The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-07
AUSTRALIA TO BE MECCA
OF THE BRITISH SOLDIER
AFTER THE WAR
(By Associated Press. }

soldier after the war. in the opinion
CT Andrew Fisher. high commissioner
for Australia in London. Australia
today offers the greatest return fer
energy of any country in the world. .
he declared today. "A great dea!
has been made in England of our
plans fer settling soldiers on the
land. and tbis publicity in itself is
going to result in an unprecedented
rush for the island continent as soon
as peace comes.
THE only question in the minds
of Australian statesmen is whether
we shall be able to cope with the
rush. There is no question that we
Eeed the men, and we are making
every preparation to be ready for
taem. Australia is an exporter of
food and an importer Of men. Great
Britain for a century has been an
importer of food, aud an exporter of
the mere adventurous Of her sons
Australia wants population, but she
wants an independent population and
she wants it upon the soil. So she
viii have to provide organized means
for settling the immigrants where
they will do the most good"
Under the present constitution Of
the Australian commonwealth, the
land of the continent is sclely the
property of the various states In
any scheme of land settlement it was
therefore necessary to consult the
governments of the states A series
OF conferences to this end are now
in prqeress, explained Mr. Fisher
The keynote of the scheme which
we have adopted is that the British
soldier and Australian soldier shall
share and share alike They have
shared the toll of the war together.
In the trenches they have made n
frie,.isnip that will last beyond the
scas, when it will merge into a mu-
'ual citizenship in the new land OF
the south.
THE money needed by the settler
viii be advanced through existing
state agencies at moderate interest
rates The land itself will be pro-
vided practically free of charge. In
Queensland. for example, the land
will be leased under perpetual
lease. There will be no initial pay
ment for this lease, and there will
b emo rent to be paid during the first
three years. In Western Australia.
each settler will be given, without
charge, 16O acres The government
VIII clar some of the land fer him
and provide the necessary financial
assistance through the Agricultural
Bank
I'm the old days starting on the
land was difficult, slow, and expen-
sive Now the small man can start
with good prospect of being com
fortably settled after few years
work Large pastoral holdings are
10 be converted into agricultural
areas where wheat is grown. Other
llnd will be used fer mixed farming
or dairying
The development OF Australia from
now en-. continued Mr.. Fisher, will
he greatly accelerated by railway
building About $1,000 miles are
now open for traffic. practically all
state-owned Much bigger things in
railway building. however, are being
Planned for the next few years
THE Commonwealth parliament. :
said<Mr Fisher. lis providing for
the construction of great trunk rail-
ways. spanning the continent from
east to west. and frcm north to
south The Transcc influential from
east. to west is now on the point OF
completion. II runs firm Pert Au-
eusta in South Australia to Ka,goor
| lie in Western Australia.
1t has been a monumental under
taking. 1t is a first-class line of
four feet. eight and one-half inch
gauge. capable of luxurious travelling
at high speed. II has been built en-
tirely by the Commonwealth govern
ment by day labor, without the aid
d. contractors. Australian engin-
Fineers made the plans. and Austral-
inn steel works supplied most of the
rails. To build the line was alone
great undertaking. for in all its
1000 miles of length there was prac-
tically no civilization. II was built
lin two sections simultaneously
from either end. and today the con-
siructions camps are getting hourly