SECESSION.
WEST AUSTRALIA.
" MOVEMENT JUSTIFIED."
GRAZIER'S OBSERVATIONS. Altliousrh practically all the primary producers in West Australia are said to be in favour of secession from the rest of the Commonwealth, Mr. J. A. D. Munro, owner of a large sheep station in the northern part of the State, expressed the opinion, wheTi lie passed through Auckland by the Mariposa on Saturday, that it was unlikely that secession would ever become an accomplished fact.
"It would be a bacl tiling for the Commonwealth as a whole, but a good thing for West Australia, if we coulcl secede," he stated. "I, myself, am in favour of secession, and so are practically all our primary producers, because we would then he outside the Commonwealth's tariff wall and could be practically a freo trade country. The position is that, despite some setbacks, West Australia has been, throughout the depression period, the most prosperous of the Australian States, and is going ahead faster than any of tliem. Some of our land, especially in the north, is, on account of the uncertain rainfall, semi-desert, as is my own station of three-quarters of a million acres, on which I can run only about one sheep to every 15 acres, though it could be much improved if we were allowed to import cheap coloured labour. On the other hand, we have some of the best wheat growing country in the world, and this is being subdivided and settled. Our principal products are gold, wool and wheat, and all of these are now fetching good prices, though wheat is lagging somewhat behind the others." 3.. Tariffs Resented. "Our farmers resent, however, having to pay heavy Federal tariffs on the necessities that they import, and declare that tariffs are hampering the development of the State," said Mr. Munro. "We have practically 110 secondary industries of otii - own to protect, and we feel that in being forced to pay duties wo are being taxed in order to prop up the manufacturers round about Sydney and Melbourne. If we seceded, our importers would have to pay only a small duty levied on luxuries to provide revenue. The secessionist movement is, therefore, justified on the face of it, as far as the interests of West Australia but the loss of revenue from our State would be a severe blow to the I'ederal Government, while our secession might also have a had moral effect."
Wliile ho did not think that the secessionists would achieve their object, Mr. Munro declared that their agitation had already greatly benefited the State by bringing it under the notice of the world. "London woke up with a start to the fact that there was such a place when we started petitioning for secession," remarked Mr. Munro, "and now we shall not be forgotten in a hurry. It has been a great advertisement. In fact, we have got our full money's worth, in publicity value, out of the secessionist movement."
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 58, 9 March 1936, Page 9
Word Count
490SECESSION. Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 58, 9 March 1936, Page 9
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