WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S PROGRESS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1927, Page 6

WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S PROGRESS.

To those who are inclined to doubt the wisdom of a well organised immigration policy, the results which have, been obtained in Western Australia should be very convincing. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly of that State, the Treasurer, Mr. P. Collier, pointed out that exactly half of the year’s loan expenditure of £4,078,686 was on account of agricultural settlement, while much of the other expenditure might be indirectly attributed to agriculture. The biggest item was in connection with group settlement, £1,335,000, which is the largest amount ever spent in one year on the groups, while soldier settlement accounted for £326,247. Working capital for the Agricultural Bank absorbed £229,511, and for agricultural development generally £127,326 was allocated. An amount of £10,784 only appeared under the heading “assistance to settlers,” and it might be thought that that small amount represented the Government’s direct contribution in the way of assistance, whereas the return tabled showed that two years ago a sum of £441,000 was spent in assistance to settlers. The position of clients of the Industries Assistance Board has so much improved during the last two or three years that the board was able last year to carry on its assistance work with only £10,784' new capital from loan. On. agricultural development generally the amount of £127,326 mentioned above was the highest amount spent under that heading since 1918-19. Among the items of expenditure indirectly due to agriculture can be mentioned the Joan moneys for railway construction, including land resumption—by far the greater portion of which was spent in building agricultural lines—water supplies, harbour works, and roads and bridges. Of all the Australian States Western Australia has most fuHy developed its immigration policy during the past four or five years. The condition of the .finances of the “Industries Assistance Board,’’ to which the Treasurer referred, show that the policy is bearing fruit, and that a State in yhieh tihe principal industry of mining was rapidly becoming moribund, has been able, by the influx of new settlers, to develop its other resources in a. .manner that was scarcely' considered possible a few years ago.