NORTHERN TERRITORY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17361, 7 January 1920, Page 7

NORTHERN TERRITORY

PROGRESS OF THE INQUIRY. ADMINISTRATION OF FARMS. A. and N.Z. DARWIN, Jan. 6. Before the Darwin Commission to-day, Mr. F. S. Carey, ex-Director, was crossexamined at length regarding allegations that certain officers connected with the Aborigines' Protection Department were got rid of in order to prevent the truth coming out regarding the alleged ill-treat-ment and debasement of the aborigines.

Mr. Carey denied this. He also denied the insinuation that the only men wanted by the Gilruth Administration were crin;;ers and crawlers, oi' that the Palmerston District Council was abolished because Dr. Gilruth could not manipulate it, and another council with three Government members out of seven substituted.

The evidence disclosed that the expenditure on one Government demonstration farm was £31,000, and the revenue therefrom £782. On the other farm the expenditure was £1150, and the revenue £96, spread over several years.

Mr. Barrett, solicitor, asserted that Dr. Gilruth did not desire agriculture to succeed in the territory. He wanted to decry the White Australia policy and sell the territory to a syndicate like the British South Africa Company. Mr. Carey admitted that the Administration never had anyone on the demonstration farms who could demonstrate, hut he denied the policy was to show the territory was no good for white men with a view to selling it to a meat company.