174 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Sepr., 1902. 
7. No restrictions have been placed in the way of large buyers fitting up 
elevators, and yet they have not done so; hence elevators cannot bea good thing. 
—Another misconception. There have been no suitable railway facilities for 
the interior transportation of grain in bulk, and this is an almost fatal 
restriction. Elevators in the grain districts are white elephants unless supple- 
mented by the proper railway trucks. These two things must go hand in hand, 
and private enterprise cannot be expected to embark in the elevator business 
so long as our railways lack the particular kind of trucks necessary to serve the 
elevators. 
- 8. Wheat corners.—It has been said that elevators encourage the cornering 
of wheat—i.e., the buying up by speculators of large quantities of wheat when 
prices are low with a view to forcing up the price by creating a shortage in the 
amount of wheat available in the market. This has often been done in the 
United States, and it is certain that the American elevators facilitate such 
operations. As soon as the new crop comes into the elevators, its quantity 
becomes known and more or less subject to manipulation by speculators. The 
“buying-up” of grainis much facilitated by its accumulation in large quantities 
in elevators. 
Thus far it seems as if this objection is a valid one; nevertheless, a little 
further consideration shows that State ownership introduces a factor that may 
completely alter the case. For, if the State owns and controls the elevators, it 
is in a position to enforce wholesome regulations against the improper manipula- 
tion of the wheat market. Granting that “cornering” is an evil, it would be 
hard to devise a better way to remedy that evil than to place the grain in charge 
of the State in a free country like Australia. Under proper regulations, no one 
could corner the market without the knowledge of the State, which would have 
power to interfere if the people chose to give it that power. 
Tam informed that the elevators erected some years ago in the Argentine 
are only now coming to be appreciated. The reason for this is twofold. 
Firstly, labour is very cheap in that country, and wherever labour is very low- 
_ priced the introduction of any kind of labour-saving machinery is more difficult 
than in a country like Australia, where labour is high-priced. Secondly, the 
necessary railway facilities for carriage in bulk were not provided. 
Introduction of Elevators into Australia. 
Listening to a conversation recently, I heard a shrewd observer hold forth 
somewhat as follows :—“ You may rely upon it the millers and merchants of 
Australia will oppose the introduction of elevators by the Government. Why? 
Well, I'll tell you. At present the millers and merchants know more about the 
grain than anybody else, and they benefit by it. In any deal the man who 
knows the most can get the benefit of any uncertainty, and of course in a grain 
deal the greatest element of uncertainty at present is the quality of the grain, 
and this uncertain element often yields the merchants and millers a nice profit 
because of their superior knowledge of the grain market. Now this proposal to 
place practically all the grain in charge of the State with the power to grade it 
and treat buyer and seller‘alike will put the producers on a level with the buyers 
so far as a knowledge of the quality of the grain is concerned, and will to that 
extent benefit the producers at the expense of the present buyers. When the 
farmer can deliver to the State elevator and immediately receive an expert and 
impartial return as to the quantity and quality of his grain, he will be ina 
better position on the market than he is now, and of course those who now 
profit by his ignorance stand to lose just so much.” 
This opinion must stand for what it is worth. Personally, I think any 
opposition based on such grounds would soon collapse. 
With regard to the introduction of elevators into Australia, there is hard y 
room for two opinions. My own opinion, expressed some years ago in the 
Agricultural Gazette, I find to be now stronger than ever. My observations 
