1 Joy, 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. _ 51 
Mr. G. R. Mayers (Cairns): I have listened very attentively to the essay 
of Mr. Peek, and, as far as I can follow, do not think that Queensland is ripe for 
the department Mr. Peek would like to have established. If such a department 
were established it would more or less carry out the functions we at present 
attend to. It would be an annual conference. There would be representatives 
from every society, so practically it would be similar to the Conference now 
being held in this hall. I come from a sugar-growing district, and believe 
that it is the early intention of the sugar-growers throughout the State to try 
and form an association of their own in order that they may speak with one 
voice on matters pertaining to the sugar industry, and I think, if the other 
industries of Queensland were to form associations similar to the one which I 
hope will be formed by the sugar-growers, we shall get more to the root of the 
matter. If they are all willing to form associations—say the grain producing or 
horticultural portions of the community—they will be able to form four or five 
distinct associations, and out of those associations they could elect their 
executive ; and then I take it, if there were anything affecting the whole agricul- 
tural interest of the State, the executives of the several associations could meet 
together and form a compact body of strong men who would be in a position to 
make themselves heard. 
Mr. E. Swayne (Mackay): The organisation of the primary producer has 
been a subject that my association have had under consideration for a number 
of years. It is now about five years since we first took the matter up, and we 
then thought that some central body should be formed. Only a few weeks ago 
we sent a letter to every society in Queensland asking them to instruct their 
delegates to this Conference to remain after the regular business was over and 
endeayour to get such a body in train. It is a matter that requires a good deal 
of consideration, and, of course, the matter of distance is the greatest obstacle 
to be overcome. Some of the members of the Chamber of Agriculture will 
have to travel over 1,000 miles. Mr. Peek proposes to overcome that difficulty 
by asking the Parliamentary representatives of the different districts to 
represent those districts on this Chamber of Agriculture while they are in 
Brisbane. Of course, if the members would take the matter up, and are suit- 
able men, then that might do. With regard to men coming down from, say, 
Cairns, very often to Brisbane, I am afraid it could not be done. In fact, it is 
this distance that always does so much to prevent farmers from coming together. 
‘Take a district association. The secretary of any town organisation can very 
likely see some hundreds of his members during an afternoon. The secretary 
of a country association will, perhaps, take two or three days to get round to all 
his members. A chamber, however, is necessary. When federation became an 
accomplished fact, nearly every interest in Australia held conferences, except 
the farmers, and took some concerted action to advance their interests. There 
was a conference of protectionists. These came together, discussed the tariff 
and arranged to exert their influence to get the very best duties they could 
upon the articles made by them. But the farmer took no interest in the matter, 
.as far as I know, and it is only through some such body as this that he can be 
heard. One small obstacle in Mr. Peek’s scheme is how these large districts, 
which include interests from, say, St. Lawrence to Thursday Island, are to agree. 
‘The league of sugar producers has been alluded to, and the way it overcomes 
‘the difficulty is this: The whole coast of Queensland will be included in it. It is 
proposed to create three subdivisions, and the three subdivisions to have 
executives. These executives will be represented on the central executive. It 
will require a good deal of consideration, but, taking the scheme as a whole, I 
-do not think the associations, if they do come together, could find a better 
investment for the money they will pay in subscriptions to the central chamber. 
Mr. A. Morrar (Radford) : I listened attentively to Mr. Fielding’s paper, 
because he is considered one of the most practical men with regard to agri- 
cultural societies in Southern Queensland, and everything he mentions I can 
Sauparbise with. Agricultural societies in their relation to the general public 
should take more notice of this point; they should get hold of the best judges. 
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