, and this increased yalue is owing to the 
increase in population. 
Mr. C. '. M. Ftscuer (Zillmere) : With regard to Mr. Peck’s paper, I have 
been casting about in my mind, especially since he read his draft Bill, to think 
of something to which it could be likened, and the only thing which occurred to 
my mind is a Chinese lady of high caste. I understand that, owing to her feet . 
having been compressed in her childhood, it is difficult for them to carry the 
body, and the lady is consequently rather unfitted for the duties of life. I 
notice in Mr. Peek’s scheme that he insisted that those who entered into the 
co-operation should be shareholders. ‘The shares, if I understood rightly, were 
to be not more than £1 each, and no one was to be allowed more than 20 
shares. When he further elaborated his scheme, its machinery seemed so large 
that I thought of the Chinese lady. The weight of the machinery and the 
things that were required to be done were utterly out of proportion to the size 
of the feet. I have not had much experience in co-operation, but I have still 
had a little, and, so far as theory was concerned, I used to be very fond of it. 
When we came to put it into practice in our district amongst ourselves, it did 
not somehow work very satisfactorily, and before very long our company went 
into voluntary liquidation. T can understand co-operation assuming such great 
proportions in some of the older countries of the world, but nearly all of these 
voluntary unions that have been successful have been brought about by external 
pressure, and this pressure has been so severel 
ber! ) y felt by certain individuals that 
combination is brought about even against their natural inclinations. ‘This 
ressure, too, keeps them together until the organisation becomes so strong that 
issolution is not easy. But I am thankful to say that that state of affairs 
has not yet arrived in Queensland so far as our farmers and agriculturists 
are concerned, and I trust it never will. I think under ordinary circumstances 
we manage fairly well in our individual capacities, and I think that that is one of the 
reasons why co-operations have taken so little hold of the agricultural popula- 
tion of the colony. When the time comes—and I trust it is far distant—as it 
has come in other countries where the competition was so keen and the pressure 
from without was so great, and where the Government in its wisdom or | 
unwisdom utterly refused to assist the farmer in the manner recommended b 
Dr. Thomatis, no doubt co-operation will have to be resorted to as the next best 
thing. When the state of affairs arrives, however, that will necessitate 
co-operation, IT am afraid that it will have to start on bigger feet than those 
outlined on Mr. Peek’s scheme—that is, if it is to be of any practical use, and not 
for ornament. In connection with co-operation, it might be just as well 
&L 
