NORTHERN TERRITORY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 204, 24 May 1920, Page 5

NORTHERN TERRITORY

'fUNSATISFACTORY STATE OP AFFAIRS." Melbourne, May 22. In his Teport on the Northern Territory inquiry Mr. Justice Ewing states that it is beyond his comprehension how. under tho conditions in tlio Territory, the Government expected peace there, as tho citizens wer? deprived of all political rights but remained subject to liability for paying taxes. If the 6ame conditions had . prevailed in Tasmania, the most peaceful of_ the States, they would have resulted in rebellion. He could not blame the people of the Territory for the deportations of the unpopular officials, as their confidence in .tho Commonwealth was shaken to the foundations by tho continued failure to remedy their wrongs by Parliament, and those appointed to govern them. Though he placed a certain amount of responsibility and condemnation upon Dr. Gilruth and Mr. Carey, there were somo extenuating circumstances. Dr. Gilruth's goneral method in the conduct of the administration was one of the factors which contributed to tho unsatisfactory condition of affairs. Suspicion arose in the minds of tho people that the Administration was corrupt. Ho did not think such an extreme conclusion was justified, but he regretted that he was forced to consider Dr. Gilruth's conduct in some instances highly improper and most unwise.— Press Assn.