NORTHERN TERRITORY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 103, 28 October 1933, Page 11

NORTHERN TERRITORY

PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT

UNEASINESS FELT

Since the Federal Government announced its policy of granting indefinite facilities for the development oi: the Northern Territory by means of a chartered company or companies, many interesting sidelights on the history of this vast and fertile area have been supplied by people who have spent their lives there (says the Melbourne "Age"). Many and various have been the objections raised to the Federal Government's policy, as yet disclosed. Letters have been written by people who have worked for many years iv tho Northern Territory to influential men of affairs in the capitals of Australia. In those letters there is discernible the opinion that by announcing its willingness to grant very wide and long-term privileges to big financial organisations, the Federal Government has unintentionally but nevertheless definitely played into the .hands of companies whose interests, financially speaking, are more international than national. The letters written by persons with a first-hand knowledge of the true greatness of the vast areas at stake all indicate very clearly that the people of. Australia must tako the most careful counsel before they accept tho Ministerial proposals. One of tho problems raised by the letters is—Have the organisations which hold tho main leases of vast tracts of pasture lands in tho Northern Territory used that land to tho best advantage? The answer is claimed to be in the negative. In reply to the obvious suggestion that it would bo exceedingly stupid tactics to willingly lose money on their Northern Territory undertakings, the answer is that as some of the holders have more vital obligations in other lands, it pays them . •better to make a loss on their Australian undertakings. HELD SAFELY. In effect non-development may create an internationally adverse opinion concerning Australia's possibilities as a' serious competitor in the world's markets. The letters point out, however, that the holdings are being carefully safeguarded in case the policy of Imperial trade reciprocity should win through, and high duties be imposed by England on non-Dominion meat supplies, lira word, it is claimed, money spent on the Australian undertakings of these holders is regarded as a form, of business insurance. The letters state the plans of the holders go far deeper than would, appear on the surface. It has been admitted that one of the holding organisations alone controls thousands of retail meat shops throughout Britain, and thereby has a powerful voice in the wholesale market. At tho samo time the controlling rights in the biggest cool storage establishments of Britain are in tho hands of associated interests. ' These' statements are supported by two letters which have been received by Senator B. D. Elliott from one competent, to express an opinion on tho development of the Territory. Commenting on the state of things described, the writer of the letter says: "I am convinced that these companies will not do anything to develop the north unless they should bo turned out of other' countries, or unless they got largo tracts of land freehold; or, thirdly, leavo to form a chartered company." The burden of the criticism is that before the chartered company experiment is accepted for trial an examination should take-place of the use to which present holders of leases are putting the areas committed to their charge for development. ;