THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15929, 16 June 1917, Page 4

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY.

GOVERNMENT METHODS CRITICISED. (ntOlt OCE OW.V COKHESrOXDENT.) SYDNEY, June G. '"The £-500,000 a year which tho Federal Government i 3 spending on tho Northern Territory might jusfc as veil bo thrown into the sea, !> fays Mr Jolly, an Adelaide shipping man, and a recent resident of Darwin. "Tho lerritory is in a worse position than it was 33 years ago. The main result of the prodigal expenditure has been to drain the little available labour away from other parts of tho territory and concentrate it i n Dawrn, where men can get from los to £1 per day for doing very little. Tho ironcy spent on the agricultural farms has been absolutely wasted: no one seems to benefit. The State hotels at Darwin are dirty, badly kept, and very expensive. Many people there board at the hotels, but tho cost of board and lodging has gono up from £7 to £13 per month, the quality ha s tone down—and still tho hotels do "not pay."

Mr Jolly said his firm used to ship goods round into the Gulf of Carpentaria and up tho Macarthur river lor £6 per ton. Tho Government with its crazo for nationalising everything, put on a steamer to do tho work for 30s per ton. On the first trip, the steamer went ashore in the mud, nid stayed there for six weeks. When it got back to port, the crew demanded six weeks' overtime! The service wa3 so slow, muddled, and exasperating that tho peoplo interested asked Mr Jolly's firm to resume the former service, and offered £6 10s per ton. The country has somo resources which would bo valuablo under a proper system of development, but almost all are languishing under the present regime. As it is a Statecontrolled territory, tho Labour unions think they can do as they like—ask as much money for as littlo work as possible. They are one of tho most ferious problems before tho Administration.

Last week, a steamer carrying .General cargo arrived in Darwin from southern ports. But the waterside workers refused work, as they have recently done several times: they wanted another sixpence an hour. The agent refused it, but ultimately paid it >n order to get tlio vessel away. Tho company concerned, which carries out an enormous coastal trade, lias dow announced that it will accept no more freight for Darwin. The Darwin business, it says, is too risky and unsatisfactory, and its steamers vill pot trade thcro for the present. This is likely to hare a most serious effect on the Territory trade—but it. is no moro than can bo expected under present conditions there. STATEMENT BY DR. GILRUTH. So mo comments on this interview wero mado by tho Administrator (Dr. Gilruth). After remarking that Mr Jolly had not been in. the Territory since ho had been appointed Administrator, Dr. Gilruth said that he would liko to know whether the income of Mr Jolly's firm had increased or diminished since tho Commonwealth took over tho Territory. The greater part of the expenditure in tho Northern Territory was in interest and sinking fund on money spent there by South Australia. As to the hotels, ono cf tkeso (the Hotel Victoria) was taken over from Mr Jolly's firm. The mere fact that the Government had spent £8000 in the past year in necessary improvements to tho hotels in Darwin, and that further expense must bo incurred before tho hotels wero quite satisfactory, was some indication cf the condition of the hotels before the Government took them over.' As to the cost of board, tho charge for permanent board and lodging in the Hotel Victoria was from £2 2s per week upwards, not £15 per month, as Mr Jolly stated. It was quite true that tho charge for casual visitors was 10s per day. As to the'shipping charges to the McArtliur river, formerly Messrs Jolly and Co. ran tho coasting trade with their own steamers, and recei7ed a Government subsidy of £1500 a year. Tho Government vessel was never ashoro for six weeks or an;& other period at tho McArthur river. Mr Jolly was probably thinking of the Victoria river. It was quite truo that Messrs Jolly and Co. now carried on tho traffic to tho Victoria river, but in luggers manned entirely by coloured labour. As to mining, when the Federal Government took it over it was in a low state. Since then the Maranboy tin field and other properties were being developed by white labour. Formerly all mining was conducted by Chinese labour. Tfc was quito true that fish were fairly plentiful, but it would bo wrong to assume that tLey were always as easily caught as oil tho occasion mentioned bv Mr Jolly's son. Since he (Dr. Gilruth) went there no orders had been given to :.iop fishing by Chinese. As a matter oF fact practically all the fish sold wcte caught by Chinese. As regards rice growing, they had demonstrated J ,h»fc that could be done by white people at a profit. In fact, it had been demonstrated that rice of excellent quality could be sown, thrown, and reaped with tho aid of machinery in the same vay as wheat was grown in Victoria.