ve been constructed during the past six years. Of these
1,200 miles, 923 belong to the State and the balance to a private
company, whose line runs from Perth, along the coast northward, to the
port of Geraldton. But though lines have been laid from Perth to
Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie, and Cue, settlers are breaking ground farther
afield, and further extensions both in the direction of the agricultural
districts and of the goldfields are contemplated. The State railways,
which may be looked upon as completely efficient, have paid, according to
a statement in the West Australia year-book, a dividend of 11 1/2 per
cent.

Although I have elsewhere described the primitive nature of the postal
arrangements on the goldfields, it must be borne in mind that this
relates to early days; now, the number of letters passing through the
offices reaches 26,000,000; of newspapers, 17,000,000; while parcels to
the extent of 5,000,000, and over a quarter of a million of postcards,
and 1,000,000 telegrams were dispatched in one year, although the Postal
Department all over the Colony is shockingly managed. There are no less
than 5,429 miles of telegraph line open. The rapid increase displayed in
these figures is the outcome, undoubtedly, of the gold discovery. The
first official record of gold production was in 1886, when the yield for
the six months ending that year was 302 oz., valued at 1,148 pounds. The
yield for 1897 was over 700,000 oz., representing rather more than 2 1/4
millions sterling.

Owing to the "sporadic and pockety" nature of the finds it was at first
supposed that gold would only be found in superficial deposits. This
supposition has now been completely upset by the result of sinking
operations at Kalgoorlie and elsewhere.

The richness of the Western Australian goldfields is established beyond
the possibility of a doubt, and though over-capitalisation and want of
proper management have had their customary ill-effects upon the industry,
yet the undoubted and immense value of the auriferous yield should make
the ultimate prosperity of the Colony a matter of certainty.

But the Colony does not rely alone upon its gold for prosperity. It has
other and substantial sources of revenue in lead, copper, tin, coal, and
timber, to say nothing of the excellence of the agricultural outlook.

The mineral district of Northampton, connected with the port of Geraldton
by railway, is rich in lead and copper. Tin has been found in great