VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16360, 7 June 1927, Page 11

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA

MR. H. HOLLAND’S TRIP PROSPECTS FOR TRADE ” There is not nnieli prospect of greater trade facilities between the Dominion and Australia/ said Mr. H. Holland, M.P., who returned to Christchurch last week after a two months’ visit to Australia. Mr. Holland said that there was a strong determination in Australia that the requirements of the Australians should be produced or grown in Australia. There was a good deal of opposition to New Zealand dairy produce as it kept down the prices of the Australian article. Bacon and hams wore objected to. Mr. Holland said that he saw very few signs of unemployment in Australia, although it was stated that 10,01)0 people were out of work in Melbourne,. and jfiat 300 people had applied for one job in Sydney. The Railway Department in Sydney was employing 3000 men in railway extensions.’ The building trade was particularly brisk, and on every hand there was evidence of prosperity. 'There were 10 and 12-storey buildings in the course of erection. It was amazing to noto the work going ahead in Sydney. A large army of men was employed on the North Shore bridge, costing £7,000,000. Emphasising the importance of railway development in Sydney, Mr. Holland stated that 170 trains were dealt with one day in 00 minutes. He counted a train every half-minute on one line over a. considerable period. The land laws in Western Australia interested Mr. Holland. A new arrival can acquire land on exceptionally favorable terms under a group system. Ten men become associated and an allotment is made. These men clear the bush, the Government providing a supervisor until each of the 10 farms is sufficiently cleared to keep 15 cows. Up to that time the Government pays a sustenance allowance of £3 a week. Then the Government says in effect ‘‘now you have 1 lro land cleared, go ahead.” The Government will provide money for the purchase of stock, and for the erection of a home and fencing, which is all capitalised, and for the first .10 years the settler pays nothing off the principal, but pays * the interest on the whole. For the next 20 years he pays instalments off the principal. Very few have surrendered their holdings after the sustenance money has stopped. When 10 families have settled together the Government provides a school. Already 00 schools and six hospitals have been provided under the. scheme. A man may take up to one million acres at a rental of 3s a thousand acres, but he is required to stock it with live sheep or two head of cattle for each thousand acres, The great draw-back in many places was the lack of water.