"ONLY SCRATCHED."

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19388, 14 August 1928, Page 11

"ONLY SCRATCHED."

POSSIBILITIES OF WEST AUSTRALIA.

, [THB PBESS Special Service.] ' WELLINGTON, August, 13. Afterf conferring with; the: British. Government concerning a settlement' scheme for. West Australia involving . eight million acres ..and £4,500,000, the -; Hon. Alexander McCallum, Minister for Public ' Wftrks "in!' thai-' West Australian Govfeturwng'to. the Commonwealth; by- the Niagara. ''The scheme was' viewed very' favourably by/British .authorities,, an<!: I have every ' confidence that it will' be accepted .by .them," 'Mr McCallum stated.. '' The whole crux of - the question; is; this: ,We have land with unlimited possibilities and Great' Britain has the people. Our State, with : a population of only 400,000, is unable to. finaince a large immigration scheme, and: the object o£ my visit ,t6 Great Bjitain was to secure support," which, will; amdnnt to financial assistance if it is;accegtedi" - // ~ Mr MacCailum said. the. .possibilities' of-West. Australia had as yet only been scratched. Apart from a tract of 8,000,000 acres they had huge areas for-de-velopment, chiefly suited-for wheat-grow-ing. If the scheme under review were, adopted it was proposed to provide 1000 acre-blocks at an average cost of from 12s to ISs per acre, the purchasers being given 30 years to pay. "The cost of such a scheme can be well appreciated when it His stated .that 400 Miles' of railway and. 6000, miles, of. roads will 5 have to be constructed,-: in addition to' schools, churches, post offices, etc.," proceeded ;Mr McCallum. "I have the greatest confidence : in the future of the. State. .We have the largest traets .of 'undeveloped country in the \wrld with what I consider the greatest . possibilities. 5 ' - ; Discussing-.the . type ,of ■ settlers that he considered would make good, Mr McCallum said he favoured miners. There' were 300,000 ; of them unemployedin Great Britain,'and he thought they would quickly adapt themselves to new. conditions.. They were steady, hardy, and-thrifty. "The first year or two will mean hard" work and hard living," added Mr' McCallum. "The country is so wonderfully productive, however, that a newcomer' should be well'on his feet at .the end of five years. J' Dealing with conditions abroad,' Mr McCallum said that Great Britain had definitely , turned the .corner. He was particularly impressed with the optimistic outlook of busings men who - were looking to the future with, every, confidence. He also noticed-.. that there was a - de;, dded and; strong. movement in favour, of giving -Dominion /products preferen- \ tial treatment. 1