84. QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Juxx, 1901. 
that the profits will be received by those who are, as I have said before, justly entitleq 
to them, and they are the growers. By a refinery I do not mcan a Siate refinery, 
though it is quite possible that the State may be asked to provide the money oy 
somewhat similar lines as has been done to establish the central mills. My objectiony 
to the rcfinery being a State one are many, and the main one is that I consider loca} 
concerns should be locally controlled. ‘Ihe services of Dr. Maxwell have been 
engaged for the purpose of demonstrating to the sugar-growers of Queensland 
how it is possible to produce 2 tons of sugar from an area which hitherto 
has only produced 1 ton. Now, while J do not for one moment doubt the 
ability of Dr. Maxwell, I may safely say that the average cane-farmer knows only tog 
well the impoverished state of his land. One cause of this is that hitherto the cane. _ 
grower has been receiving such an inadequate price for his cane that he is not left _ 
with the wherewithal to tide over one had season. to say nothing of his manuring and _ 
otherwise recuperating his soil. Here I may also mention that the miller in cutting 
the price of cane so fine has, for the want of a little foresight, in no small degreg 
brought this about. In fact, it must be apparent to him (the miller), as the con, 
sequences will be more severely felt by him than by the farmer, who, when he finds — 
growing cane unprofitable, promptly ploughs it out and substitutes another crop. We 
are told, when we cayil at the low price of cane, that the price of the manufactured 
article will not allow a better price for cane. If this continues, the result is apparent 
to everyone, and. to be candid, it means the total extinction of the sugar industry in 
Queensland. We are also told that our land requires draining, &e. To make myself 
clear I will illustrate it thus: Suppose one of us isill, and we call in a physician, who — 
prescribes a long sea voyage. ‘‘ Well,” the patient may say, “ your prescription, 
doctor, is very well, but my circumstances are such that I cannot afford the money 
for the prescribed voyage.” Consequently we may see that it is very easy to 
prescribe a remedy, but hardly so easy to provide it. ‘This, I take it, iy 
the predicament to-day of many cf the cane-growers of Queensland. Some may say 
that if an expenditure of £50 will be the means of returning £60 it should be done, 
My reply to thatis, that many of us could better our financial positions if we only 
had the money when the opportunity occurred. Others may say that the money could 
be borrowed. Well, money earned is better than money borrowed. Further, why 
should a farmer have to borrow money to keep up the fertility of his farm, when 
others are obtaining that which justly belongs to him? Just here I would like to 
remark, with due respect, that I do not wish to create, or endeavour to create, any 
ill-feeling between the manufacturer and the grower. At the same time it would be 
idle to deny the fact that the manufacturers are in a large measure at the mercy of 
the Colonial Sugar Refinery Company; so much so that they are almost prohibited 
(except under certain conditions) from making’ white sugar; while those who 
manufacture raws have simply Hobson’s choice, and have to take what they are 
offered and be satisfied. Now. gentlemen, this naturally in its turn affects the 
growers, which is a most undesirable state of affairs, and deserving of our earnest 
consideration, because it may lead to our obtaining a much better price for our cane, 
thus enabling us to be in a position to carry out in a practicable manner the scientific 
suggestions that may be made from time to time by Dr. Maxwell. This brings me to 
another phase of the question, and before entering upon it I wish to emphasise the 
fact that [ am not assuming the 7d/e of an agitator, as I think we have already, to our 
detriment, too many of that class in our State. So many evils being evident in 
connection with the growing of vane, there must be causes for some of them. One of 
these is the lack of cohesion among the eane farmers. What is required to solve the 
problem or problems is a large composite organisation of the canegrowers of the 
State. I do not mean that we should combine to take up an antagonistic position, but 
we should certainly act on the defensive. We knowthe manufacturers in Queensland 
have a union, and lately they appointed delegates to meet those of other kindred 
bodies in the different States in order to frame a tariff for us. We also learn that 
labour unions meet in solemn conclave and endeavour to solve the “ white Australia” 
problem. Now, what I want to impress upon this Conference is, that it is not a 
moment too soon to combine and organise for the purpose of protecting the farming 
industry. I know in our combination we cannot but benefit the State, because when 
the farmers prosper so do the tradespeople in the towns, and where the farmers are~ 
indig:nt so also are the tradespeople, because it is an indisputable fact that the 
agricultural population form the backbone of any State or country. 
As time was short, Mr. Arkrn suggested that the discussion on his paper 
be postponed until the evening session, when a number of other sugar papers: 
were to be read; and this was agreed to, 
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