BUFFALO COUNTRY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 89, 22 April 1913, Page 3

BUFFALO COUNTRY.

PIGS BREED LIKE RABBITS. A WHITE MAN’S TERRITORY. Before the Northern Territory Royal Commission in Melbourne, Mr E. C. Robinson, lessee of Melville Island, gave some interesting evidence, Ho said that for 26 years before 1900 ,he had lived in various parts of the, territory as a Trepang fisher, buffalo hunter, miner, and cattle station manager.

A white. Jnan could, he believed, work just Ik’S yfe|l. there as he could in: Victoria* lland could easily put in eight houts a, day ,on railway construction with I two or three hours’, rest' rn the middle of the day. He had done 10 hours a day in a mine. He advocated a direct north and south route for a transcontinental rail Way- White men could work on the wharves in the territory. The only question was whether tho 7 employers could afford to phy them the wages which they demanded. ,

territory,,was a typical buffalo country. From 10 to 12 buffaloes liacl been released there, and the country had been practically swamped. Over 300,000 Hides had been obtained. The buffaloes were absolutely free from disease. They would cross with English cattle, but ho doubted whether the progeny would breed. Cotton would grow well, and pigs would multiply like rabbits. It would be one of the best places in the world to establish, a pig industry. There was a fortune in it, for as many thousands of pigs could be raised as anyone would want, and there was tho whole world as a market. Tho waters were teeming with fish. A good fishing industry .could bo established. The first need of tho territory was the means of tanning hides. All the 300,000 buffalo hides should have been tanned there. There was ample material, but lack of enterprise had pievented tho development of such ndustries. If he were a young man, tho Northern Territory would bo the first place he would start *or. To induce European labor to go there a man must be given a chance of making a cheque. “Let tho work out on contract,” he said, in reply to a question, “and then you will get some of tlmso Irrd fellows in Kimberley and the NorthWest Coast t. come along. They will stick at it if there is a 'Lance of a cheque, but they won’t work foi wages. The climate is no wor-.o than that of North Queensland.”