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.

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