AUSTRALASIAN AND ASIAN PROBLEMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 28, 2 February 1907, Page 9

AUSTRALASIAN AND ASIAN PROBLEMS.

■ ■■ •»—» — i. THE {'GREAT DISCONTENT. 1 ' NORTHERN TERRITORY PROBLEMS. THE MISSING LINK. (From Our Special Correspondent.) "No portion of Australia's north is richer; none is in a moro undefended condition than this territory. As a foraging ground for meat supplies of an armyoperating against the rest of Australia- it offers every facility ; as a naval station for beaching and effecting temporary repairs the harbour of Port Darwin pietents advantages perhaps nowhere surpassed " — Government Resident's report. The undeveloped, isolated state of the Northern Territory of South Australia is exemplified in its outlet — Palmerston, on Port Darwin. This pretty red and green township is slumbrous and many-colour-ed. -Mention "the" railway, the "missing link," to some residents, and a bitterness is evoked that would move mountnirs, but has no effect upon Adelaide. Picture 335,116,800 acres, populated by about 650 witfts rcen; an unprotected coast within ten days' steam of a\i Eastern Power 1 increasing pressure of debt, isolation, and official apathy — there is presented the dailc aide of this land of the Great Discontent. Oversea islandfcungry Japan, cognisant of our Xoithern coasts, and of the possibilities of the Northern Territory ; also aware that it is confronted- with a Customs office?, 641 white men, and 1867 Chinamen. Is it unlikely that the menu card of Asia may yet include a struggle to plant a new fldjr and a new people on our unused territory? Facts like these are old, but they buwi in -at Palraerston. The Northern Territory may be said, on 'official evidence, to have shouldered the responsibilities and pressure of Federation without being ,able to secure compensating advantages.' The heavy - cost of the Palnwrston to Pine Cieek railway has crippled the territory financially, and il is thus rapidly • going to the bad. Since the I'cderal Aliens Restriction Act came into operation the local coloured population has been steadily decreasing, in consequence of tin exodus to other portions of the Commonwealth then throw ji open.^ At present the question of white or coloured labour is settled, but a compromise, proposing the employment of "indentured" labour may yet reopen the palter. The European population has increased slightly. It, is officially stated that concurrently with the emigration of Chinese there has been no corresponding decrease in staple exports, -but the Customs report states: — "The deciease in tho export of the baser metals of £13,344 is no doubt due to the want of suitable labour, and no improvement can be expected with the present population." The Chief Warden's report remarks that "tho supply is more than sufficient to meet the small demand for labour." At the end of 1805 there -were 120 Europeans and 1000 Chinese engaged in mining, which was a decrease on 1904 of 69 ! Europeans and 158 Chinese. If properly prosjiected and worked the territory may yet take rank amongst the chief mining countries of the world, but present conditions aro not satisfactory. Lack of ; dividends may be partly accounted for by heavy initial expenditure— not always free from criticism—- difficulties of water, transport, and communication, etc ■ To attract experienced miners high wages are necessary, 'and then it becomes a ( question of the capacity of the mine to compensate owners. Some very rich. lodes have "cut out" at certain deptSis, and the cost of furtbe* boring h* s po^ti^aes proved prohibitive. Fortunately the uovernment are rendering valuable aid by ] drilling operations, which prospect "known gold Teefs at depth, and for coal." Already tho experiment is understood to have.- been amply justified. i The vahie of the pastoral industry in j the territory may be gauged from the j report that at the end of year 1905 there j were 290,000 cattle, also a largo number i of elieep, horses, and goats, while the average yearly export of cattle for 1901-4 was valued at £104,473. At the present high rates pastoralista send stock to Wyndham, Charleville (Queensland), etc., instead of to Darwin. When prices fall, owing to rapid "breeding up," Eastern markets must bo exploited. The Transcontinental Railway and meat works at Palmerston, both necessities, will greatly stimulate the export of frozen meat. Breeding hoises for export will also prove an important factor m the future. In ' agricultural matters no development took place during 1905, ulthough the work carried on at the Experimental Gardens was rich in proof of gieat possibilities. An interesting, experiment has been carried out in the growth of sisal hemp by means of prison labour, and the curator is sanguine that it can be grpwn at a profit. Three varieties of cotton are indigenous to the territory, and the Sea Island and Egyptian cotton find a natural home. Large areas of land are I singularly adapted for the cultivation of rice, and fine cigar-leaf tobacco can be. grown. Amongst the plants repotted to thrive are jute, annatto (dye), betel-nut, oil-paints, kapok, indiarubber, starch, ramie, cocoa, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, kola-nut, etc. The potentialities of such a, list are tremendous. Tho Government resident believes • that the agricultural lands will best be utilised by European labour through mixed farming, and not j by tropical agriculture pure and simple. While the pearlshell industry in 1906--compared unfavourably with the results in 1904 (owing to the price of shell) there was a substantial increase in the quantity of beche-de-mer, and the local men are ousting tho old-established trade of the Macassar proas. Tho apathy displayed by the South' Australian Government ' in regard to the oboriginals is startling. ! There ate no real protective laws, hence the administration is farcical, and the evils manifold. A strong indictment is contained in the annual report, which alleges that the natives can murder with i impunity along the north coast, as tho Government possesses no vessel of any kind to police or patrol. Neglected, exiled, sick with deferred 'hope, the Territoriaus still exist, waiting for "the railway" which will give them nationality and a great deal more. Meanwhile, the same thriftless policy in tha South is apparent. 1 The Premier state* that when tho Government hus "seiious. ly considered" the matter it will tak* Parliament into its confidences ! (Vid<? Northern Territory Times, 14th December.) ,There is a horror in the blessed I words "syndicate" and "land grunt," so i that the 1902 Act is stated to have been Utilised as an excuse for not permitting the construction of the line on a land- | grant system. Still there is hope— a GoI vernment visit to the territory has been | promised. The last parliamentary visit is still a green metnoiy 1 If the railway is built befoie the Commonwealth takes control of the tenitory tho line will go ! to Adelaide, but if built ufter transfer it is quite possible that it may run into Queensland or New South Wale/s. Tliomj in favour of the latter routes contend thnt cither would lap better country, give a moie satisfactory mail service' and pi'ovc moie advantageous in time of war. o thorn ugain argue thnt such a deviation would largely lncreue the cost, and

woald bo very unfair to' South Australia. How to save the terrritory for Australia? The four following suggestions were made by the Government Resident laht year: — The completion of the Transcontinental railway ; Continuance of Government prospecting by diamond-drills ; Establishment of closer pastoral settlement, combined with agriculture; and Free grants of land to married settlers with uimilies. Even moro important is a live immigration policy ; for exchange from State to State is- playing at nationhood. Agriculture may be fostered either by the employment of indentured labour, or along lines which experience has shown to be suitable to Europeans. The sinking of wells along stock routes, and the construction of meat works and stockyards at Palmerston would benefit the pastoralists. Effective assistance may be given by -the Government in the shape of a bonus in connection with, say, rice, hemp, and tobacco culture. In the importation of a good stamp of stallion for breeding purposes, and by subsidising fast steamers running direct to the East from Palmerston, the State or Federal Government Way also lend{,invaluable aid. EflectiV6 defence of the town and harbour is all-important and urgent, st that when the day of trial by fire comes we may be able to fight forrights, and to win. S.K.