1 Juny,1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 43 
8. Land is now lying idle and is rapidly deteriorating by the growth of timber 
and prickly pear. 
9. We consider the land when cleared would be selected at once and be eagerly 
inquired for, 
10. This scheme would do away with the heavy burden that rests on the poor 
man, and the people would have the land under crops a good many years sooner. 
11. The money spent by the Government would be quickly repaid, for men would 
prefer to pay for cleared land, as they could get a return quickly. 
12. This would increase the wealth of the district, and give considerable amount 
of profitable employment to the poor man and increase population. 
Mr. A. Campprti (Ripple Creek), in the course of a very able and 
interesting speech, pointed out that if the Government undertook to clear 
land it would doubtless encourage settlement; but they might as well ask 
the Government to stump and plough the land, sow the seed, and harvest 
the crop. Moreover, if land were cleared and were not immediately taken 
up, it would soon be covered with a flourishing crop of undergrowth, so that 
the original outlay in clearing would be thrown away. ianiseether the speaker 
thought the adoption of the proposal, particularly at the present time, would 
be inadvisable. 
Mr. Frep. Sarva (Crow’s Nest) adopted a similar view to the foregoing 
speaker, and thought that, instead of clearing land, the Government could better 
spend money in constructing railways to assist those who at present were 
seriously handicapped through their practical inability to get their produce to 
market. ; 
Mr. J. G. Paternorrr (Toowoomba) considered that, if a man took up 
100 acres of prickly pear country and cleared it, the Government should give 
him his title deeds free of any further payment. Any man who took up prickly 
pear country between Toowoomba and Dulacca and cleared it, deserved such a 
concession from the Government. Mr, Palethorpe, however, was not in favour 
of the Government clearing land for a selector. 
Mr. J. GC. Netnsen (Laidley) thought that if the suggestions in the paper 
applied to such prickly pear country as that about Dalby there might be 
something in it; otherwise he was opposed to the measure. 
Mr. A. Gran (Rosewood) was also opposed to the measure, and thought. 
that if a man, considering the liberal terms under which land was obtainable, 
could not clear it and make a home for himself, he ought to goin for something 
else than farming. 
Mr. J. E. Dean (Maryborough) favoured the construction of new railways 
in agricultural areas in preference to clearing a selector’s land for him. 
Mr. D. Surrx (Roma), in reply, pointed out that during the past five or six 
years numbers of men had settled in his district. These men had started with 
small capital, had sunk that in clearing, had got into debt,and had been 
struggling along ever since. In a very large number of cases, all the capital a 
selector started with was expended in clearing, whereas, if the land were first 
of all cleared by the Government, the selector would start with better prospects 
of ultimate success, and the Government could be recouped for its expenditure 
by charging a higher rental or purchase money. Mr. Smith contended that the 
adoption of his proposals ould greatly assist in the development of settlement 
in the drier parts of the State. 
The CrarrMan pointed out that the remarks made, if not actually hostile 
to Mr. Smith’s suggestions, had not been sympathetic, and most of those who 
spoke appeared to think that any assistance that might be rendered by the 
Government should not take the form of clearing the land. He did not think 
it was his function to take sides in a debate of the kind they had just had, but 
he would,point out that they had at present a public debt of about £40,000,000, 
that last year they had a deficit of £500,000, and that this year things did not 
look too promising. Every request that the Government should expend money 
was a request that the Government should tax the people, and the Government 
had no money which it did not take from the taxpayers. So such matters as more 
