Part 26 (2/2)
18 The pearl shell and pearl fisheryinto existence within the last few years It employs a fleet of cutters and schooners, chiefly of s the head-quarters At Sharks Bay also there are a number of smaller boats A licence fee on boats and a tax on shells has been iinal divers and Malays have been enacted I shall immediately have a Government cutter on the north-west coast for police and customs purposes, which will also be useful in cases of shi+pwreck a for and reporting the position of reefs, of anchorages, and of new banks of pearl oysters It will probably hereafter becoulations as in Ceylon, but this could not well be done with our present e
19 To turn now to the riculture It is chiefly in the hands of men of little capital, and is carried on in a very slovenly way by the greater part of thereat reliance on cereals, which have for several successive years been seriously affected by the red rust, and a neglect of other products suitable to the soil and climate, added in too many cases to careless and intemperate habits, have until lately rendered the position of many of the small farmers a very precarious one Last year, however, was reat extent recovered theether lost; they have also been ulations, and a few prosperous seasons will, I sincerely trust, put this class, which ought to be a mainstay of the colony, into a really prosperous condition
20 The cultivation of the vine is a profitable pursuit, and the quantity of land fitted for that purpose is very great; both soil and clirape Recent legislation has given so the sale of horown pure wine The quantity of land laid down in vineyards is slightly increased, but the class of settlers that are most numerous in Western Australia do not readily take to industries that are new to them, however profitable they may be, nor can they afford to wait for returns, nor have ood wine: still this industry will become one of the most important in the colony
21 The pastoral interest is the pioneer interest of a new colony
Western Australia has been somewhat less favoured than some other parts of Australia in its pastoral lands, but it has, nevertheless, a good deal of very good pastoral country, and under the extremely liberal concessions lately offered to those ill devote capital to the eradication of poison plantslargely occupied inland
The progress, however, of the pastoral interest, considering the age of the colony, though latterly great, is not SO great as ood prices obtainable and anticipated for meat have kept down the increase of stock, and consequently the yield of wool; and as yet very little or nothing has been done to supplerasses and fodder plants No country presents greater capabilities for horse breeding, and cattle do exceeding well and are very profitable
22 The sandal-wood trade is in a flourishi+ng condition, and has brought money into the colony, and enabledthat aromatic wood for export It is, however, doubted by some whether the labour employed in this trade does not withdraw many from more steady and pers
23 In the matter of minor industries, sericulture holds a first rank I look to it in the future as a source of employment for paupers on the hands of the Government, and also for women and children I have taken much interest in this pursuit, and have caused a mulberry plantation to be made and plants distributed, and have published much information on the subject The Report of the Chamber of Commerce of Como (Italy), alluded to in my despatch, Number 61, of 20th May, 1873, conclusively shows that this colony is remarkably well adapted for the cultivation of silk The cultivation of the olive and the castor-oil plant are industries for which this soil and climate are extraordinarily well adapted Tobacco, hops, and dried and preserved fruits reat part at my own expense, I have introduced and distributed hop plants and various kinds of fruits of great utility, and have, in fact, in the absence of any botanic garden (in which I have vainly endeavoured to get the settlers to take an active interest), arden a kind of nursery for acclimatization and distribution of useful and ornaiven a small concession for the cultivation of the cocoa-nut on the north-west coast, where, in the absence of vegetables, it would be invaluable And, thanks to the Government of the Mauritius, I have been able to introduce various kinds of sugar-cane, for which part of this territory is well adapted The growth of coffee has been also attempted on a Government plantation, but without success Cotton had already been proved to thrive admirably, and to be excellent in quality, but is not considered likely to pay without cheap labour I may here note that, with an eye to the future, I have made reserves for the purposes of public parks and recreation grounds in several places
Deer, Angora goats, hares, and trout have been also introduced
24 I will now proceed to another branch of s; and first in the category of public works and undertakings I put those which relate to communications, and under that subdivision immeasurably the most i the isolation which has been the great bar to the advance part of the syste around it
On this end was my mind set when I was appointed to the Governorshi+p, to this end have I worked steadily ever since, and this end is partially accomplished, and its complete fulfilment is not distant
The vote for the construction of the telegraph line via Eucla to South Australia, passed last session, and the proposal of Messrs Sie a submarine cable to Madras, fitly close an administration which found Western Australia within twelve miles, and has already placed her in possession of a co of about nine hundred miles of wire, worked at a remarkably small cost, in efficient order, already rees both to the public service and to private business
It is noteworthy that four or five years ago there was a strong feeling that the construction of telegraph lines was a waste of public islature publicly objected to the line which is to connect this colony with the rest of the world, that it would only benefit a few individuals! Such ideas, however, are rapidly beco obsolete even in Western Australia
I will here note that, under a power given me by law to fix and alter rates, I, in January, 1873, reduced the charges to a unifor per ten words, and one penny for each additional word (press es at quarter price), and was the first to do so in the Australian colonies
25 After th induced to vote a subsidy for stea our western ports and all this part of the colony with Albany, King George's Sound, the port of call of the Royal mail steamers from Europe and the eastern colonies This has done er difficult and uncertain, and greatly facilitating intercommunication A very Chinese objection to steaentleraphic communication I have already alluded; namely, that it enabled people to LEAVE the colony I a to progress and the promotion of commerce
