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GENERALftEWS,
daturn'for thw$righV-_,
__
tth^^ereactsto^re
._. . ^ . a' pf^a^iouras and seeds.
On exato^all^^^f^uidd' tUat ihe Agricul
tural d^ap^M^Vjaa. pfcBolete> and "Was pay
ing t he OiMs^^oralion';'£g>^ia year for
the buildi^^^SnW^Spencpr-gtrefet station,
losing £3,000 a^S^p®0iattransaction. He
had sent Taverner to England for them, to
be a general agent. Taverner wanted to ibe
Agent-General, but he said to bim, "No, my,
boy; no gold swbrd and cocked liat for you;
general agent is what you will be. Some
thing useful, you know." , And that was
going to be his policy right through—some:
thing useful/ (Cheers.) The Agricultural de
Eartment in future twpuld have to. be run on.
usiness lines, because it was the producers
who were going to make the state pros
perous. It >vas the duty of that depart
ment to encourage the farmers, arid .to'send
men round who could give them the latest
"tips," so to speak, about the business.
There should be experimental plots in
various districts, to show what could be
frown, and instruction of every kind should
e given. Everyone knew what trouble the
Government had had about the butter ques
tion. Those in Parliament had known there
had been a conspiracy to prevent the
shippers getting a fair rate of freight, and,
although the matter was sub judice, lie
thought the evidence produced already
would justify the action he took in appoint
ing the commission. (Cheers.) There was
not the slightest doubt that when the thing
was gone into fully the people would see
how they had been attacked through these
commissions, and defrauded out of their
rights, and, therefore, lie felt it his duty
to see that it was probed to the very bot
tom. (Cheers.) Not only butter but other
produce, such as jam, Ac., would be pro
perly packed and graded. Within the
memory of some of them the people bad been
handed over a state containing 56,000,000 of
acres, free of debt and without the slightest
blister on it, and now the people owed
£51,000,000 on it. The railways cost
£40,000,000, and, tlianks to the management
of the commissioners, they were now able to
pay interest on it. But then, in addition to
that, the pensions amounted to £104,000 a
year. If that extra amount had not to
be paid a great reduction could
be effected in both passenger rates and
goods freights. (Cheers.) Altogether, the
pensions in the public sendee amounted to
£350,000 a year, or £1,000 a day. Victoria
paid more in pensions than the remainder
of the Commonwealth and New Zealand.
All he could say about separate representa
tion was that he asked the Government to
let those gentlemen in the service vote by
themselves, and they would not then exert
cise the power tbey had done in the past.
It was bis intention to see that they din not
increase the pension-list any more, but
that they should be treated-like other busi
ness people. (Cheers.) Could anybody out
side the fence get the money they got in
side the fence V No, and jolly well they
knew it. When he heard people sympa
thising with these men, he' knew they aid
not get as good pay,.'. Why, when a' rail
way man got a pain in his stomach be
could get three .weeks' leave; (Laughter.)
Could ordinary people get that? Not much.
Then,: if a fellow got too much • beer on
hoard of a night, he sent in a certificate,
and everyone -knew- what that was. Others
got spme infirmity " of- body, and a short
time afterwards one could" see them going
tearing along as right as a bank. (Laugh
ter.). He had spoken before of Griffin's
case and the pumperAt the. West Melbourne:
swamp, and they were by no means iso
lated cases. It was awful to contemplate the
amount of money paid away, and the kind
of way it was obtained. The "infirmity of
bodv game, however, was one of the best.
A chap would receive his money, and be
fore long he would Be as frisky as a kitten.
(Laughter.) The meeting closed with a
vote Of confidence. -
In another speech at Sandringham on
Tuesday evening Mr. Bent said that • it
the pensions could be bought out and
all. put on the"" same terms it would
be better for the service and. the state. He
had a scheme by means of which he thought
this would be possible.. It-was not as if
these men had joined umjbwf typTpiMj!"
svstem. Many had comegflTatew warasi;
tnen pulled the wires, /tneyeSUlt was"t
Victoria had paid five/iifmions in 23 years,^
and would have to paj( three
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