A QUEENSLAND VISITOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2404, 20 January 1909, Page 6

A QUEENSLAND VISITOR.

STATE PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY. GROWTH OF LAND SETTLEMENT. The Hon. Peter .Murphy, M.L.C., of Queensland, is at present on. a visit to New Zealand, and in conversation with a “Dominion” reporter, lie made some interesting remarks regarding his country. Mr Murphy was able to toll an alluring tale of progress and prosperity. Land settlement had greatly increased during the’ last two or three years, and was still increasing. The Government had found it impossible to employ enough surveyors to keep ahead of the demand for land. In order to meet the difficulty iu some degree, Air Murphy had suggested in hi s place in the Upper House that the Government should borrow money for survey work instead

of meeting the charge entirely out of current. Revenue. The Council unanimously approved of the idea, and the Minster of Education (Hon. Mr Barlow) promised to recommend it to the Government. Queensland was in the unique among Australian States, 9 of having nineteen-twentieths of its land still una’Jiemated. . Much of this was leased for pastoral purposes, but as the leases fell, in the land was being subdivided for closer settlement. The policy of the Government was

to sell the-land in small areas and on easy terms for genuine settlement. Freehold land could he brought from the State for as little as 2s 6cl to 10a an acre, subject to strict conditions as to resideneo and improvements. When there were more applicants than surveyed farms, the hallot was employed. Even on estates purchased by the Government for closer settlement, the selectors were allowed to purchase the freehold of thenfarms by instalments extending over 25 years, with interest at a moderate rate. The large pastoral runs -were thus gradually becoming transformed into agricultural farms. Immigration had hot been. directly encouraged to any extent since-the depression caused by' the unprecedented drought of 1902 and 1903, but the Government had foreshadowed a more active policy in this direction. Mr Murphy added - that he considered that the prospects of land settlement and the consequent increase of population in the near future were brighter in Queensland than tiny other part of Australia, though much was being done elsewhere. Many settlers had

come to Queensland from Victoria and

New Zealand. Those New Zealanders whom he had met seemed to be satisfied and doing well. Air Alui'phy went on to speak of the great - uid varied resources of Queensland, its rapid increasing dairy, sheep, hog, and timber industries and the mines, especially those of the Cloncurry copper area,- probably the richest in the world. The sugar output had not decreased since the deportation of the kanakas. The establishment of xugir mills by the Government, with''facilities for the farmers to acquire them rand run them co-operatively, was working well, and promised to be of great benefit to the industry. Air Murphy’s optimism is not confined to Queensland. Be sees no reason wily Australia, with its splendid climate” and its fine lands on which people can be cheaply settled, should not • absorb ensi-ly 200,000 people every year.