38 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Jury, 1901. 
mars him, and a cheap money scheme, if the Government could see its way to 
take sucha step, would be a great boon to a great number of people now on 
the soil. 
Mr. Percy Brippies (Tiaro): A few years ago there was a struggling 
community of about a dozen men some distance from Maryborough, who, if 
they went into town, went the back way for fear of meeting the storekeepers 
and bemg asked formoney. Eleven of these men met together for the purpose | 
of borrowing a certain sum of cheap money. In Sir Horace Tozer they 
certainly had one of the best members in the House, but after working for two 
or three years they got £30,000 to put up a central sugar-mill. Directly, this _ 
has not paid the Government, but indirectly it has paid the Government, the — 
people, the country, and the district. Those farmers who borrowed the mone 
ple, y; 
have to-day splendid houses; most of them drive buggies. The land that was _ 
taken up has increased in value enormously. Tramways have been built. — 
The revenue of the divisional board has increased. The cheap money at Tiaro 
has done an enormous amount of eood. There are other instances in which | 
cheap money could be made of use. A system of some sort could be introduced 
with regard to communities of farmers—not that I ask that farmers should be 
favoured more than any other body of men, but it would be an advantage to the 
country could communities borrow money from the Government, giving security — 
in the same manner that the central mill shareholders do. 
Mr. W. R. Roztyson (Toowoomba): Cheap money would doubtless be a 
great thing, but the question is, Where are we going to draw the line? Should — 
no other men but farmers have cheap money ? There are many worthy artisans, 
men who have good ideas of inventions, but who have not the money to put — 
them into effect. Mr. Corrie stated that there was difficulty in obtainng 
money on farming properties, but I know that on the Darling Downs financial — 
institutions are lending money on agricultural freeholds at 4: per cent. 
Mr. Deacon (Allora) : No. 
Mr. Rozryson: If you have good security you have no trouble in getting 
money. If your security is rotten you must expect to pay a higher interest. 
Selectors have really no security to offer. You could not expect a State bank 
to lend them Savings Bank money with a chance of its not being repaid. 
There is no doubt that, if a farmer on some of these newly taken up selections 
goes to the storekeeper, the storekeeper will assist him. There are many 
struggling farmers below the Range who owe their selections to Cribb and 
Foote. If a man has freehold security he can get money from almost any 
money-lender at 4 or 5 per cent. J sold a farm the other day for £800 to a 
young German. Another German then and there lent him the whole of the 
money at 4 per cent., although in this case I will admit there was more security, 
as the young fellow was marrying the other’s daughter. 
Mr. E. Rozerr (Cairns) contributed a few, but pregnant, remarks to the 
discussion. 
Mr F. Wirrtams (Upper North Pine): I represent a purely farming 
district—that of the Upper North Pine and Samson Vale. There the farmers 
have had an uphill fight; but taking it all round they have managed very well, 
and indeed some have got on wonderfully well. Some would have liked to 
have had cheap money, but they preferred working, with the result that they 
were able to keep their land. However, bad times set in, and the pressure 
began to be felt. A few years ago there was a difficulty in the disposal of 
butter. We, however, combined, and started a co-operative factory, which 
enabled us to put a good article on the market, which, in fact, has been the 
making of the district. I must here acknowledge the assistance we got from 
the Agricultural Department, we having got a loan for the erection of the 
factory under the Meat and Dairy Produce Encouragement Act. We were 
really, however, working on our own money, the Meat and Dairy Fund having 
been raised from a tax on cattle. The factory has undoubtedly been a great 
