AUSTRALIA PROSPEROUS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 578, 5 August 1909, Page 4

AUSTRALIA PROSPEROUS.

NO WISH FOR POLITICAL CONTROL 05 RAILWAYS.' Among those who returned to New Zealand I by the Manuka yesterday were Mr. and Mrs.; F. E. Baume, of Auckland,,who have been enjoying a month's holiday on "the other side." Seen by,,a Dominion- reporter, Mr. Baume, M.P., said that Australia— viewed broadly,' as he only had time to do— seemed to be marvellously prosperous. Both in Melbourne and Sydney business was very bright, and there appeared to be any amount of money about. "I met politicians on both sides of' the House in Sydney," said Mr. Baume, "and they one and all cgreed that under land laws such as we had ifi Now Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria. Queensland, and South Australia, in fact the whole of coastal Australia, had 3 wonderful future. There is no denying that the past year has been one of plenty in Australia, and the rains dijring the winter have been phenomenally good; indeed, they are beginning to cry out- about getting too much rain in Victoria during the past month or two." Mr. Baume said that New Zcalanders b« bad met and whose word was to bo relied upon had assured him that tho richness of Australian lands, generally had not been exaggerated, and they wore all of opinion that a big future was ahead of the Commonwealth. He was afraid that many who had left New Zealand lately for Sydney had exaggerated tho depression that has been felt here for a fow months past. It seemed to him that when they were interviewed bytho Sydney press they could not refrain from drawing "a long bow" as to the real situation here. During the time lie had been in Australia ho had done his best to refute any statements of a misleading character. Questioned as to whether ho extended his inquiries to tho railways, Mr. Baume said that he had not had time to go far in that direction in the limited timo at his disposal, but the railways were very good and extremely comfortable to travel by. There were, individual complajnts about the commissioners, but there was no , doubt whatever that the publio favoured non-political control, and would not Under any consideration agree to the system going back to Government control. Mr. and Mrs. Baume leave for Auokland by the Mqin Trunk express to-day.