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208 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [I Ave., 1899. 
Dr. Txomatis (Cairns): I have much pleasure in supporting Mr. Deacon’s 
motion, and may add that I know something of growing beetroot. The powers 
of Europe do all they can to foster this industry, and they do the right thing. 
They help themselves, which is a stronger reason why we should do all we ean 
for ourselves. Two or three years ago, one European country imposed 100 
per cent. duty on imported cane sugar, and when they in Europe are thus 
doing all they can to support the beet industry, we are surely asking delegates 
very little when we ask them to support Mr. Deacon’s motion. 
Mr. D. Warson (Woongarra) strongly advocated the appointment of 
agricultural chemists for the chief sugar districts, and in support of his con- 
tention, read out the report of the deputation that waited upon the Minister 
for Agriculture in connection with this subject. 
Mr. B. O. Brooxes (Johnstone River) : At present we are growing sugar, 
and are trying to pass legislation to enable us to export, because our production 
is already in excess (or on the very edge of it) of what we consume. When 
we do export we shall have to compete against the world, and it will be 
interesting to consider what equipment we have to do this. We have labour, 
but it is expensive, and in most other cane-growing countries they have ;the 
native labour, which is cheap and plentiful. These countries we shall have to 
compete against, and it is therefore very important, if our production is to 
exceed our consumption, that steps be taken by the Government to supply us 
with a plentiful supply of labour at a fair rate, and at a-cheap rate. This 
appears to me to be the most important question at present in connection with 
the sugar industry. 
Mr. W. Giznson (Bingera): A question before the Conference at the 
present time is the furtherance of the sugar industry by light lines or other- 
wise, and the time has come when every individual who is engaged in the 
growth or manufacture of sugar should take into consideration the best ways 
and means of producing it at the lowest possible cost. In the first place, there 
is the advantage of light lines in places where they are practicable, and_ 
although in some districts they may not be practicable, yet I may state that in 
our case we have been able to run portable lines in very difficult places with 
profitable results. With light lines the first loading of cane is the last, and by 
sending them out to awkward places a big saving in the production of the cane 
before it comes to the mill is effected. In our case, the saving from the 
portable tramlines over the loading and unloading of drays is something like 
9d. to 1s. per ton, That is a very great consideration and it certainly assists 
towards the matter of profit and loss. We all know that, at the present time, 
labour is getting more expensive and that sugar is not rising in price, and this 
is a question that requires our closest attention. I, for one, would not like to 
see anything done by Act of Parliament in connection with our labour; but 
there is one little point that I would like to see agreed to among ourselves if 
ossible, and that is the term of the boys’ agreements being extended from 6 
to 12 months. The short agreements that are in vogue at the present time 
are injurious to the labourers themselves, for we all know very well that when 
boys are engaged on the various plantations who have been walking about for 
a number of months, very many of them are quite unfitted for work. They 
.are not only unfitted for work themselves, and their morals have got so corrupt, 
but they injure the young lads and new arrivals ina like manner. _ I consider 
that if it were possible that no agreement should be under 12 months, it would 
be an advantage to the boys themselves, physically and morally, as well as to 
the growers of the sugar-cane. As for the chemist that has been talked of, it 
may be stated that we have had some experience on that question. At Bingera 
we have had a chemist for a number of years, the various parts of our fields 
have been dug up to a depth of 18 inches, the various soils brought before the 
chemist, the chemist has made analyses of them, and we have to-day in our 
laboratory samples of all these soils, their analyses, and the foods required for 
them. These chemical analyses may not be able to always lead you to definite 
conclusions, but still they give you ideas to go by and data to work on when 
