WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 14 June 1930, Page 3

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SECESSION MOVEMENT POSITION IN COMMONWEALTH “WE ARE IN SHACKLES” The movement in Western Australia, for the secession of that State fioni the Commonwealth was the subject of statements in Sydney recently by Messrs Gregory and Browse, members of the House of Representatives at Perth. They both declared that the campaign for secession must he taken seriously. "For Hie past four or five years,” said Mr, Gregory, “the leading Sunday newspaper in Perth has been advocating secession ns the only means by which Western Australia may relieve herself from disabilities under Federal legislation, especially under the customs tariffs and the Navigation Act. The great majority of us in the west believe in Federation, and would desire to remain in it. But the operation of Federal legislation lias been so disastrous to the welfare of our people that unless we have reform in the near future wo shall find the growth of opinion so strong that nothing will stop its demands. Such separation would not affect our loyalty to tlio Empire; that is as strong as it was when wo had complete Slate autonomy.”

NAVIGATION AND TARIFF LAWS “W r e arc in shackles,” said Mr Browse. “Sir James Mitchell, flic Premier, has said more than once that if we were free to buy our requirements in the open market avc should save two or three millions a year, which would enable us to develop more rapidly our great State.”

Mr Browse declared that the Navigation Act was one of the prime causes of high costs of production in Western Australia, and the tariff was another. “We cannot,” lie said, “enjoy any of the marked advantages of secondary industries in the Eastern States under the tariff. Since avc have to buy in the dearest market in the" world, .namely, the Eastern Australian, and avc must sell our products in open competition Avith the Avorld overseas, avc find ourselves at a great disadvantage. We cannot carry on secondary industries in ihc west because the more highly organised factories in the Eastern States Avonkl immediately dump on us. Wo arc forced to use our man power on the land.” Both of these Western Australian representatives agreed that the bountypaying system on production Avas penalising tlie Western State as much as the import tariff. COSTS OF PRODUCTION “The coastal clauses of the Navigation Act,” said Mr Gregory, “make the costs of Western farmers greater even than those of Eastern farmers under the tariff alone. In Western Australia avc arc opening up areas that will grow Avlieat, meat, and avool—areas as big as the Avliole of Victoria. We have no other development open to us than in these farming directions. Its extent, especially in regard to railAvays and Avater supplies, renders the cost of development, and later the cost of marketing, so high that it is impossible to‘"carry on profitably Avith the present loav prices for our products.”' “With the control of our orvn customs for 25 years,” added Mr Gregory, “as recommended by the majority report of the Federal Royal Commission on (Western Australian disabilities in 1921,1 feel sure that avc should be able to produce ..in Western Australia as much Avlieat as all the rest of the Commonwealth. The most vital need of Australia is to increase our population and purchasing poAver. lloav can Western Australia play her part in this, a part she is willing and anxious to undertake, Avith every step in such development penalised by Federal legislation Avliich heaps up the costs of primary. production ?”