West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 27 June 1910, page 5


THE NORTH-WEST. TOUR OF COLONIAL SECRETARY, A BUSY THREE WEEKS. (By Our Special Correspondent.) At first Mr. Connolly was going to the North-West, next he found that he could not spare the time, and then at 24 hours' notice he went. That was on June 4, and he returned on Saturday morning having spent just three weeks on the coast. From Fremantle to Derby is a far cry-nearly as far as from Fremantle to Melbourne--and having business to transact at each port and in addition to visit the island hospitals for diseased natives, and make other calls along the coast, the Minister and his party were kept moving too fast to allow of the white ants, getting into their feet. And that is saying much in a country where the white ant attaches to everything not on the move. The departments controlled by the Colonial Secretary give that Minister a particular interest in the North-West. Harbours, rivers, jetties, and lighthouses, hospitals, gaols, and police, and the all-important native question come directly under his jurisdiction, and the facts that the Government have recently assumed control of all wharves and jetties, which hitherto had been leased, and that six new lighthouses had been either built or were in course of construction along the coast, reinforced the necessity for a Ministerial visit. As if these matters were not enough to remove all suggestion of holiday-making from the trip, news of Mr. Connolly's impending visit had spread as if on wireless waves from Fremantle to Derby, and at each port deputations were in waiting. Place in those circumstances a Minister with a conscientious appetite for details, and a not too enthusiastic love of sea travelling, especially in boats of the Penguin's reputation, and you have an approximation of the man who knocked off work to carry a hod. At Denham, the small settlement in Shark's Bay, the stay of the boat was not sufficiently long to allow of the Minister going ashore; but if Mr. Connolly could not go to Denham, Denham could and did go to Mr. Connolly, the leading townspeople waiting on him on board the Koombana in regard to matters affecting the pearling industry there. At all other ports, except ing Point Sampson, which was reached at night, the Colonial Secretary was able to land, and with the Chief Harbourmaster (Captain Irvine) to inspect the jetties, tramlines, and goods sheds, the gaol, hospital, and police quarters, and to hear the requests brought forward by deputations. Ministers seem fated to reach Broome on Sundays, and in Mr. Connolly's case the misfortune was aggravated by the fact of having only a few hours to spend there, which few hours were occupied in purely official business, thus allowing no opportunity of seeing Broome in its workaday aspect -the Broome which is more Asiatic than white which has stores overflowing with the silks and chinaware and curious workmanship of the Orient, and which is in some respects a contravention of the White Australia principle. To have also missed seeing the native mission (the largest in the State) conducted by the Palatine Brotherhood at Beagle Bay was to tincture the upward journey with disappointment, a feeling somewhat mitigated, however, by the consequent necessity of seeing Derby and something of the cattle shipping business. The downward trip, though slightly marred at the outset by a second disappointment "in regard to Beagle 'Bay, was ultimately more happy in its issue. The Minister and party left the Koombana at Port Hedland and completed the trip in that flighty midget, the Penguin. It was with some misgivings that the company exchanged the spaciousness and comforts of the Koombana for the less pretentious accommodation of the Penguin, but it is bare justice to ad mit that with the exception one rough night off Point Cloates, the trip was comfortably and punctually completed in the small boat, which Captain Airey so ably commands. The word comfortably is used in a comparative sense, of course, for the Penguin at all times has more noise and motion than is conducive to serious work on the part of her passengers. The Minister was ashore fir a day at Point Sampson, Roebourne and Cossack, for a couple of hours at the lighthouse site at Point Cloates and for another day at Carnarvon, where the townspeople, out of their prosperity, entertained the visitors sumptuously. The balance of the trip, including the visits to Bernier and Dorre Islands, and to Cape Inscription lighthouse, was, almost the most interesting of the tour, the various phases of which will be dealt with in separa ate articles. THE LOCK HOSPITALS. OFFICIAL OPENING OF CAPE INSCRIPTION LIGHTHOUSE.The The Government steamer Penguin having on board the Colonial Secretary (Mr. J. D. Connolly) and Captain Irvine (Chief Harbourmaster) reached Geraldton on Friday morning after a good run from Sharks Bay. Leaving. Carnarvon at 4 a.m. on Wednesday the Ministerial party, which had been augmented by Mr. W J. Butcher and Mr. Angelo (Mayor of Carnarvon), were in a few hours landed in the bay opposite Bernier Island. They were met by Dr. Steele, the Government Bacteriologist and Acting Medical Officer, and the matron (Miss Pengelly), and spent a very interesting couple of hours in inspecting the island. Bernier Island. The hospital at Bernier Island is at present used by the diseased native women, who number 78, but shortly an exchange is to be effected. The men on Dorre Island will be transferred to Bernier, whilst the women will be all segregated on Dorre Island, which will become the headquarters

