A JEWISH SETTLEMENT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10962, 3 May 1907, Page 4

A JEWISH SETTLEMENT.

MILLION ACRES-WANTED. Mr Alex. Marks, a representative of the Jewish territorial organisation, is visiting Western Australia with the object of .securing 'a million acres of land for a Jewish settlement. The land has been selected, {md the Government is considering whether it will consent to reserve the area named. "I made inquiries about tlie Northern Territory," said -Mr Marks to an interviewer, "ancl went north as far as Palmerston, but I found that climatically .the country was quite unsuitable for any northern race. An ideal spot would be m the extreme south of West Australia, where I have selected 1,000,000 aergs and requested the Government to reserve the area for 18 months." "What class of Jews would be sent?" "They would be picked people," he replied, "such as those being sent out by thousands to the southern States of America. Last year the total sent there was 150,000, and they are settling all over the States. : They are all farmers, pastoralists, and mechanics. People are under the ! impression that Jews are all , money-lend- • ers or second-hand dealers, but they dis- ' play a lamentable ignorance when they talk m that way. The Jewish race have been agriculturalists and pastoralists from time immemorial." "Have you suggested any conditions?" "I wanb the Government to be entirely : liberal towards me m this business, because there is absolutely nothing of the ■ speculative nature about it. lt will meu lithe expenditure of a vast sum of money j and colonisation on perfect lines. All im- * migrants will be supplied with means to •make the country a success. I therefore ; expect the Government to be generous m ' their treatment of tlie proposal, otherwise ; other places will be found. I have taken, up 709 miles of country m the north-west under a pastoral lease. This country is admirably adapted for tropical products, but it will never pay anyone t« work it with white labor.. There is the difficulty. It will grow cotton and rubber, but it is essential that black labor B_ engaged. There is a magnificent future for this portion of West Australia, and it will yield utmost imiold wealth when the labor problem iy solved.""