MORE MARKETS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 80, 1 October 1924, Page 7

MORE MARKETS

AUSTRALIA'S NEED

PAST MISTAKES.

(PROS! OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

SYDNEY, 25th September.

In a striking speech regarding the necessity of the systematic .organisation of the marketing of Australia's products, and the prevention of over-production along any given lines, the Federal Prime Minister (Mr. Bruce) made on important suggestion for the establishment of a body comprising the beßt brains in the community to advise the various Governments and the people of Australia, on the great problems involved. In offering to co-operate with tho Statos in the astablishment of such a body, Mr. Bruce expressed the opinion that it would be able to render the greatest possible Barvice to the primary and secondary industries of Australia, and also to tha whole of the people, In emphasising the need for some Buch organisation, Ml4, Bruce indicated the need for the opening up of adequate markets foy thd in« creasing production brought about by immigration and improved methods, ond he pointed by way of warning to ths acute problems that had hud to ba faced owing to abnormal iiieranso in production through soldier settlements in the matter of dried fruits, 'without prepay steps having first boon taken to ensure that there was a sufficient demand far the potential output. Once the pcobjem of providing markets for oui' surplus production is solved, said Mr, Bruce, the problems of the increase of our man power and the expansion of cur financial resources will be eafly of solution. Our aim must be to diroufc ouv production towards those commodities for which there would appear to be eon= tinuous and expanding future demand, and to abandon our present' aystom of haphazard production. It must be,remembered that within & f«w ymvn "the 'storage works undor construction on the Murray Eiver and its tributaries will provide sufficient water for irrigation of over 1,000,000 acres, in addition to the present irrigated areas, At present furit growing is the staple industry in our irrigated .arena. Fruit proauction on an economic basis, however, cannot absorb more than a tithe of these new areas. We must immediately, fuce the question of how we nro to omploy to tha best advantage the water conserved in the storages upon which the Federal and State Governments are expending many millions of pounds. Hay it not be possible, queries Mr. Bruce, by systematic fodder conservation and by schemes for using these irrigation areas for fattening stock raised on the cheaper and drier country, to improve the efficiency of our pastoral industry and reduce its risk? Mr. Bruce addod that his investigations into the marketing of Australian products in Great Britain had convinced him that there must be a more 'orderly and effective system if Australian interests were to expand or even to maintain their present position. A measure of Governmental assistance was necessary if a proper system of orderly marketing was to' be brought about.