STATE AS CATTLE-FARMER

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2932, 18 November 1916, Page 12

STATE AS CATTLE-FARMER

QUEENSLAND EXPERIMENT. A West Australian Labour Government' established a line of State steamers; New South Wales has State brickworks and quarries,,. joinery factories, and bakeries. But it ha s been left for Queensland to "go the whole hog" in tho nationalisation of important industries. Queensland has entered into the business of manufacturing and trading, just as other States have done; > but it ig also involving itself vteeply • in somo of the primary industries. It 1 has' recently purchased mines and > smelting-works, and it is considering | the gzwing of sugar. JBut its most : interesting experiment is its cattle-sta-tions. .The Queensland Government already 1 owns about 27,000 head of cattle, anil it is always ready to buy more. It ' has purchased several stations, and the 1 general manager of this State- enter--1 prise Is even how away in the Gulf country inspecting properties which lie 1 thinks may be utilised as breeding stations. The Government declares that its cattle operations so far have been fully justified, and'it intends to extend the enterprise greatly. Critics have ; only one reply: "See how they get on' in the nest bad drought," they say. There has been some trouble recently on some of the stations owing to lack of rain, but it is not serious, but real embarrassment has been caused by lack of men retardiug mustering: operations. On one station recently thero was not one man except the manager left: they had all enlisted. " A recent official announcement said: The State stations are being run as business propositions. Stock is to be bred and fattened on tbem and sold for profit, in the same way as is dono bjprivate owners. Tho cattle bought for State purposes have not been drawn on to supply tlie State butcher-shops, but. if this is found necessary, it will be done. So far tho State has made its purchases very carefully. Its policv has been to buy stations with cattle already on them, so tliat the animals a're already inured,to the danger of tropical diseases. So far, the purchase of cattle runs has been on the basis of so much per head for the cattle, with everything else thrown in. ■ 5t is said that private owners who have sold out to the Government show no inclination to complain about the transaction.