of the doctor and nursing staff. As the Minister controlling these lock hospitals, Mr. Connolly found much to claim his attention on Bernier Island. The work there being performed has to do with a sordid phase of the native question, but it has a broad humanitarian aim, and the results so far achieved inspired the Minister with satisfaction and a conviction that an extension of the system of segregation is justifiable. Dorre Island. From Bernier to Dorre Island was but a two hours' run in smooth water and in the early afternoon the visitors were ashore inquiring into the treatment of the male patients, who now number 48, of whom many are ready for repatriation. Here fine new quarters have been built for the staff, and a large surgical ward, capable of accom modating 20 of the most serious cases is in course of erection. Mr. Connolly arranged for certain other works to be undertaken, and then, when the official duties were completed, the party moved over to the west side of the island, where the sea breaks in magnificent anger upon the reefs, and where oysters that would gladden the heart of an epicure may be collected by the hundredweight from the reefs. Good fishing, too, was enjoyed, and the day's catch included a couple of groper weighing upwards of 601b. each. After dinner the natives, whose black bodies had been ornamented with fearsome designs in plaster of Paris cribbed from the building materials Danced a Corroboree in the glare of a large bonfire, the orchestra supplying a weird, yet not unmusical accompaniment by chanting and beating together pieces of wood. The performance was rewarded with an extra allowance of to bacco, and then one after another the dusky figures sidled up to "Big Boss" and asked to be allowed to go to their own country. "You good boss fellow," said one son of the bush "but me wanta my country go." The Minister's reply to the deputationists was the usual promise to give the matter consideration. The party moved away from the camp with an affable "'Good-night, all of us," from a corpulent member of the ballet. Cape Inscription Lighthouse. Before daylight the Penguin was again under weigh, and at 7 a.m. anchored in Turtle Bay, on the north end of Dirk Hartog Island. A stiff climb up the prccipitous cliff and a two-mile tram ride brought the party, which now included a numner of gentlemen who had come from Carnarvon in the Venus, to the new lighthouse, which stands on the highland of Cape Inscription. Cape Inscription is a bold headland at the northern end of Dirk Hartog Island, at the entrance to Sharks Bay. Tuhe tower of the lighthouse is built in cement concrete, and is 34ft. in height from the level cf the gallery floor, and is 18ft. in diameter at the base. In this is installed a third order flashing light, making one complete revo. lution in530 seconds, giving four flashes of 5 seconds duration, and four periods of darkness of 23 seconds duration. The illuminated sector is 360 degrees. The height of the focal plane above high water is 127ft., and the .range of visibility from the horizon is 13 mi.es. The total height of the tower front base to lantern vane is .49ft. The clockwork actuating the revolving screen which produces the flashing was designed by the Public Works Department, and manufactured in the Fremantlo Government workshops, and is working admirably. The lamp is a 55 millimetre. "Chance" incandescent vapour type, comprising three burners. Near the tower has been erected a flagstaff 80ft. in height for signalling pur. poses. I Quarters for two liglhtkeepers all under one roof have been provided: the walls are of cement eoncretf with iron roof. and comprise two living rom.s, four hedrooms, two kitchens, two hathroom?,, two pantries, two storerooms, etc. A spacious

