THE COMMONWEALTH

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 576, 3 August 1909, Page 5

THE COMMONWEALTH

NORFOLK ISLAND. FEDERAL AGRICULTURAL BUREAU. DEFENCE BILL. ' (By Totcgraph.-Prcss! Association.—CoDyrltrbt.l'' :' (Rec. August 3,. 0.40 a.m.) .■'...":• Melbourne,, August. 2. In the House of Representatives tomorrow if is intended to deal with the Bill which proposes to take over Norfolk Island .aud make it Federal territory. -, ■'■■'.■' A Bill will also be introduced for the establishment' oF a Federal Agricultural Bureau/ X;, ' ■ ■, ■•' •,-'■ [ .'TheVDefence Bill will not lie introduced ;,until;after the' Budget; has .been delivered on August! 12..-.-'.'.' ''. » .FEDERAL WORK IN. AGRICULTURE.- i The' Victorian: Agricultural Department has manifested some opposition .to the proposed Federal bureau; On the other hand, this was one of the riot.;numorbus projects on which Air; Cookj when in Opposition, agreed with Mr. ; Dentin; npd as these two poHticalforiOo n'ie nowunited, the bureau ought to proceed. '■' On this subject," says' Mr. Cook, "there need be no clashing between.the, Commonwealth and'the'States,'-but there ore many''.things which) need to bo donefor Australia as a whole, 'irrespective altogether of State boundaries. For instance, a Federal bureau might very well apply itself to the agricultural surveying of the whole of pur Australian lands. This is one df the most urgent requirements of the moment, in my judgment, having regard to the question of immigration. What lias been done for the mineral industry of Australia might 'well bo done for the agricultural; By this time every State, or nearly- every State, has been tho-, Roughly explored and. mapped for its minerals. The.'same thing might well'bo done regarding the'character of the soil of. Australia, so-'thnt anyone wishing to. take up.land might see,at it glance by a'reference to some, handy compilation where the agricultural lands'are, and what their.'classification , and characteristics arc .Then, following upon'this', wo'tfld be'a'continuance;- nnd development of; tho excellent work' , done by Dr. Cobb and the late Mr. Farrer in the malting-of wheats suitable for our Australian 1 climate." '• ■~ .. ;--