EMPTY SPACES

Hokitika Guardian, 25 July 1933, Page 8

EMPTY SPACES

■AUSTRALLA'S PROBLEM

FUTURE OF THE north SYDNEY, July 14. The suggestion by the Dean of,Chn--lei bury that Japan should he jnyited to populate Northern Australia, on the strict understanding, be it understood that she should not ask,for,more, hag focussed tha attention of the world on one of Australia’s most difficult . problems. Of course, no one in Australia takers seriously the suggestion made by the dean, and there are .many who feel that, it was no*; intended to be taken, so. Probnbly , it, was .nothing more than a caustic commentary on the failure of. Australia to fill .its great empty spaces, The idea of encouraging Japan to come south does not appeal .to Australians, of course, but they will find it difficult to justify their attitude unless something is. done to help to populate , a vast area of tropical land much of which, it is felt, could b* made productive.

Tlie strong reply given bv the Prime Minister to the .dean’s, suggestion was based upon a definite decision by the Federal Cabinet that immediate steps must lie taken to initiate a new development plan for the north. It is admitted that tli,? Government is not in a position to spend a vast sum on any project, and it has been .decided as. a matter of policy to offer private eeternrire tempting inducements to invest capital Several far-reaching proposals are under consideration. The Government’s contribution will he in the form of large concessions.

•‘SUNK FOR PUBLIC MONEY.”

One suggestion is that the scheme

could be best managed by the formation of a bnge chartered company on I the lines of tile famous British India Company, which would be controlled : by the interests concerned. <The Miiiis-

j ter of the -Tutori.ov. Mr Perkins, announced that. Vets toy Bros, were prej pared to co-operate in any such proposal. Vesteys had told the Govern- : merit that the chief bar to the reestablishment of their active interests : in the Northern Territory was the ; high cost of living at Darwin, which wee 90 per cent higher than in Sydney. ; The Government would*' therfore investigate immediately the possibility of reducing living; costs. The Government’s ide,as are not restricted to the Northern,Territory proper, but also envisage.and all-embrac-ing (scheme, including, practically the whole of the norlhein coast and hi%. j terland, Wy.ndham is included as an. | ■essential feature of, the area to be developed, and ~the Commonwealth will begin negotiations with the Western Australian Government so as tp secure its co-operation. Queensland, too, is vitally interested in anything that may be .done by the Commonwealth Government; in fact it would seem the central government would be well advised to secure the co-opera-tion of all the States. The problemis a national .one, and should be at- : tacked on broad lines.. To datejtfee< Northern Territory lias been a sink for i public money, and it ir, clear that this, will continue under the new regime.; J Private enterprise will be the moving factor in the future. COMPARISON OF AREAS Meanwhile, nnother Church dignitary, this time in Australia, has come forward with a suggestion that Australia should seek help from - a • European. Power in retaining a white Australia. The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane, Dr Onhig, sa.id on Sunday that Germany might be aliow- ■ e<l to have back her pre-war possessions in New Guinea on condition that she contributed adequate- men and ships to Australia's defence. He emphasised tJie fact that the Federal Government was only beginning to realise soriiething that had been the cause of comment the world over—the defenceless position if Australia. Australians, he said, were piobably the most inadequately protected people of the world, yet they were in possession of one of

j the most fertile and one of the richest count riots of the world. If they could not hold Australia themselves, then they should get others to do it for them, or be prepared to lose it. Mr Justiee Webb, who had spoken earlier at the same function, had compared the size of New Zealand to the 'arch-diocese of Brisbane, and had remarked facetiously that all New Zealand could be put into the arch-diocese and there would still be something left for Japan. “That,” said Dr Duliig, “was a tilt at the Dean, of Canterbury’s suggestion to secede a portion of Northern Australia to Japan It was said that years ago Japan was offered a portion of North, Australia, and hod refused it, but after the handling .which the well-intentioned dean has got from the press and the politicians, I do not think that any one else will have the hardihood to suggest that Japan should get a portion of Northern Australia.” GARRISON AT DARWIN. The Federal Budget wdl contain provision for expenditure upon fort defence for Darwin and the establishment of a garrison there. The inauguration of the Anglo-Australian airmail service through Darwin and Singapore will make .Darwin a strategic point in Imperial communications —a point of entry on the air route from England and India as Fremantle is . on the ocean route. These developments will clearly open a new chapterin Australia’s handling cf the problem of her empty northern, regions .