IN QUEENSLAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 82, 17 January 1928, Page 2

IN QUEENSLAND

J.AND SETTLEMENT PROBLEMS. SOME STATE ENTERPRISES. (Per Pifcss Association.) AUCKLAND, January 16. “Queensland’s biggest problems are mainly connected with, the land, subdivision of large Incas of Crown lands and re-stocking of farms which suffered heavily in the drought,” said the Hon. W. Forgan Smith, Deputy-Premier of Queensland and Minister of Agriculture in the McCormack Labour Cabinet, when interviewed on board the Niagara this morning. He went on to tell or other problems which the Government lias to handle,.and lie was not slow to praise the Premier of Queensland for the very able manner in which he handled the big railway strike which up sc v the country soon after Mr McCormack’s return from England in September last ypar. Mr Forgan Smith lias enjoyed a rapid rise in the political world. Life as a paperbanger in Perthshire, Scotland, was rather too dull for hiin, and seventeen years ago he left for Queensland, where his natural interest in matters political soon brought him into tne limelight. Within three years of his arrival Mr Smith was a member of the State Legislature. Nor did speedy success spell ultimate failure, because he was elevated in the House. Hard work lias taken its toll, however, and he comes to New Zealand mainly to recuperate his health. Before his appointment as Minister of Agriculture Mr Smith held the portfolio of Public Works, and during his term a fairly comprehensive programme was carried out. He is forty years of age and the youngest member of a Cabinet of ten. “The dairy industry is growing by leaps and bounds in Queensland/' saiu Mr Smyth. “Factories are springing up almost overnight, as is shown by the fact that within a few months Queensland’s Minister of Agriculture was- called upon to open six. The bulk of the butter and cheese exported goes to the London market, although a small quantity is sent annually to the East. “Meat shops and insurances have been the most successful of Queensland State enterprises,” said Mr Smith. “There has been a profit, too, in the State fish business. A loss lias been made on the State cattle farms, wliicli are now for sale.” No one can make money out of cattle in Queensland, according to Mr Smith. Conditions are all against the industry. Mr Smith is a member of the Commonwealth Loons Board, which controls the financial strings of Australia. It has been the experience of Queensland that fairly cheap money can be had from tho United States, where a number of loans have been raised. A good deal of money is required for State advances to settlers and for workers’ homes. The Minister said he was very interested in the Dominion s subsidy of £30,000 for the pork industry. “I suppose I’ll, hear quit© a lot more about it before I leave New Zealand,” he said. Queensland has a good number of Italians. They make good settlers, hut are inclined to isolate themselves from the remainder of the community and to cling tenaciously to their national habits and characteristics, lhe 'Minister admitted that British settlers were to be preferred.