‘1 Juty, 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 57 
‘There were some other matters which were alluded to by Mr. Fielding: that 
‘there were members who got dinner tickets who should not get them, and that 
there were men who did not consider labour honourable. Doubtless those 
‘statements are correct, but the fault is in the individual. If a person does not 
-consider labour honourable, all we can do is to pity him. Some interesting 
views haye been elicited on the subject of organisation. It appears to be 
unanimously considered that it is desirable that some kind of organisation should 
take place. But a few seemed to think that for some reason it was not 
practicable, and so they would recommend that it be shelved. ‘I'his organisation, 
when it does take place, is expected to deal with a great many problems, some 
-of them commercial, some educational, and some political— by which I mean that 
a portion of the community, who are agriculturists, should be able to apply a 
more direct pressure in Parliament. If these things are to be dealt with by an 
-association, it is very evident its functions will be extensive. It is evident 
that a considerable amount of money will be required. That money must be 
obtained by levies. I do not think that contributions of two guineas will 
anything like suffice, and it is owing to so much money being required that 
there has been no direct representation of the farmers’ interests in Melbourne 
when the important question of the tariff was being considered by 
independent bodies. The reason undoubtedly is want of funds. But you 
will find a great influence is exerted in Victoria by what is known as the 
Country Party, and the members of Parliament there have to do what 
members of Parliament have to do in Queensland. Members of Parliament 
are practically elected because they have the confidence of the large majority 
of the inhabitants. So the agriculturists do exercise an influence, but it is 
exercised in Brisbane. Whatever arrangements the agriculturists of the 
State desire to make, those arrangements will all lead up to a committee who 
must meet in Brisbane. That, it seems to me, is inevitable. The committee 
will have to deal with very large matters indeed, and it will cost a good deal of 
money. Schemes have been set forth by several gentlemen which are very 
sound, but what I want to place before the Conference is this: If it is desirable 
to appoint a chamber, how necessary is it to appoint at the present time a 
committee to make a beginning or to sketch out or to submit some plan ? And 
I may say that, whatever may be the difficulty, it is nothing like the difficulty 
with which you will be confronted whenever you endeavour to form a chamber 
and finance it. I venture to say you will never have a better opportunity than 
the present of appointing a committee. You cannot get a better representative 
meeting of Queensland agriculturists than the one now here. I would suggest 
that a committee be appointed, before the Conference dissolves, to take this 
matter into consideration, and to make a recommendation as to whether an 
endeavour should be made to carry out this plan at once or whether it would 
be better to deal with it on another occasion. I am sure that, if a small com- 
mittee is instructed to carry out a certain business, it will be more successful 
than a large body, if you want something done. If an executive is to be 
appointed, that executive must consist of a few members. If you delegate this 
matter to a committee you will probably get the matter in a form in which the 
Conference will very easily be able to digest it. 
Mr. Lest G, Corrie, of Brisbane, then read the following paper on— 
CONFERENCES AND THEIR VALUE. 
That’s the appropriate country ; there, man’s thought, 
Rarer, intenser ; 
Self-gathered for an outbreak, as it ought, 
Chafes in the censer. 
—R. Brownie. 
There are people holding the opinion that a Conference is simply the official name 
for a junketing under the wgis of which certain favoured individuals secure a good 
time at somebody else’s expense. 
The author’s experience may have been exceptional. It has certainly only been 
with cases where there was a comparative absence of officialdom—that is to say, with 