verandah surroundsi; the :building.. underground tank of cement concrete, :of.a capacity of 20,000 gallons, for. conservation of rain water, has been pirovided; also oil' stores?? stabling, warehouse, and the usual, offices.,: A jetty 232ft. in length with Berthing .a". commodation for vpssels draiing' up to10ft". ofa water has been con'stiicted ?about": ~IC milrs distant from the lighthouse,'communi-""' cation between the two being provided b. y means of a 2ft. gauge tramway-.-. An area of land, 600 acres in extent, has.been fenced -with sheep-proof fencing, as reserve for the' lighthouse. The work was carried/out de-o-i partmentally throughout, and was completad,'9" in February, 1910, and on 'March 1 of; he ) same year the light was first exhibited;. and J, the work handed over to the Harbour' and;i9 Lights Department. The work 'connecteai with the erection of the lighthouse,;quartersy etc., cost £8,228. The Official Opening. After an inspection of thei lightinga?. paratus and the keepers' quarters:anii .ti historic spot where had` stood. the?posts4? erected by Dirk Hartog nearly, 300 yeats ago, the party foregathered onthe deck;of the Venus, where the Colonial Secretary! formally declared the new light'open. H. : mentioned the fact that tli' Government had spent £50,000 in the provision of.new lights on the North-West coast, and adcs)ed4 that'his trip had satisfied him that these lights were not nearly enough. Therewas a special significance in the opening of thea light, inasmuch as Cape Inscription had .his . tone associations dating back to 1616 wheoa Dirk Hartog, outward bound frim 'hollaind to the Indies, had landed there and erected' a post bearing an inscription. Then; i, 1697. Vlaning, another Dutchnian, had come.. along and removed the plate, substituting another, which, however, hac dieappea ;d when Lieutenant King searched for it there in 1822. The posts, however; were now in-' the Western Australian Museum, havifsg been removed thence when the lighthouse was being erected. Mr. Connolly concluded., by proposing "Success to the:New Light .'-:,? The toast was supported in appreciative: terms-by Messrs. Butcher and Angelo, and was drunk enthusiastically. The toast of Mri Connolly's healhh, whicEi was proposed by Mr. Butcher, was received with musical honours, and. then the healthi of the Chief Harbourmaster (Captain Irvine was honoured. . At the coinclusion".i f 'this :cereipony. thel Carnarvon people were' left; to"mrry sport?It among the fishes,:whilti the Penguin mioved:', off to Geraldton through, the intricate audji dangerous South Passage which separates Dirk Hartog Island from the 'mainland.: At Geraldton Mr. Connolly, was met by:Mr Carson, M.L.A., and aftei a drive round' thei town and visits to ,the hospital .and- goal the' Minister received a deputation fromn .thei Mayor and councillors at the Council .;Chi ber. In the evening the Colonial Sec'tars entertained the Mayor and the Town ClerkJ at dinner at the Freemasons' :Hotel. :The,?. party left for Perth by'the evening's train. 1t MR. 'CONNOLLY II?'TERVIEWED SATISFACTION !WITH T RHE "I am very gratified at having; mad ., trip," said the. Colonial Secretayry on'hiri turn to Perth on Satuirday. 'I took'.l company with the .'Chief.. arbonrmcite solely 'as a business 'tri, .because nmy:de partment, has extensive miteiests 'along=the North-West Coast ineconnection with,lighti' houses, hospitals,, the ?.aborigines,; jetti etc., Anud there are' many. matters which can. be the better dealt', with if 'oe. has the benefit of first-hand knowIeSge: For this reason the' trip 'was' .inm m ways educative, blesides bemgbothinter ing and agreeable.- I -travelled north. ar south again as far as' Hedland by .the Koombana, and I must express my thanks to Commander J. Ress for 'hs courtesy'.t" allowing me as long a stay as. possible'a each' of. the ports, and also for hir trouble in trying to, land me at' Beagle:.Bay ,.;m going and returning.. ' One cannot-h' 1 congratulating the Adelaide Steamship Co: on putting such a- fine boat on the'nortl west trade, for what that enterpriseisw on l realises only when one travela' along th coast and sees, the thousahdland one ?dani' .gers 'and obstacles which .,bettrew the van..r' of the mariner. I learned;, too, how unici thd comforts' of the; Koombana are app,; ciated by the people living. in. the. north; The New Lightliphuses. "The primary object of niy" visit "Wa?i s~ connection with the. Government- expendi ture of £50,000 in'the better lightingif:tlhi coast. With that i?oney the Goverinmqn4 are establishing si; new lighthouses,..thre.? ' of which,. viaz., tho?e ' t Cape Inscription,. BedoEt Island, ' and. 'GGatheaume 'Poinot; (Broome) are nots in operation. The .fourt}i at Point 'Cloate's, is well advanced in': cal,. struction, 'and the:.other two at, Thnsui Head, -on the. North-West.Cape; and,,Caape t Levcque," at the entrance -to 'King oSbuind; will be put in hand' at an early date., Ov ' has to travel that cost to realise "tliis: absolute necessity of those lights; indeed: i?, was quite apparent to' me that we ' ?i have to .have several niore liglts.'erected beforb that immense stretch of` oastlinh can be safely and codnveniently navigated. Mary Ann Passage, for. instance,' is 'noe'? negotiable at night time, and 'I think .wei might well have lights on 'Sandy. Cie0?'i North Sandy Island;,' and" the northern enid: of Legendre, and thus .niake this 'channolj passable at all times in the 24 hours. ' A?t Bedout Island, some 60 miles north of Port. Hedland, we have established ain una-. tended light, which will require recharging every 12 months. If this is ·a successL asP we feel assured it will be, it will mean ~i great deal to the State: Such lights are very much cheaper to maintain dtan the attended lights, for we ,ve the cost ol wages and quarters for the3ieepers, and itb is possible 'that some of the existing' light-L' houses could with advantage be transformedl into unattended lights. :, - Of course, this style of light would be specially suitable for the points mentioned in'. Ma. ,Ann Passage. One has th, bear in. mind iui connection with- lighthouses that whilstj the first instance they benefit the hippin comllpanies, they should indirectly dvai tage the North-West genierlly ':by a redu tion of freivhte. vEduntisnti imen th,' n e nss

