46 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL, {1 Jony, 1902. 
Mr. W. Deacon (Allora): Mr. Mau advocates that this Agricultural 
Bank Act should apply to all settlers at present on the land, as the New 
Zealand Agricultural Bank does, and I am altogether with him. Mr. Cameron 
said that although this measure was a success in other countries it was only an 
experiment in Queensland, but why should it not be a success in Queensland 
also? If you Fe into any British community the world over, you will find 
the people all alike. In each community they have the same principles of 
honesty, the same pluck, the same energy, and they are all able to make good 
use of money. The Government will do well to take care that political influence 
shall have nothing whatever to do with the bank, and that no one gets his land 
overvalued. Three-fifths of its value is quite enough to advance upon any land. 
I know there is a feeling among the farmers that the bank as it now stands will 
only help the new settler, who is getting a good deal of help as it is. You help 
him to buy the land and help him to get a start, but to the men who have borne 
the heat and the burden of the day you refuse help. _Itis all right to say that 
money is available at cheap rates, but in practice this is only the case where 
large sums are borrowed. The small men who borrow small sums have to pa'y 
fairly heavily for their accommodation. 
Mr. F. W. Prex (Loganholme) spoke in favour of securing relief for the 
old settlers. 
Mr. F. W. Warineron (Degilbo): Mr. Mau has touched very abl 
upon what many will consider as the great defect in the present Agricul- 
tural Bank Act, and a good many, including even, I believe, some of those who 
voted for it in Parliament, were under the impression that it would provide 
relief for the old pioneers. Of course the operations of the Act extend to the 
old so-called big farmers, but the small men who have borne the brunt of the 
battle, and may have, perhaps, a small lien on their land, are unable to obtain 
any assistance from the Government under the Bank Act as it is now con- 
stituted. The other subject introduced by Mr. Mau—namely, that of tenant 
right—is a very important one, and I trust some modicum of relief will be 
extended to farmers in that direction. 
Mr. W. Miscamprr (Roma) followed in the same strain. He thought 
that assistance should be extended to those men who have laid the foundations 
of agriculture throughout Queensland. It was hardly just to bring new 
settlers to a district and give them money at 5 per cent. to compete with the 
old settlers who were denied the privilege of also obtaining cheap money. He 
did not object to the new men being provided with facilities for financial accom- 
modation, provided the old settlers were treated in a similar way. : 
Mr. W. Norr (Biggenden) thought that the old pioneer had as much right 
to obtain money at 5 per cent. as the new man who had been put alongside a 
railway line on the best land that could be found for him. 
The Cuatrman: There seems to be an impression that a difference 
has been made in connection with the Agricultural Bank between the old 
settlers and the new ones. There is no difference whatever. The application 
of every man will be dealt with uponits merits. The object of the Government 
in introducing the Bill was not, whatever may be done in the future, to take u 
the mortgages of those persons who had been unfortunate enough to find it 
necessary to borrow. Seeing that a great many of the old settlers were graziers, 
and seeing that this motion is brought forward by a graziers’ association, 
seeing that there have been 12,000,000 sheep lost ures the drought, to 
compensate these gentlemen for their losses, or to take up their mortgages, is a 
task which would be beyond the ability of the Government. The late 
Minister for Agriculture was largely responsible for the present Act, and I 
know the system upon which the Bill is based. ‘To some extent it is taken from 
the German plan, but with this difference: Instead of co-operative credit— 
which is, I believe, almost impossible to hope for in this country—there is State 
