MINISTERS' NORTHERN TOUR.

Six weeks after the Shark Bay incident, Premier Mr. Moore and colleagues, undeterred by the possibility of ending up stranded for 10 days without kerosene and the prospects of dining on chunks of donkey, or worse, boarding 'leaky boats' if the grand steamer ran into serious trouble, demonstrated Goverment solidarity by booking passage on the illustrious mail steamer Koombana (which may or may not have been significantly damaged by the grounding on Bar Flats).

As we have seen in a previous post, the coastal service (including vital mail delivery) was the pride of Government and all efforts were made to dispel the Koombana-mishap as quickly and thoroughly as possible. The following extract goes into detail regarding development of the Nor'west, its challenges and prospects, intertwined with the introduction of the thoroughly modern and luxurious Koombana. It also highlights antagonism with regard to the federalisation (Commonwealth) process and a tangible belief that Western Australia was not going to benefit from the new arrangement.

  

The West Australian, Perth, Monday 10 May, 1909.

MINISTERS' NORTHERN TOUR

PREMIER ENTERTAINED AT 

CARNARVON.

THE WANTS OF THE DISTRICT.

Sharks Bay, May 7.

The steamer Koombana, with the Premier 

(Mr. Moore) and the Minister for Works 

(Mr. Price) on board, arrived at Carnarvon 

at 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon, and after 

shipping 2,500 sheep sailed again at 3 o'clock 

this morning.

The party were met on arrival by the

Mayor (Mr. Fenner), the members of the

Municipal Council, the Resident Magistrate, 

and others, and proceeded by train to the 

town. The opportunity was taken to inspect 

the damage done by the recent flood, when 

a washaway demolished one house and 

imperilled others.

At the Council chambers Mr. Pennefather, 

M.L.C., introduced deputations from the 

Municipal Council and the Literary Institute, 

and the following requests were made:--

Water to be laid on to the jetty at an 

estimated cost of £600, in order to supply 

stock with water before being shipped, 

the Council undertaking to supply such 

water free; the construction of a landing 

jetty at Gladstone, on the Wooramel River; 

protection of the foreshore from flood, it 

being suggested that the Government 

should resume the land and compensate 

the sufferers by flood, or cut a new channel 

for the river; and a special grant to the

library for improvements. 

The wish list elicited the following response from the Premier:

The Premier, in reply, stated that in view of 

the fact that the Council had a water supply 

of its own  it would pay it to lay water on to 

the jetty at the cost mentioned, and charge. 

Id. per head for the stock watered. This on 

the 50,000 to 60,000 sheep stated to be 

shipped yearly would give the Council a 

revenue of £200 per annum. He certainly 

did not see why the Government should 

expend £600 without getting some revenue

from it. As far as a landing stage at Gladstone 

was concerned, he was glad to hear that the 

country in the vicinity was being stocked, this 

being largely due to the bore put down by the 

Government. Information would be prepared

as to the cost of constructing the required 

accommodation, and particulars of the traffic 

obtained. If the jetty could be leased for £60 

per annum, as stated by the deputation, the 

Government would feel more warranted in 

incurring the expenditure. In regard to the 

library, he said that he would arrange for a 

special grant of 15.

The Minister for Works, replying to

the request concerning the foreshore,

stated that negotiations had been in 

progress with the Council to lend it trucks,

rails, and sleepers to enable it to build

up the foreshore. There had been very

little encroachment recently, despite the

large flood, and the person who had

erected two or three houses in the 

vicinity put them up well knowing that 

portion of the foreshore was being washed

away. Still, if the Council was willing

to do something the Government would

possibly render some assistance. Mr. C.

Y. O'Connor had reported years ago that

the cost would be heavy to protect that

end of the town, that it was not warranted, 

and that it would pay the Government to 

buy the property rather than undertake the 

work. An engineer would be sent up to go 

into the matter and at the same time confer 

with the Council.

Blunt and practical, encouraging local government to take responsibility for their own back yards.

In the evening the Mayor and councilors 

entertained the party at a banquet in 

McAlister's hotel. The Mayor (Mr. Fenner), 

in proposing the toast of "The Ministry and 

Parliament," stated that he had great 

pleasure in welcoming for the first time

since the existence of Carnarvon the

Premier and his colleagues. As proof of

that the Government had the goodwill

of that part of the State at heart all the

Ministers, with the exception of Messrs.

Keenan and Mitchell, had visited it

lately. They had had ample proof that

the present Government was doing its

best to develop the Nor'-West. The fact

that the Vermin Act had been passed

would be the salvation of the Gascoyne

district. The Moore Administration was

the first to seriously consider the Nor'

West, and had done more for that portion 

of the State than any other Government.

Nothing like a little pat on the back.

The Premier, in responding to the toast, 

thanked the residents for their hospitality, 

which had been one of the distinguishing 

features of the trip. The greatest problem 

the Government had to face was to devise 

ways and means whereby the State could 

be developed. While developmental work 

was being carried out from one end of the 

State to the other, the Government only 

commenced to realise how much remained 

to be done. When one travelled as he had, 

he recognised that in the Nor'-West portion 

of the State there was a great territory to

develop, and with the limited means at

its disposal the Government intended to

do its utmost to open up this great possibility.

A vision that was to pay huge dividends.

In this connection he wished to point out 

that the various Governments had expended 

£413,000 on the rabbit-proof fence, which 

was not a direct charge on pastoralists at all. 

