44 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Jury, 1902. 
railways, more harbour accommodation, &¢., which the Government was requested 
every now and then to undertake, all required money. Whenever the public at 
large demanded that the Government should do something involving the expendi- 
ture of money, then that demand was equivalent sooner or later to a demand that 
the people should pay more money to the Treasurer. That was a matter that was 
worthy of consideration. It was impossible for the people of Queensland to 
expend money without the Government at the same time squeezing them and 
demanding that they should pay more taxation. The fact that the Government 
is the people was apt, however, to drop out of one’s perception. The 
Government had no sources whatever from which to find those various things 
which were so frequently asked for other than the pockets of the people. He 
thought that the fact that they had £40,000,000 of debt, and the fact that their 
business of last year had turned out so disastrously, should be borne in mind in 
all these matters, and that they should ask themselves how far it was prudent 
to ask the Government to take upon itself duties which would involve a further 
demand upon the pockets of the taxpayers. 
EXTENSION OF THE SCOPE OF THE AGRICULTURAL BANK ACT. 
Mr. C. P. Mav (Mackay): In discussing this question I would like to 
record as 2 motion for the consideration of the Resolutions Committee the 
desirability of so extending the scope of the present Agricultural Bank Act as 
to assist those already involved, also for assisting in the purchase of land and 
stock. In clause 18 of the present Act it says that no money is to be granted 
to relieve mortgages or other charges. So far as the present Act goes, it has 
some very good provisions, but the money available from it appears to be ear- 
marked for a certain class of people. It is feasible to expect that there are 
men who have been here from twenty to thirty years who may deserve help. 
In my opinion, interest is the worst of all evils in the agricultural community, 
and I have nothing to find fault with in the Agricultural Bank Act except that 
it should be equal for all. I think that, provided his security is good, every 
farmer should have a chance of enjoying the privileges of the bank. In South 
Australia they have a Land Bank which allows this. Our society has been 
communicating with the administrators of that bank, and we have got the 
following facts from them: In their bank, advances are made in cases such as 
I am referring to, to the extent of three-fifths of the value, determined by a 
valuation of the land offered as security. If the purchaser is able to pay half 
of the purchase money, and the bank considers the price a fair one, the balance 
would be advanced, provided the property were duly mortgaged to the bank. In 
ordinary cases the bank does not inquire into the disposal of the money advanced, 
and it can be utilised for the purchase of stock or for any other purpose that the 
mortgagor may desire. That shows that in South Australia they assist-the 
old settler as well as the new comer. I am also advised that, notwith- 
standing that South Australia, along with the rest of the Commonwealth, has 
experienced a succession of bad seasons, the borrowers have met their obligations 
in an exceedingly satisfactory manner. Reliable labour in Queensland seems as 
if it is going to be a thing of the past, and we now have to look forward to 
reliablemoney. It may be said that if the provisions of the Act were extended 
we would not be able to get enough money to run the bank, but I feel certain 
that sufficient could be raised from the people. All we wish from the Govern- 
ment is the administration of the Act—that is, we want it to help us to organise 
so that we can help ourselves. I want to impress upon everyone that I mean 
to get my resolution passed if possible, and if I thought I had no chance of 
getting support from my brother farmers I would not waste time on the matter. 
The Queensland Hansard will prove that when this measure was going’ through 
the House there were a good many men who were quite in accord with what I 
am advocating. Mr. Armstrong was in favour of it, and so was Mr. Tolmie, of 
Toowoomba, but the Bill was brought in so late in the session that these and 
other members were afraid to insist on what they felt certain would be an 
