NORTHERN TERRITORY

Grey River Argus, 1 July 1914, Page 8

NORTHERN TERRITORY

/; 1 0,000,000 EXPENDITURE

ASS I STING AGRICULTURE,

(I'cr Independent Cable Service.)

MELBOURNE/, June 18. That the Commonwealth must be pre. pared to accept a. heavy .financial ! burJen, wjthoiit direct or immediate remrn, is the keynote of the Federal Government's policy for the dcvelop.nent of the Northern Territory which was prepared by Mr I. 'M. Glynn, Minister J'or External Affairs, and laid on the table of the House of Representatives to-day. In a prefatory note Mr Glynn renarked that defence against the myrad peopks of the Ivist and settlement if the Territory by white races were considerations which justified expenditure .apart from those of a purely "ommercial character. For railway uul otlK-r works of development a loan ihouid be placed to the "credit of the Icrniory, to be renaid when the possession showed a balance of revenue ' -mr expenditure. The total indebted ne st of the Territory to the Common■venlth on June -n, ioiT t w as

V TAXATION AND RATES,

'Dealing- with taxation Mr Glynn said tbiit a Land Bill would be intro Iduced making provision for small free Mold areas. Power to increase the Jan<l tax should operate as a check on freehold aggregation. He mentioned :bai in Darwin the land tax valuation was ,£30,000, while the assessment for District Council rates was ,£124,000. One w;is manifestly too low, the other 00 hitfh. Ik hoped that the next ■issessment. ;i year hence would g-ive m approximation to the (rue unimjroved values. "** In view 'of the doubts expressed- as !o the possibility of successful ag-ricul-urc :u the tropics by white labour, t wns not intemlcd (0 "force agriculural setdement," but at the same ime, anolications for land "by persons with adequate capital would be encouraged. " Inducements to farmers with cipital to take up land would nclude a rijfln of purchase of ;i free hold area, not .exceeding 25,60 acres, and a free grant ofa 1 reasonable portion.

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION

Proposals would be submitted to Par liament for the contsruction of railways to connnect, through the MacDonncll Ranges, Qodnadatta and the Katherine River; to connect Newcastle waters, or some other point on the Transcontinental railway ,jvith the Queensland border at Cammo&weal, or elsewhere; and at a. Inter date to link Anthony's Lagoon on the branch, line to Qucenslandvv ith the Pellew Islands at the mouth of the McArthur River. The lengths of line would be: — Oodnadatta to the Kntherin© 1026 miles; Newcastle waters to Camoowcal, 300 miles; Anthony's Lagoon to Pel lew Islands miles; a total of 16 16 miUis. With water, roads, etc., the cost would probably amount to ;£io,c*x>,o°o. The work would 1 be spread over eight years and provision would be made for "some reasonable and direct contribution towards the expenditure by the landowners, lessees, and others directly benefited."

LINES PROPOSF/D

As the first instalment of this policy a bill would be introduced for permanent survey and construction of a line from Oondadatta to Alice Spring's, .1 distance of 337 miles. In the con struction of the. railways the contract system as fur as passible would be adopted. As showing 1 the scope there was for 'i proper system of taxation in the Territory, Mr. Glynn pointed out that the rent, ratrs and taxes of a station comprising land both in Queensland and the Territory were: Queensland portion, 12s gd a mile tax Ss isd a mile rent; Territory portion is6d a .mile rent, no rates. ft was desired to make railway con struction minister to settlement by hold 'm' out reasonable inducements to suitable workers to g^o to the Territory Standard rates of waffes would "be naid. The labour required was efficient white workers with a large proportion of married men from the Commoncaith,' or from Southern European '••fuintries. Group settlements would br n r oviflet).

RENTS QUESTION.

KeOjts. iionu many of the stations in the Victoria River district were, "gross ly inadequate" and in view of the facilities to be afforded through the construction of railways and freezing works the values should be reappraised Thirteen lecsgecs : held, at a rent' of £2162, 4s iod, 38,713. square miles,, on which they ran 280,016 cattle. Under permits, 11,092 square miles, carry ■ing- 500 cattle^, were held by 14, persons, and the rent wasbnlv About one Avhite man Was employed to 1000 square miles In the whole Victoria River district. Amendments to existing legislation in relation; to pastoral leases would include stockingconditions, water conservation, power to the Crown to resume^ leases affected by transport facilities, and^ revaluation of rentals at ' shorter periods — say, fourteen years.

JiXPERJfMENTAL FARMS.

In the opinion of Di\ J. A. Gilruth, the Administrator, the of the Agncuitural Departweat 1 and the set iujrs vnemsclves, the prosjpects of sue cess oi viie experimental iarms would be increased 'by," if they did not depend upon, the establishment of • a bmail' dairy lactory. The proposal was that twelve settlers .should ca<;h (}»,• supplied 'witli 30 or 35. cow,s as an advance under the Adyaxices to' Spitltis' Act. The cost of the sgheme wottitl ue and provision for half this. amount, which would be all tli.it would be TCtiuircd.in the first year would be made on tha next estimates. Negotiations wilji J3ritish capitalists for tne con stiuctioii. of freezing- works at Darwin^ pending for some months, had been practically concluded. Should the agreement be entered into. the conditions, which- did not envolve as a consideration any grant of lands or leasing under conditions o^her than those prescribed by ordinance, would protect the interests of pastoral lessees and others as to facilities and charges for freezing and exfrojt* . Other points in the policy for the Territory were the establishment of cattle clips 061000 to be provided) ; survey and improvement of Victoria, Daly Adelaide, Roper, and McArthur Rivers ; extensive construction of main roads; subsidy for mining development on a jQ for £ basis.; and self-sup-porting- aboriginal station at Alice Springs.