The steamer we have at present is, however, insufficient, but I doubt not but that a second and more powerful boat will shortly be procured, as it is already required: I understand, however, that no West Australian capital is as yet forthco for the purpose, nor for stea could be eographical position of the colony, and open a o and frequently stated ive all possible Govern
26 I am immediately about, by invitation, to proceed to Champion Bay, and to cut the first sod of the first West Australian railway, on the Geraldton and Northae that there is good reason to anticipate will result fro of that line, which will, I do not hesitate to say, be the parent of future and greater undertakings
When the colony arrives at a position safely to borrow a million or a million and a quarter, a railway from Fremantle and Perth, probably up the Helena valley, into the York district, and thence down the country eastward of the present Sound road, to the fine harbour of King George's Sound, would do ive an outlet to the resources of the country and supply its wants; such a line would ultih the eastern districts and Victoria plains northward to the Irwin, Greenough, and Geraldton
But I will recall myself from these and other speculations of the yet more distant future, and look back upon thetimber to the coast from the Jarrah forests, and there are also two other tramways for the same purpose, of less extent, but still of some importance I havetheard to ordinary roads, I can very confidently say that, considering the extent of the country and its scattered population, no colony that I have ever seen is in a better position regarding roads
Occasionally, owing to the loss of convict labour, the scarcity of free labour, the disinclination of the people to tax thereat extent of the roads themselves, parts of the roads alreadyfor perhaps traversed more of Western Australia than any oneall in all throughout the country, the roads are in a better condition than they have ever been before Large bridges have been constructed over the Upper Swan, Moore River, Blackwood, Capel, and Preston, besides twelve s
28 Bushi+ng the Geraldton sand-hills has been a very useful and successful work; the experiment was first tried by Lieutenant-Colonel Bruce Part of the work has been done by convict labour, and part by farmers and settlers in payment for a loan advanced to them for seed-wheat before my arrival It is not too much to say that this work has saved the town of Geraldton and its harbour from destruction by sand
29 A little has been done in the way of ie imported by Governor Hampton, and worked by prison labour and by an appropriation in the Loan Act of 1872 A work has also been constructed, from funds provided out of the same loan, at Mandurah, by which the entrance to the Murray River has been improved
30 Harbour improvements have occupied much of the attention of Government A fine and substantial open-piled jetty at Fre, has been constructed, and answers all the purposes for which it was designed; but the larger and extremely difficult question of the construction of a really safe harbour at or near Fremantle is yet undecided Various plans have been proposed, and great pressure has been put on the Govern advice At one time one scheme has found favour, and another at another, and the merits of the rival scheed upon the principle of opposingthat was supposed to find favour with the Govern wish to do SOMETHING caused the Legislature to advocate a scheme which many persons think would cause the mouth of the River Swan to silt up, and expose the town of Freer, lest the river in flood should burst out (as no doubt it did formerly) into the South Bay over the town site The question, however, is referred to the Victorian Governineer, and the Melbourne Government have been asked to allow him to visit this colony, but I fear that the people will not accept his decision; and unless the ree to do so, or, in the event of his not co since recommended, namely, ask your Lordshi+p to refer the whole question to the decision of Sir John Coode, or soreat authority, and undertake beforehand to abide by it, I see no chance of anything being carried into effect until the warh, is always evoked by this question, shall be succeeded by a more reasonable and business-likethis colony was, in accordance with the previously expressed wish of the Council and colonists, to send for an engineer of high repute to report His report only raised a teations, and I must frankly confess failure in my efforts to leave Fre convinced that anything under an enore and approaches, safe in all weathers, for large shi+ps, though I, with the Melbourne engineers, think that the plan of cutting a shi+p channel into Freshwater Bay, in the Swan River, advocated by the Reverend Charles Grenfel Nicholay, is worthy of consideration Jetties at Albany, King George's Sound, the Vasse, Bunbury, and Geraldton, have been lengthened, one at Dongarra constructed, and money has been voted for the construction of one at Port Cossack Moorings have been procured fro laid down at Fremantle and other ports
31 With respect to public buildings, the Perth Town Hall--a very large and conspicuous building, co after my arrival, and handed over by me to the City Council and Municipality on June 1, 1870; attached to it I caused the Legislative Chareat cost this colony possesses a council-room more convenient and in better taste than reater pretensions It is, however, proposed hereafter to build legislative chas, of which the Registration Offices now about to be co, for which the contract is 2,502 pounds The public offices at Albany were finished shortly aftera nus, the harbour-master's house, Albany; school-houses there and in various other places; large addition to Government Boys' School, Freraphic offices at Greenough and at Dongarra; police-station, Gingin; addition to court-house, York; post and telegraphic offices at Guildford, York; and Northam Bonded Store, Government offices, and police-station, Roebourne Considerable additions have been made, which add to the convenience and capabilities of the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum, and alterations and adaptations and additions have been s; for instance, at Albany a resident istrate's house and also a convenient prison have been for has been erected to which I call attention, the Govern-house; this new depart the four years in which it has been in existence--in fact, it would have been ione on without it; and the Govern work is most creditably done at a very reasonable cost A handsome stone sea-wall has been commenced by convict labour at the new jetty at Frereatly ihts have been erected at several places A large lighthouse is in the course of erection at Point Moore, at Geraldton, which will be of much importance; and it is proposed, with the co-operation of other colonies, to erect one near Cape Leeuwin, as recommended at an intercolonial conference on that subject
32 Postal facilities have been increased, several new offices opened, and postages (under powers vested in me by law) considerably reduced, on both letters to the colonies and newspapers, from the tariff I found in force In this a step in advance of sohbours was taken