IN AUSTRALIA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 819, 17 May 1910, Page 8

IN AUSTRALIA.

JOTTINGS FROM YESTERDAY'S' MAIL. . The lambing returns in New South Wales fhis year .promise* to be .exceptionally good, owing to favourable conditions. This is. not viewed any too favourably by some pastoralists, who argue that this' large increase in sheep will' mean the reduction in prices, and with tie. present glut in the frozen trade some anxiety is expressed as to the future". ' The Queensland Governor, speaking at the Ipswich show, strongly commended . the veterinary examination of ; horses, though not on drastic lines. He thought that certification % would be forced upon breeders, because' horses that did. not carry a certificate would be looked upon more or less with suspicion. Mi. A. C. Shadier is doing good work in Europe in inducing immigrants to come to the Commonwealth. He is especially . pushing Queensland 'interests. One. of the results of his work has been to 'form three companies with considerable capital,' which intend to. apply for large areas of land for cotton and sisal production, and to exploit the timber. Several towns in Holland are specifying Australian hardwood . for docks , and wharves, and street-paving. Mr. Shadier thinks that fully a couple of thousand Germans will sail this year for Queensland. A suggestion which.. New. Zealand might well adopt has been made to the Victorian Department of Agriculture. It is that weekly reports should be furnished showing the number of stock in the cool stores, both Government and private, awaiting shipment, and the storage available. The Tasmanian potato-growers have raised a strong .protest against the tax of 2s. per acre imposed under the Act passed to cope with the potato blight, to defray the cost of Government inspection. They are asking that the tax be reduced to Is. 3d. . .The West Australian Government is giviu" the rest of Australia a lead., by introducing the bulk handling- of wheat. ; Five.' wheat elevators and four loaders are to be erected at Fremantle, and will deal with 28,800 bags per day of eight hours. ' • '.-" From 17,000 to 20,000 bags of maize were stacked in the North Coast Company's wharf in Sydney last week, the great bulk of which was damaged and deteriorating. Most of the maize -was shipped in an. unfit condition—it was too much on the soft side—and has been awaiting sale on a falling market With dire results. ' An official statement has been issued of tie operations under the Queensland Agricultural Lands Purchase Act aiid Closer Settlement- Act to December 31 last. Tho statement shows the total number of portions selected on the several repurchased estates was 2129, the. total area being 409,361 acres, and the total price .£1,218,121. The rent paid, including penalties, was ,£578,726. The area still unselected or reserved amounted to 24,045 acres. ■ ' The rabbiting industry has grown remarkably at Narrabri, N.S.W. The pest is not so numerous compared with a few seasons' ago, but the district supports a large number of trappers, who all through make good money. A good business lias also been done in 'skins. Trappers have made up to ...£6, £8, £W, and even ,£l2 per week, and carters to £6 ; .