142 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Juny, 1901. 
Mr. J. W. Lez (Zillmere) : I tried twenty years ago to destroy flying foxes, 
and Ido not agree with those that think the divisional boards should not 
deal with the matter. { think the boards are the people who should take it up. 
They are located all over the State, and if all took the question up I am sure 
they would contribute enough to enable a man to go out to the camps and 
destroy thousands. ‘They hang in their camps in thousands, and it needs only 
a few men with guns to shoot them down by the ton. The thickness in which 
they hang is astonishing, and I have known a man to shoot six with one shot- 
It is said that the general ratepayer would not benefit by having flying foxes. 
‘destroyed. I have to pay a water tax, although I do not get a drop of water 
from my board. I have to pay taxes to provide pumps in various places where 
the people have no water. The general ratepayer has to pay for the destruction 
of plant pests like lantana, although he may not be directly affected by their 
presence in his division. I believe that if the boards were to take the matter 
up the difficulty could be grappled with. Ihave been amember of a board, and 
have tried for years to get it to do something in the matter of flying-fox 
extermination. The farming population, however, does not seem to have that 
humanity of feeling for the general welfare of the people that it might have. 
I do not ask the Government to do it, for I believe it can and ought to be done 
by the divisional boards. 
Mr. D. Mitnrr (Bowen): I would suggest that the best way for the 
getting rid of the flying fox is for the parties interested to take united action 
in the matter among themselves. They could form a board from among the 
different associations,and agree to tax themselves to a small extent at so much 
per acre or tree, and ask the Government to subsidise the amount raised at the 
rate of £1 for £1. That would be the best way, in my opinion. As for the 
divisional boards taking the matter up, I think it is out of their province 
altogether. Divisional boards are not farmers, nor yet fruitgrowers. They 
simply have to look after the roads. It is the farmers themselves who are 
interested, and they could establish boards among themselves and at compara- 
tively small cost. The flying-fox pest is a very serious one to the State, and. 
the sooner these boards are established the quicker we shall get rid of it. 
Mr. Riptry (North Pine): Mr. Lee always wants to make out that 
farmers are very selfish, but there is probably more of the milk of human 
kindness in them than he gives them credit for. There is generally a camp o£ 
flying foxes that come every other year to Mr. Bell’s place, on the North Pine. 
He has a bit of scrub there, and the foxes pay it a visit now andagain. About 
eight months ago there was one of the largest camps ever seen in the district. 
Mr. Bell is not one of the selfish sort of farmers, and he fixed a day for a grand. 
attack on the camp, sent round to all the neighbours, provided a good spread 
for them, and on the appointed day thousands of the foxes were killed. That, 
I think, is the way to get ridof the pest. Find out the camp, let the neighbours 
gather together and shoot the vermin down. 
Mr. T. E. Counson (Rosewood): There are a number of fruitgrowers in 
my district, and, like the rest of Queensland, they suffer from the flying fox- 
I do not know one farmer who has not a pest of some sort. In my district 
some of us are called upon to pay for the pests which belong to other people. 
lt is mostly in scrub land that flying foxes camp. These lands are very often 
lying idle, being held by persons who bought them up for speculative purposes. 
They are a great nuisance, and the flying fox is not the only pest that they 
harbour. Wallabies range on these waste lands. The result is that we are 
called upon to pay a tax for other people’s vermin. I agree with what Mr. 
Corrie says. If the fruitgrowers were to pay a tax, the same as we have to. 
pay for the destruction of vermin, a fund could be raised which would be 
something to work on. We farmers have to pay so much on our cattle for the 
destruction of wallabies, kangaroo rats, paddy-melons, and soon. I[ have no 
doubt but that boys would go out and shoot the foxes at their leisure. I 
happen to know a little about flying foxes, and my experience is that you get. 
one pop at them and then they are off. They are like the Boers, and would. 
