MODERN DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28002, 23 June 1956, Page 5

MODERN DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA

Australia. By J. C. Horsfall. Ernest Benn. 211 pp. The development of Australia has been very similar to the development of New Zealand. In fact in the early days the two economies were almost inseparable. In more recent years, however, the Australian community, fully conscious of the proximity of Asia, has pressed forward with development far in excess of that in New Zealand. It is of the latter period, about which little has yet been written, that this book is mainly concerned.

In the immediate post-war period plans were laid to bring 200,000 immigrants into Australia every year, with the object of reaching a population of 11,000.000 in 1960. The success of such an ambitious programme would depend more than anything else on the availability of capital. The sterling link was traditional, but in Britain, there was little capital to spare after domestic needs- and the needs of social security and colonial development had been considered. The logical move whs to turn to the United States. Some Riccess was achieved, but by and large, the performance of manag n ment and the attitude towards work in Australia was not thought of highly in the United States. Fortunately the inflow of private capital together with high export Prices, made it unnecessary fnr the Government to borrow abroad to any extent. To date the gamble has succeeded. Over 1.000.090 immigrants have been successfully absorbed. Politics, and the political background | leading to the above developments are [ covered in some detail by Mr Hors- j fell as are the subsidiary moves in transportation, road building, power supply and the like. It is a strange thing, however, that so little attention is paid to agriculture upon which so much depends. Like New Zealand, Australia’s secondary industry leans heavily on imports from overseas. Obviously. a dangerous position would arise if the overseas income were to fall unduly. A diversification of agricultural products, together with a determined effort to produce food and fibre at low cost would seem to signpost the wav to less gambling and greater certainty. A few pioneers, notably the Australian Mutual Provident Society, think this way; believing the main prize has yet to come from the land. They receive no mention. Much land under sufficient rainfall conditions for pasture still remains to be developed. Species of grasses must be selected and techniques of Pasture management worked out. There is barely a mention of this vitally important field. The great majority of the “New Australians” have found employment in Secondary industry, very few are attracted to working on the land. This not a new problem, it is world wide. But the success in solving it and in attracting capital to the land may be the all important key to continuing the rapid develo’ ment of Australia. The Australians are born gamblers, and Mr Horsfall intends perhaps to record them as they are, not as they hnght be. In so 'doing he has prodded a most useful, but one-sided account of the tremendous upsurge of Post-war activity in secondary industry gamble which may yet come