To the Editor:

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 176, 27 July 1928, Page 8

To the Editor:

“THE BIG IDEA” Sir, — Your thoughtful comments: “Singular lack of appreciation” on my reply to “{Saltpetre” re the above question adds another debt of gratitude that 1 owe your good paper. It may interest some of your readers if 1 gave you a further account of my stewardship since I came to New Zealand, and 1 wiii then take the liberty of reverting to the treatment 1 received at the hands of the {South Australian Government. 1 am enclosing a copy of a letter 1 sent to His Majesty (the reply to which I sent on to the “Chronicle”) and if you wish yiu arc at liberty to publish it. Had the War Office given me a chance to expound my scheme I claim the frightful war would not only have been curtailed but sound finance would have been created and the huge debt as a legacy to the nation would have been avoided. Further than that the .Northern Territory was the German objective, »tnd the German settlement at “Hermannsburg,” on tropic of Capricorn, is possibly the most delightful place, viewed from every possible aspect, on God’s earth. It was given to the Lutheran Alission to conjunction with Kopperamanna, primarily for cattle and sheep stations, and, secondary, to provide funds for educating and directing the aboriginals the way to Heaven. After a residence of a quarter of a ceutury in Australia (I was so fed up with the terrible waste and cruelty to stock in that country, coupled with the insane administration) 1 conceived an idea which I was anxious to place before the brains of the world in London but during my absence a national calamity took place in South Australia through the Government offering to give away, in fee simple, 90,000,000 acres, the people’s heritage and breath, in return to anyone who would build 1200 miles of railway. A I had had my hand on the financial pulse overseas, I know there was not the slightest chance of the project materialising and I was also' blocked for eighteen months until the expiration of the tender, and in the meantime received another knock from the short-sighted Government that deprived ine of every penny I had in the world by them retaining the most valuable shipment of stock that ever came to the Southern Hemisphere, and then after the writer was butchered, the irony was accentuated, when they immediately released the stock which flavoured so much of a conspiracy that the official responsible retired and was presented with a purse containing 700 sovereigns! As I previously mentioned, there was no suggestion of a tender, and I went to London the second time and arranged with Lord Vintore a former Governor of South Australia to be a co-director with me; but owing to several other rival schemes, I at once returned to South Australia and the late Air Thomas Price, and Air A. Poynton, a Minister in the Federal Parliament, both made a tentative agreement with me, for which I was congratulated on all sides; but unfortunately the executive would not ratify the undertking, and handed the white elephant over to the Federal Parliament.

Since I have been in New Zealand I have written. to two Premiers, Messrs Hughes and Bruce, and received nice replies—but nothing doing. I recognise that a big percentage of the British nation is on the same plane of misfortune, as the wild beasts of the jungle, driven from their heritage and deprived of their means of living. Ever since I have been in New Zealand, I have tried all and sundry to endeavour to form a subsidiary company as a means io approach the individual governments for a charter to be issued —but not a hope. I have now boiled the whole thing down to a sine qua non, and have written. to Mr Coates stating that if I (Joseph Carwardine) can obtain three district charters to develop all the idle and deteriorated lands in the British Empire, release all distressed farmers and pastoralists, sufficient currency, more valuable than sovereigns, will be created, equivalent to the national and war debts, and available for liquidation in 10 years. If lhe Government counts me out, the sooner they hear the bankers’ parrQt cry “Oh for a ABussolini,” and send for him, the better for all concerned. JOSEPH COWARDINE.

Westmere, July 23rd. 4 Niblett Street, AV anganui, New Zealand, June 3rd, 1917. To His Majesty King George V., London. May it please Your Most Gracious Alajesty to consider this petition from your humble servant. I have just received from your Army Council in London a letter stating that copies of my correspondence to them in connection with the development of the Northern Territory of Australia had been sent to your Colonial Office. Realising the great danger hanging over your possessions in the Southern Hemisphere by the Australian Government holding an unoccupied territory four and a half times the size of Great Britain I crave unprecendented indulgence from Your Alost Gracious Majesty for a personal interview so that I can expound the whole Imperial project and have an opportunity of emphasising the menace to Your Majesty’s Empire through the continuance of this condition. I am sending Your Alajesty a copy of my correspondence to the Army Council, and if it should please Your Majesty to grant my humble request and you would cause a cable to be sent to your Now Zealand Ministers to issue a passport for me I would at once make arrangements to-sail for London. Assuring Your Majesty of my loyalty and awaiting your commands I have the honour to be, Your humble servant and subject. JOSEPH CARWARDINE. (Correspondence on this subject is now closed. —Ed. “Chronicle.”)