Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-27

ton IN eltncr OI tnceo wv u,sWSsS
which would be rated fourth 'class in
this country. Throughout that section
it takes from ten to thirty acres OF
grass and top feed to carry sneep
Through a year. The country is also
poorly supplied with water, all OF which
is tainted, and the greater portion oi
which, for man and beast. IS served
from ''clay.pan" pools. Aud these sta,
tions up and along the "storm'washed"
! river channels are now fully stocked,
many overstocked, and therefore are
being fed entirely out. They are nec-
esssarily for sale at less than FL per
head, which includes the station.
The timber resources are loudly over
rated. One could fancy from the tall
talk of the West Australian boomer that
the sandalwood, jarrah and kawaka trade
would continue to flourish for all time;
yet, while the sandalwood trade was
never more than a peanut business, it
has nevertheless petered out owing to
the want of timber. Although there is
large belt Of jarrah and kawaka tim
Der, still 1 am quite sure that owing to
increased trade, twenty-five years herce
the trade will no; give employment to
500 people.
OF all the industries of the colony none
ACCOMPLISHED more for the people than
the pearl fisheries. But this business
also dwindled to almost nothing; there
fore the inhabitants along the west coast
now mourn the departure of those rough,
free and easy pearlers.
The mineral resources of the colony
have also been wilfully, nay, cruelty
misrepresented. In order to be fully
understood, l must here say 1 have
never considered mine dividend
payer until the original outlay for de-
velopment and erection of reduction
works has been refunded, and, in this
sense, though it is now fully thirty
three years since gold was discovered
there, yet those West Australians have
not developed one dividend-paying
quartz mine. Since the year 1860,
coal, copper, tin, silver and gold have
been discovered, but, reserving the al
luvial patches, these mineral finds have
merely developed into wild cat opera
tions. l may here add, believe there
will never be dividend paying quartz
mine developed in West Australia. 1t
has never been, nor will it ever be,
profitable alluvial field, and as proof
thereof, about 10000 ounces of gold
were gathered in the Kim berley district,
but at cost of fully $2,500,000: 10000
ounces have been taken from the Pill
burra and Nuliagin fields, which cost
the mining element at least $1,750, 900;
also 5000 ounces were collected from the
Ashburton field, which cost the diggers
81, ,250, 900. Accordingly, $4,000 ounces
of alluvial gold have been gathered
since 1860, equal to 100000, which, l
regret to add, cost the general public
fully S5, 100000. The recent discovery
on the Murchison is not included; it is,
however, a surface patch. Gathering
gold in West Australia has, therefore,
not been a very profitable operation.
The population OF the colony may be
put below $4,000, which is fully 10000
in excess of the industries. There are
about 1000 inhabitants in Fremanth,
which is seaport; about 5000 inhabi-
tants in Perth, which is the seat of
government, the largest city in the
colony, and which is located on the
Swan river, seven miles south of Free
manth. The balance of the inhabitants
of the colony are scattered from Wynd-
ham, in the far north, to Albany in the
south; and, must here add, they are
the most vulgar, boorish and selfish
English-speaking people l ever met; in
fact, they are reflection upon this
age.
The average summer temperature,
which is our winter season, from lati
tude % degrees to latitude IA degrees,
ranges from 10 degrees to $50 degrees
in the shade. When the hot winds,
insect and reptile life are also taken
into consideration, fancy our "Native
Sons" could never be induced to make
an excursion to that distant colony.
Again, the imperial act granting con-
stitutional government to that people
is, strange as it may seem, in strict ac
cord with the general characteristics of
the colony, which must be designated
scabby Fancy the political condition
of the people when a squatter, holding
500, GOO acres of a leasehold, and being
the owner of $4,000 head OF sheep,
horses and cattle. but, because he is not
the owner of e500 worth of freehold
properly, he is not eligible to a seat in
parliament; in fact, the imperial act
was scabby job in favor of the ''six
families" who have ruled the colony
since the establishment of the first penal
settlement, and who, through the said
act, will continue in power for the next
ten years. These are the people who
control the Western Australian loan,
who are building railways which will
never pay dividend, and who will nee
essarily grow financially fat at the ex-
pence of the English subscriber.
JOHN MCCAFFERTY.