72 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jury, 190] 
man in this room; but he is a pastoralist, and likes to have his travelling stoy, 
well fed when brought down to market. But I do not think it is fair to chary, 
this to the boards, and the suggested fees would hardly be sufficient to cov,, 
the expense. With reference to the handing over of the recommendatic, 
that estates should be repurchased by the Government, I think that it wou 
be productive of more log-rolling than there is at present. I think to do 4, 
would be both impracticable and unwise. 
Mr. R. C. Lerusrtper (Maranoa): We must all congratulate 
Murray-Prior on his very able paper, and I am very glad he had the pluck 1) 
tackle such a big subject. I think it will be regretted all round that Mx. Pric 
was not one of those sent down to the Federal Senate, the more especially =, 
he was the only bond fide producer that stood for election. I know that 
great many Western people earnestly hoped that he would be sent down ft 
represent them. With regard to the land laws of the State, I speak from 
leaseholder’s or squatter’s point of view. There is a great deal of dissatisfactio 
at present both among the squatters and the grazing farmers and selector 
concerning the rents. We never know what may be the upshot of the ne 
— 
decision of the Land Court. Besides, the present mode of adjusting the rate, / 
1s unequal and unjust. I pay 50 per cent. more rent than my neighbour 07 
the other side of the wire fence, though the country is similar, and he tA 
50 miles nearer the railway than I am. When the 1884 Act was passe 
squatters were precluded from selecting any land within 25 miles of their owa 
runs. As for the matter of areas, there is no doubt that on land on the coas; . 
eople can make a living on a less area than they can out back. People wh« 
ive near the coast have not the slightest conception of the state of the country, 
out West, where I have known areas of from 20 to 50 miles to be totally 
useless for the past two or three years. I would certainly advocate large areas 
for the Western districts. 
Mr. L. G. Corrie (Brisbane): I must add mine to the congratulations 
that have already been paid to Mr. Murray-Prior for his fine paper. It is 
gratifying to find a man in Mr. Murray-Prior’s position coming here and 
reading such a paper, pointing out how things can be done to encourage closer 
oP, mRes 
nue 
settlement upon the land. 1 wish, however, to refer to one point that was not_ 
touched upon in his paper, and I take it that anything to secure land 
settlement will be in order. Mr. Scanlan touched very closely upon what L 
have to say, and that is about areas of land having permanent water getting 
into one man’s hands. Although it is very desirable to make land cheap, L 
think some. scheme might be thought out whereby we could contend against 
the disadvantages of irregular rainfall. There has been a great deal done in 
the way of bores, but 1 feel satisfied that, until this great subject of water 
conservation is properly tackled, there will not be much chance for closer | 
land settlement. No doubt our land laws might be improved, but I should — 
like to see the Government take up this matter of water in a business-like way. 
It is a matter that will have to be tackled. If you look straight across to — 
America you will find that in California the great saying is that “ Water is 
king,” and itis no less king in Queensland. Why people do better on the — 
coast is because the rainfall is more certain. 1 know that in the West much is © 
done in the direction of dams, but I do not think as much attention is given to 
the subject as should be. I know that in the Kalihari desert, in South Africa, 
when they started settlement there, each man took a piece of ground and made ~ 
a reservoir on his own property by scooping one out with a plough. It was 
found there, too, that, as settlement increased, the rainfall increased. The — 
breaking up of the soil has gradually altered the meteorological conditions of 
the country. I would certainly like the Government to try and do somethin 
in this direction, for we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that the rainfall o 
Queensland is not satisfactory. As to the question of improvements, we know 
that there have been thousands of miles of fencing put round selections in 
Queensland which have never been of much use to anyone, but which have 
been simply erected to comply with certain conditions of the land laws. 