venience of working tidail ports being re-, duced, whilst in addition they are very; reassuring to the travelling public. Another, work which must be of advantage is the survey of the coast now being carried '.ot by H.M.S. Fantome. This task is involving an expenditure of £30,000 per annum, half of which is being borne the Imperial Government, the balance, being equally shared by the Federal and Western Austra lian Governhients. ' The Fantome 'has been giving attention to the dangerous entrance to King Sound, and we saw her at work near Beagle Bay. I hope the work will be continued for some years, as there is ample coastline to keep the ship employed. Jetties.. "I was lery glad to have.the, opporta.nity of investigating the ,,'wosng? ?n? the jetties and harbouts..- These,'.?.i stead of being leased ,as formerly, now controlled by' the Harbours , ::id Lights Department. ;-In the:past they ha: v been a big loss to the State'owming t-.tbth expense necessary in their.?9nstructioai: es. to. the shallowness of the co.tal ;.wator the big rise and fall of .tides, and "they necessity of building long trainways, tod tie" towns which in most instances ' are, some miles from the shore. .These .jetties arel now all showing a good profit, over workingi~ expenses but not on the capital cost.' The Harbours and Lights Department has,. re:ently taken over from the Railway, Deo; partment the Cossack-Roebourne tramway.:` which now runs direct between Roebourniand Point Sampson, andI had the pliasite~i of inaugurating the steam traction,! the' en.-V gine for which we took up .with ,usim nthie Koombana. Some time ago the gauge of the'. Casnarvon tramway was altered' to 3ft:. 6in. and a locomotive replaced the, old horse traction, an improvements which has been much appreciated by the' townspeople, whilst at the same time meaning a substantial economy to the departjment. Locomotive traqtion las been pro vided also on the 12-mile line between Pointf Sampson and Roebourne, and another has'' been ordered for Broome. We have aimedi at giving every facility to the. people a't: these ports, and it is worth noting that'theti present Government. have. spent sotie : £90,000 in the construction and improve.'? nent of jetties and tramways at the nor thern ports. The Marble Bar Railway:.:, . :i "At every port one heard glowiig eo.g counts of the prosperity of the' pastoral' in dustry and rejoicings over the fall of mote:: than usually copious rains, which:h-is':iconverted the whole countryside into verdant;' plains During our stay at Port' HIed. land I had the opportunity of; riding outn 35 miles on the Marble Bar. railway, in4. of seeing tee spinifex country at its best.io As has beeh previously. reported, we founds that the line had beein'limperilled in places by the rains, but it is premature to .-oie." demn the line, as the contractor.'stimei e the job will not be up:ffor.twelve 7t yet. Such ,weaknesses as \?".h ,:'. revealed can! , if necessary :be c by a little extras eipenditure paer?,illg I have nio doubitthat by the t·?u e, is out of the contractor's, hand'i *' a satisfaqtoryjo. "'?: I heard ves ' ing accounts of.the iininiig- ;itdust;. on the upward frip 'I -had- te ipp of conversis with two with: the 'British Expli 'C e viz., Mr. Teale, an Englidsh 'mi e"ýC , and Mr. Harry Yuill, a Canaan etos expert. They have gone:'iiland to report .on the company's properties ifni l heir expert opinions are favourabld:they v-houl I give a big fillip to developmental "wor in the Pilbarras, and do much to provide business for the neweline, which, of cunree, is somiewhat of a speculative character. Should. the. asLhetos deposits be pronounced to be workable. the mineral should be largel u ..sed for building purposes. It cheaper and more durable than galvanis

