WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1934, Page 7

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

LAN!) OF POSSIBILITIES. HOPES of SECESSION. “I have been charmed with your scenery and. amazed at the wonderful fertility of. your •Soil,” said Mr, W. Burges, a retired Western Australian grazier, who left Auckland by the Mariposa oh Friday after an extensive holiday tour of the Dominion.“After my experience of grazing 13,000 Merino sheep On 500,000 acres in Western Australia, I was particularly impressed with the counify I saw, some of Which ‘was carrying over five sheep to thP acre. The varied scenery in both islands Shakes New Zealand a most desirable holiday resort. After Switzerland, which to hie is the most beautiful country bh earth, I should have nd hesitation in placing NeW Zealand second. It should have wonderful tourist possibilities, especially for people from Australia.’' Mr. BUfges described Western Australia a lahd of enormous possibilities. Excepting for a coastal strip that had been settled, there were literally tens of thousands df square miles awaiting the settler Who had cOUfage, experience and a certain ainOunt of capital. Much of the'country Was Well Watefed and Was ideal sheep Country. Tire cost of leasing the land Was phenomenally low, and with the present prices of wdol there Were many Chances of prosperity. Commenting on the possibilities Of the chilled beef industry in Western Australia, Mr. Burges Said that labour charges Would prevent it Over being a success. Large meat interests had spent £1,000,000 On works in Darwin, and it was costing them £8 a head to ship the beasts. In the Argentine the cost was about 30s. The same difficulties were met in the Wool industry. He quoted an instance of men getting 3s a bale for pressing Wool, and feveh at that high rate they did much less WOrk than was done by black labour in the past. The problems Of secession were discussed by Mf. Burges. Western Australia had . suffered for years from membership in the Commonwealth. The bill had passed the State Parliament and everyone awaited anxiously the time when it would be forwarded to the House of Commons. The State was contributing £10,000,000 a year to the Commonwealth, a sUm which would help considerably in the finances Of the State itself. •