The Vermin Act provided for expenditure

within the fence, and it was passed at the

request of and on the lines suggested by

the Commonwealth returns to the State, 

the amount to be returned next year was

problematical. In April next the Federal 

elections would be held, and it would

be well for electors to say if they were

going to support the financial scheme as

propounded at the Conference of Premiers 

at Hobart. The present Federal Government 

did not view that scheme with favour, and 

instead of the, States receiving £6,750,000 

it was proposed to distribute among them 

£5,000,000, which was a serious matter 

as far as Western Australia was concerned. 

Undoubtedly the State had lost a good deal 

by entering the Commonwealth, but it was not

for them to complain. 

The institution of the Commonwealth was not a match made in heaven and might have underscored the tone of the comment in 'eastern' newspapers, that Koombana 'was too good for the trade'. If the figures were correct, Western Australia was being short-changed to the tune of almost 2 million pounds. This undoubtedly had a knock-on effect on the rate of progress in the Northwest. Jetties and ports needed vast inputs of money and although individual townships stood to gain revenue, the outlay was beyond local means. Coastal steamers required safe ports; sturdy jetties and comprehensive facilities; reasonable access (clear channels and dredged sand bars); port pilots; adequate lighting and most important of all, INDEPENDENCE from spring tides. One could almost argue that both Regional and Central Government contributed to the responsibility of forcing Koombana's designers to reduce her draught to 20 ft. 8 in. from 24 ft. in order to access under-developed ports such as Hedland i.e. creation of an inherently top heavy steamer,  

At the same time he was determined to maintain 

and fight for the rights which were retained under

the Constitution, and any attempt at unification by 

any party should be resisted by every man who had 

the best interests of Western Australia at heart. 

At the next Federal elections they should support 

candidates pledged to resist any encroachment.

Hint, hint - vote for me again.

The Conference in Melbourne was responsible 

for a resolution being passed which had for its 

object that in any scheme for distributing the 

returnable revenue from the Commonwealth 

the question of the contributory basis should be 

considered. At the Conference at Hobart this 

was affirmed, and the per capita basis adopted, 

Western Australia to receive an extra £250,000.

He regretted the absence of Mr. Butcher,

M.L.A., and concluded by thanking the

residents for the generous hospitality

extended to them. Mr. J. Price (Minister for Works), 

in replying to the toast, said that the

Government had not gone in for social

legislation, because it realised the necessity 

of dealing with practical matters.

It was all very well to have an Arbitration Act, 

but what was required to be done was to open 

up the country and give the people an opportunity 

for their enterprise and energy, 

This statement echoed concerns expressed by the coastal shipping cartel; interference = hindrance of progress (profiteering).

The Government was advancing money in 

connection with fencing under the Vermin Act, 

under which Gascoyne was the first board

formed, on very reasonable terms. It was for 

their mutual benefit, and while the rabbit question 

had been before the country for many years the 

Moore Administration was the first that had taken

steps to protect the country. The Government 

had spent about £700,000 on tramways, and 

before the end of July a locomotive, passenger 

vehicles, and trucks would be placed on them. 

He wished to point out that the method of local 

government in some of the smaller centres was 

rather cumbersome. In two small towns visited 

there were a Mayor, a town clerk, and a local 

council and one of them also had a roads board 

district - while the revenue raised barely paid for 

administration 

Mr. Moore did not mince his words and raised this practical issue. The Nor'west was a work in progress and there was no place for 'running before learning to walk'.

The Government intended to introduce next 

session a Roads Board Bill, which would give 

those smaller towns opportunities of joining 

roads boards on favourable terms, and enable 

them to prepare a special area and strike rates, 

etc., for that area, thus enabling them to maintain 

the roads and footpaths, and also enable one 

official to do the work. There were large numbers 

of small municipalities which might well combine 

and join roads board districts. In regard to

the local foreshore, the matter would be 

considered on a business basis. It would 

be ascertained whether it would cost more 

to protect the property than it was worth. 

Throughout the Nor'-West he had met nothing 

but energy and determination, and the development 

of the district was safe in the hands of the people 

concerned. Mr. Pennefather, M.L.C., also responded. 

He stated that the Government had given great help 

to the pastoral industry. Deep bores had been put

down by the Government, thus paving the way for 

private enterprise. Within ten months of a bore having 

been sunk at Gladstone 2,000,000 acres of land had

been taken on.

Water was the cornerstone of success in the vast, dry swathes of the Kimberley. This initiative was to prove the most significant factor in the development of the livestock industry.

Mr. Osborne, M.L.A., said that he

considered that the Government had

done right in developing the southern

portions of the State, but he believed

that it was the intention now to turn

attention to the north.

A number of other toasts were proposed 

and honoured. The steamer Koombana 

arrived at Denham at 11 o'clock to-day. 

While there an application was made to 

the Premier by the Roads Board to form 

it into a Vermin Board to deal with 1,000,000 

acres of pastoral land on which about 100,000 

sheep were running.The Premier asked that 

full particulars should be forwarded to the 

Agricultural Department, with a view to the 

formation of the proposed board. As the 

pastoralists concerned appeared to be desirable 

that such a board should be formed to deal 

collectively with the rabbit pest, and would be 

prepared to rate themselves, he could see no 

objection to the suggested change.

The steamer sailed for Geraldton at 1 o'clock

this afternoon.

'sailing from Goondi to Geraldton' - courtesy QldPics.