FEDERAL CAPITAL SITE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 5

FEDERAL CAPITAL SITE.

' •■' NEW- SOOTH . WALES BILL. '. (By Toleßtaph.-PreM ABSor.latlon.-OopyrlKht.i'. :. ' Sydney,-September.l7. •: ' .A debate, on the transfer of the capital site territory has been initiated in , flfo'State" Assembly. Tho proposals were woll-Jcceivcdy' I all parties being in , favour; of .treating tho Commonwealth generously. Altogetlier, in-. eluding the catchment' area, it is proposed to- transfer about 1300 square milts/*.(he value of which two years ago was estimated at £878,000. ' : ..'•' . 'V ■ -. v POINTS AT RECENT CONFERENCE. 1 .' Tho present action, of the New. South. "Wales . ■ Government was agreed on after a coiifewneo between Fideral and New; South Wales Minis* i tars. The principal difficulty.. that was in ihoi way was the question of who was to move next in'the matter of the transfer of tho ,Yess Canberra . aroa—the- Commonwe i'.:b or the ' States. Both sides, claimed that it '..was. the i other's turn to play, and neither vould' agree to (jive way. .■■..• '•■•'■.• : ' The Premier of New South Wales out i that ho would not feol justified in surrendering any land to the Commonwealth until the Fed; eral Parliament had expressed its opinion as to ■ the osaot area required. Mr.Wodo pointed out : that ho would he in aa invidious position if he \ got his Parliament to make over a certain tract of land to the Commonwealth and the capital was not established there. He wanted some ?nardntee that whatever land was passed over o tho Federal authorities would be need for the purposo for which it w.as intended. " This phase of the question was fully gone into at the conference, and finally Mr. Wade was convinced that there would bo no danger of hia foars being realised. Accordingly ho agreed to make, tho first move, and (kcided to bring the ! matter before the State Parliament in ■ tho ' shape of tho present Bill providing for tho surrender of territory. •_ ' ■.'.. ' ■ Another important point that was discussed was the utilisation of water from rivers., out- ■ side the Federal area for power purposes. Tho ■ Federal authorities were dubious as to the vol- , ume of water power obtainable in tho selected territory, and wanted : to know if they could utilise the-rivers outside .tho boundary, This privilege Mr., Wade expressed himself willing to grant. The question of a port at Jervis Bay and the access to it by rail was soon settled by the Now South Wales delegates raising no obi jections. - . .-■■-,