Some farmers in Victoria worried that the abolition of tariffs would make life much harder for them. They feared that losing their protected markets would mean their income would fall as well as the value of their land and stock.

Focus question
TaQ8 According to this document, in what ways can border duties actually be harmful to farmers?

A FARMER'S POINT OF VIEW

... speaking as a farmer, and from a farmer's point of view, he did not think they were as a body at all alarmed at the prospect of the abolition of the border duties. On the contrary, they welcomed the time when federation would wipe out all such restrictions. The abolition of border duties would be the releasing of the farmers from the fetters with which they had for so long been bound. The duties had done more harm than good in the past for the farmers, for in good seasons they had compelled them to take ruinous prices for their produce. What had the farmers of this colony to fear from the competition of the farmers in the neighbouring colonies? The Victorian farmer could produce much more than was required for home consumption, and therefore had to look to the other colonies for a market. So long as the border duties remained these other markets were practically closed to them. Recently he was informed that in one week alone 2,000 tons of chaff had been sent away from Geelong for Sydney, even under the the [sic] present restrictions. Where would the farmers of this colony be if federation were lost, and New South Wales retaliated with border duties? They knew something of this retaliation policy. South Australia in some instances had retaliated with duties on her borders ...

Councillor Noske, Dundas, from a speech at Municipal Conference, Melbourne, Argus, Melbourne, 20 May 1898, cited in Scott Bennett, Federation, Cassell Australia, North Melbourne, pp. 83-4.