PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 30 August 1924, Page 15

PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATES.

ON THE WAY TO SOUTH AFRICA

TRANS-AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY

JOURNEY

The New Zealand delegates, consisting of Sir John Luke, M.P., Hon. A. E Hawke, M.L.C., and Messrs James Horn, M.P., and E. J. Howard, M.P., arrived at Perth on August 1, having travelled overland from Sydney to Western Australia. Mr. Howard writes to say that after a very pleasant trip to Sydney in the Maheno, they were met by an officer from the State Premier’s department and conducted on a tour of the ‘city. The Premier being indisposed at the time of their visit, they were received ‘at Parliament House by the DeputyLeader of the House, the Hon. W. E. Wearne. They were also present at the Sydney House of Assembly during a debate. On July 23 the delegation left Sydney for Melbourne. The Premier of New South Wales kindly lent his railway carriage for the journey. At Melbourne the delegates were again met by an officer from the Prime Minister’s department In Australia the chief Minister of the State is termed the Premier, and the chief Minister of the Federal Parliament is termed the Prime Minister, The delegation visited both Federal Houses of Parliament, and heard part of an interesting debate on the question of Central Australia in the Senate. In the House of Assembly a Bill to compel every elector to vote, under a penalty of £2, was put through the final stages, and it is now law. In the evening a dinner was given to welcome the delegates, by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. S. M. Bruce, at his private residence. On July 25 the delegates were entertained at lunch at the Federal House of Parliament by the Victorian Branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association.

“We left Melbourne on July 26, and arrived in Adelaide on Sunday, July 27,” continues Mr. Howard. “Again wo were met by an officer from the Premier’s department, and taken for a motor drive to Mount Lofty. South Australia lias a - Labour Government in office, and the delegates were received and welcomed by the Premier, Hon. J. Gunn, on the Monday. On Tuesday, July 20, wo left Adelaide for the run to Perth on the Transcontinental Railnay. The Federal delegates to South Africa journeyed to the west by the Euripides, the shin that wc are going to South Africa by, but the New Zealanders were anxious to see that vast stretch of country between Adelaide •and Perth, so .they took the overland route. All the delegates are exceedingly pleased that they did do this trip; it was most interesting. Leaving Adelaide at a quarter to eleven in the forenoon of Tuesday, July 29, we reached the end of the first stage, Terowie, at 8.40. There we changed trains to a narrower gauge, and the next stage was to Port Augusta, where we arrived at 10.5 p.m. Here we changed over to the transcontinental train. The trains from Adelaide to Port Augusta are no better and no worse than the New Zealand trains, but the trans-continental service beats anything any of the New Zealand delegates had ever experienced ■'before. The furnishing and the attendance certainly are as good as those of any first-class hotel in Sydney. On transferring for. the long ride we found the beds made up. Seemingly without anv bother, the passengers were directed to their cabins. There was none of that rush and bustle experienced on the State trains. "We all turned in, and awoke in the morning’ to find the train rushing along a lane cut through the scrub. Each passenger, both first and second, was advised what time to go to breakfast. Consequently the organisation worked smoothly and well. At lunch and dinner time each passenger was given a card showing the tame he was to go to the dining-room. There was no bustle, and between each sitting the tables were re-laid and looked as neat and clean as if no one had used them before we sat down. Too much praise cannot be given for the wav this service is conducted. The train itself is a iov—runs smoothly and is provided with every comfort. There is a smoking-room, with card tables, writing desks with paper, ink and pen provided, lounge room with a piano and an observation car. Mile after mile the train’speeds on over an open plain. Having left the scrub country, we enter the Xullarbor Plain. Nullarbor' means no trees. There are not only no trees, but the blue-bush and the salt-bush also disappear, and for four hundred and thirty miles the line stretches east and west. It is a curious sight. Right ahead, as straight as a die and apparently as flat as the proverb.al pancake, stretch these two rails until they appear to join in the distance. Awav behind us the same thing; and so the train pounds on until suddenly the country alters and we get into the granite. We have just covered the longest piece of straight railway line to be found anywhere in the world. As a fact, the country has a fall to the east on this plain of nine inches to the mile, ’•but as this is not noticeable to the traveller the plain seems to be dead level. No one knows how far north this plain extends. There is little or no water, and .so no one has yet attempted to explore the plain in that direction. At a place called Oldca, 427 miles from Port Augusta, and at the end of the sand country and the beginning on the Nullarbor Plains, there is a water. soak. This- soak has been known to the blacks from time immemorial. All the explorers of this country were told of this water supply and naturally made for it. “It is a wonderful country across the 1051 miles of this trans-Australian railway route. There are only about three places where water can he found, and the principal place is Oldea. There is an historical place where the blacks for hundreds of miles have always gathered at certain times for tliei'r religious ceremonies. Leaving the plains, wc suddenly plunge into the mallee country. Mallee, myall, mulga, oak. and other timber now come into view, and the train pounds on and on along this lane cut through the Imsh. Again we go to bod, and next day we arrive at that worn Irons country, Knlgoorlie. The mayor, town clerk, and some of the councillors met us and we were given a civic reception. We were then taken to what the mayor described as the richest mile of country on God’s earth. One hundred million pounds worth, of gold, said his Worship, had been won from that mile, a ton of geld pei- month for many months. We were I taken to the Perseverance Mine, and heard what sounded like fairy stories. See this tree with the rail.bigs around it? Well, that's the spot where Pat Hanna npicked up the first bit of gold whilst looking for his horse. Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie. is a wide business street, with electric cars and all up-to-date conveniences. ‘See that public ' r arden ?’ said his Worship the Mayor. •That’s made possible by a New Zealand engineer, who brought the-water ?50 miles into the desert. Twenty tb<> spot was as barren as the Nullarbor Plains. To-dav there is

a flourishing modern city, but if the gold gives out she will go hack to the wilderness.’ Goolgardie is a deserted city. The iron of the roofs, the doors, and all that would pay to transport have gone. From a-population of 30,000 it has now probably not more than 300. Kalgoorlie and' Boulder City will follow Coolgardie if the gold disappears. Me saw the process of winning or extracting the gold from the telluride ore. Crushed to a powder, cajcined to get rid of the sulphur, through the cyanide tanks, then to the zinc boxes, finally to the retorts, and moulded into nuggets or bars of gold. “Four hours in Kalgoorlie, then by train on to Perth. Another night’s sleep or sleeplessness on the train, because the State train was all that the Federal train service was not. We’ll leave it at that. The next morning at 10 we arrived at Perth, having done a train journey of 2761 miles and slept five nights in railway carriages. It was a wonderful trip over wonderful country. To-day we were received by the Labour Cabinet in the Cabinet room. W e were given a hearty welcome, and later the same day by the Mayor. Since we have struck Australia we have received the .utmost kindness from everyone. We are exceedingly pleased with our journey so far, and on Monday we join the Euripides for South Africa.”