THE GOLDEN WEST

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 97, 24 April 1912, Page 7

THE GOLDEN WEST

FRUIT, WHEAT, AND GOLD. Mr. F. W. Haybittle, who has been visiting Perth, Western Australia,' returned to Wellington to-day. He came straight through to Wellington, linking train, and boat without loss of time. While in Western Australia Mr. Haybittle was much impressed with tho gieat possibilities of that State. Perth he found busy and bright, and traders and workers all in good heart. The population of the city and suburbs is now 100,000, and is growing. Trade seemed to be exceptionally brisk; In course of time gold mining would no doubt be played out, but its place would be taken, by wheat and fruib. Coolgardie was practically a back number, but Kalgoorlie and Boulder City were thriving. There had already been exported 50,000 cases of fruit to London. "Such clean fruit I never saw in my life," said Mr. Haybittle. "There is no pest of any kind there, and in. order to keep out such undesirable immigrants, the most rigorous inspection of fruit from the Eastern States is insisted upon. Finer grapes I never aaw, not even in Adelaide, than those I saw in Perth. The fruit is remarkably cheap and of magnificent quality. I saw in the shops fine grapes at 2d and 3d per pound, and the very finest were 4d per pound. Peaches, apricots, and other stone- fruits were ridiculously cheap. ' The growers are doing well, too, and the future of the fruit industry is big with possibilities. _ "Wheat, too," Mr. Ilaybittle added, "is going to be a big thing in Western Australia. It has been found that it does Temai'kably welJ in the candy soil, anywhere from forty to one hundred miles of Perth. The price of fruit lands? Well, from £2 to £5 an acre and plenty available at thai;. Th« wheat lanis are also very cheap. The country is gently undulating. "What will happen when the transcontinental railway, linking-up Perth with Adelaide, is through I cannot venture to say ; but it seemed to me that theie is a great timo before Western Australia^ and especially when ono considers her geographical advantages in relation. to Europe and India.