iron, and we have already used it. largely in country hospitals, and in the buildings IDorre and Bernier Islands. Broome and the Pearling Industry. .-From what little we could see and hear -.Broonme,. that interesting port is in a lourishing condition, due to the fact tlgt he output of shell is being well maintained, and the price for some time has been ~ery good. During 1909 there were 344 licensed, and- 2,11 men employed in the industry, whilst--the declared value of 'pearls anu shell/ obtained was, roughly, £330,000. IHighl gratifying were the assurances that instead of the pearling industry being-' worked by a few owners, w;ith lare 'eets under their control, :here are now many more owners, very ,#ew. of whom have more than - half a dozen. lugers. Also, I learnt with sativ'faction that nearly every lugger nowadays ?ctruies a white man, whilst the white popu,lation of Broome, I was told, is on the ascxrease The Chief Protector of Aborigines, w,,ho is also the Chief Inspector of Fisheries. wll be in the' North-West shortly and I have asked him to take the opportunity .while at Broome of conferring with the pearlers and'reporting on the industry gen The Native Question, `IOne of thIe main purposes of my 'isit wa .to get more closely into tondh with .he ',treatment of the natives. -In this connec?tion I took the opportunity of visiting the gaols, and .was very pleased with the clean appearance of the premises and the natives, who all seemed to be in very good health. I. felt gratified at" observing that the numberF- in the gaols have largely decreased. JSBelieving some time ago that the system .under which the /police worked in the ar-resand imprisonment of natives was open ,to abuse, and tended to unduly increase the .:numbers, in the gaols, I some time ago' caused an alteration to' be made. The -result has been almost astonishing. Whilst ,the number of pnrisoners has very decidedly d!.ecreased, there has been, so far as I '"could learn, no increase of crime, but rather - diminution. The establishment of cattle :stations for the natives will, it is to be l-oped, tend to further minimise the cattle ? illing evil, and thereby decrease 'the cost of our gaols, as well as improving the lot Hof the aborigine generally. Recently I came ='t the conclIsion that. the Chief Protector shoufid spend sore of ~is time in the North ahnd North-West, where the natives mostly live, and I have arranged for him to 4o ':North in the Koombana on her next trip 'and spend a few months in travelling in the interior. I want himto look closely into the employment and treatment of the natives. I'am afraid. that in the past the ;,Aborigines Act.has bees regarded more from .the employers' point of view thani that of •tetnaive. In this respect-complaint was-'made to me at Derby that . general .permits -for the employment' of natives :had been refused. That I answered i? ?n accordance with my instructions, as hilst.' the majority of the squatters ?.had treated the natives they emloy in a -very -good way, there were a ivbad instances of .where tquatters have zio natives under general permits, and :ewhen they became old or sick they re-pndiated them as their .employees and left .tikem'to .be a charge upon the State. This .am determined t. stop. and consequently -2geaeral permits will no longer :?e allowed except, in special cases. Another question -I have instructed the Chief Protector to investigate is as' to whether employers' of native ,labour should not pay wages. It ' would be absurd, of course, 'to pay . the ?moge4to the natives, but the wages co.ld -be paid t -{he State and applied to their benefit. I had "ery much- desired to pay - a visit to the Beagle Bay Mission, and :,greatly regret t)sat owing to our misfortunr i -noat being able'to pick up the- l;ngger -fiwhich was to have taken us ashore, and the diffculty of landing and getting to the t.inssicn, which is some miles inland, I as unable to see in progress a humani?tarian. work ?o which people have spoken to in terms of the highest praise. -How'&er, Father'Bischoff and the Rev. Mother ere passengers on 'thie. Koombana, and I :bad?the benefit of 'talking with them and (gaining a great deal of information in that The Lock Hospitals. "'En route from Carnarvon to Cape Tn~ription I took the opportunity of visiting Ihe lock. hospitals on Bernier and 'Dorre Islands, apd inspecting the new surr I wards which are in- course of erectios- there. ;This 'expenditure was iet demed, necessary at '-first. but ?t .. working showed that many cases eould" be more effectually dealt with r gicaily, than medically, and this- necesaa-td the provision. of surqical waids. A --amber of 'the natives,' both men and wohen.liave been retinred-to their homes coured,. and a fair percentage of the "men now on Dorre Island are ready to be oeturned. On the 'mainland'are a great many DMre cases of both sexes waiting to lie - treated. but as'.in many instances the patients are in a:very'low condition it is not, "de?m?ed advisable to shift them by steam'. tIn some-of the ports.we have odd cases irbich we i-would bring to the island at rnce if it were not for the difficulty of *ettin a steamer to convey them. After sp rouress which the work has made 1 tm more. than--ever satisfied-that-the:-GoSi~ernment are on the righti track in undertakingk this humanitarian work. To be con'ced on this point one has only to see t-,m-in the hospitals on the mainland and `then to see them again in good health after i sojourn on,the islands." - Mr. Connolly said in conclusion that he bught the trip would prove nrofitable to tedepartment, .nd he had enjoyed it nota ing having had to steam about j thoursand m5il in the. Pesnin.