IN WEST AUSTRALIA.

Evening Star, Issue 15073, 3 January 1913, Page 2

IN WEST AUSTRALIA.

STATE ENTERPRISE. A MINTSTERIALJEXPLANATION. [Pes United Press Association-.] AVELLINGTOX, Januarv 2. A bcate-owned tramp steamer is something unique even in New Zealand I where governmental enterprise extends ! over a wide field ; hut at one of Wei! jlingtons wharves, earco of hardwood, is such a craft-the kwinana, of 3,200 tons net register owned by the West Australian Go\ernl ment. ' '' We stand or fall by our tradinc policy," declared the Hon. W: D. Johnson a member of the West Australian babor Ministry, who came across from t romantic on the State steamer. "Up o the present," he added, "the policy has shown a proiit both on the balance--sheet and judged from the standpoint ot the people's convenience." He explained why his Government, already concerned with the making of bricks and the provision of workers' homes, J,» tL & t m \°, the butchc] -.v business and run freight steamers. West Australia had its own beef trust. There, was a combination of big stationTW« m th f Kimb «ley,or x\orth-west leiiitory, who nere also the prineinal the thlf f &tatc - S< ? were thej that they were able to secure a monopoly of all the space in the steamers tor the carriage of their stock hfn• i" a " t! T- B"*'besides these few : ami ?nn- ;y h ° contro . lle d the market ! and took the space in the steamers, e ?™ «• number of smaller settlers m the Aorth-uest with cattle to" sell, fTO 00 anxious to dispose of their for aJ?*? - d not , rauch oPPortum'tv toi doing business, however, because the big men forming the beef ring—and its existence was proved beyond a doubt-dictated the price at which the smaHer men should sell, even if the stock were allowed to be shipped at It -iY h ri th ° Sta t« Reamers And-the ' retail butchery establishment started in Perth, down came the price of beef bv M a pound. * nrnfi) VB rf rumiin S all our ships at a 2„ * v h r"°- are f< ™ r -the Western Australia, kwinana, Eucla. and Una (a stand-by sh,p). The reason why tie during" DJ" /" ™ is that during December. January, Febmarv ZV'ftfV 1110 f °" r hottest moiSsi: the cattle do not cany well, and so'the IV vinana is released. A charter to New Zealand offered, and so the steamer was employed. From the Commonwealth Government the. State steamship line has received a £5,000 mail contract, and the new steamer Eucla will, engage ro LT'Ji^r {which is contributed £,?\ t ,V 10 Commonwealth and the State) for the south coast-a. contract rZ% \ hcl [ eve > from £3,500 to £4,000. iiie State steamship line has been such a success that it will be incumbent.on the Government to add to their fleet " tl,nV ti° r ra , tcs ,' , Mr Jol "ison explained that- there had been no cutting. Tlie Government were working on excellent teims with the, steamship companies, ihe coastal rates had not been cut bv the Government, but greater transport facilities had been given for the carnage s * o ? k A m lhc kwinana, for instance, carried 700 to 800 bullocks at a time ine shipping companies raised their tenders to such a point that the Commonwealth Government threatened to send mails overland. This was an opportunity for the State Government to secure the contract which the Eucla would carry out on the southern coast of the State To that extent there had jieen competition, but the Government line and the shipping companies were working very well together. ' The State has a million acres of forest to cut, and just before I left H„« gn r e i- th<? . au * ho "' fc y fo '- 'a railway nw 8 mto the heart of th" foiost. Jbe Government thought that it it would pay concessionaries to cut the forests it would pay the State likewise. We have already an order from the Commonwealth for H million sleepers, which are to be cut and powelhsed, The first of the three mills required is now working on this con . tract. Local bodies, too, find .it'-to their advantage to draw metal and stone supplies from the State quarries near Perth. We found it quite necessary to have quarries of our own."