GENERAL NEWS

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 14517, 7 May 1913, Page 5

GENERAL NEWS

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A! map was published at . Perth (W.A.) states the Perth correspondent of the Argus, showing' that all the grazing; areas 40 miles south of the trans-Australian route on the Etacla subdivision havlo been taken up. The country, which has a rainfall of 12 in a year, with plenty of artesian water at a depth, is for the most' part first class. Slenator De Uargie recently denied having an acre of land at Ejucla, "but the map shows that his son, aged 19, years, has selected two lots of 3i5,50>8 v and 37,68<>-acres. The State Premier (Mav'Scaddanj ha* 206,500 acres, Mr 3. J. McDonald (State Labour mem'toer) 105,700 acres, and Mir J. J. Gardiner, (State Labour member) 250,000 acres. In addition, Messrs Bethel! and Gorton, who are interested in the Powellising! company, have selected hundreds of thousands of acres. The rent is 3s per lOOO&cres, against 20s in the south-west division, 10s in the central, noi'th-west, and Kimberley divisions, and 5s in tihe eastern division. It is tEought' that the prospective railway and*" shipping facilities ■shpuld' majke the lEliicla leases as valuable as those at Kiinberley, and there Has been some comment on the fact that the Government did" not move for a revision of the rents before the land was thrown open. Mr Sbaddan declared in a policy r speech on August 7, 1911; his infention to devote time to overhauling! the LSa#ds Department, so that the assertion that "people possessingl influence were those who had the best chance of consideration" would be baseless under the Labour regime. Twelve months afterwards, according; to the plan, he secured lifs iriferfffe at Eucla.