We published a short telegram on Saturday to the effect that the South Australian Premier. Mr. Barwell, writing in the "Adelaide Register'? advocated the development of the Northern Territory by the settlement of selected Asiatics, who would have full rights of citizenship. A further Reuter message from Adelaide, January 7, says that Premier Barwell to-day declared that he was convinced! that some modification of the White Australia policy would eventually become inevitable. Coloured labour must sooner or later be admitted under proper restriction, calculated to prevent the fusion of races and racial hatred." The Northern Territory was originally part. of New South Wales; on the establishment of Federation in 1901 it entered the Commonwealth as a art of the State of South Australia. but was transferred to the Commonwealth in December 1907. With an area of 523,620 square miles, the census of December 31, 1916, gave it a population of 3,839 Europeans 928 "others" and, it is estimated, 20,000 aborigines. In June 1918, slaties in the Territory numbered 1.177, mostly Chinese, The idea has often been held, outside Australia, that if the Territory is to be developed Asiatic labour will be indispensable, but it will be interesting to hear what Australians think of this proposal] being definitely made by one of their number so highly. placed as Mr. Barwell. One doubts if he will be precisely popular.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.