IN FIGURES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 81, 6 April 1933, Page 10

IN FIGURES

AUSTRALIA'S YEAR

MORE WOOL, MORE GOLD

(From "The Post's" Representative.) • SYDNEY, Marck 16. There is romance in figures, even, in statistics, if they are properly examined in an effort to gauge tie progress or otherwise of a nation. In times of depression the statistician has an important part to play, and his facts and deductions are extremely helpful to those who are trying to govern. The Commonwealth Statistician has just made available his detailed figures for the troubled year of .1932, and the outstanding; feature is that the production of wool (997,000,0001b) was a record for any one season. The production in' 1931 was 912,000,0001b. -Then, again, there was a notable increase in the quantity 'of gold, won in Australia. The number of fine ounces returned was 709,000, compared with 595,1230z,in the previous year. The 1931 total was the greatest for many .years. There has been an. increase in the number of sheep in Australia of considerably more than 50,000 -and the total now ig over 111,000,000. Cattle and pigs have increased by 539,000 and 96,000 respectively. ■'■ ~^ ■ . : ..-■• . ' :•■.•' • ■ ■ Australia's population increased by 12,000 to 6,561j673 in the quarter ended December, 1932. During the first nine months of the year the excess of births over deaths amounted to 4.1,035, compared with 48,528 for the corresponding period in the previous year. Tho loss by excess of emigration was 5282, compared with 11,823 for tho first nine months of 1931. The net gain in population during the first nine months of 1932 was 35,735, compared with 3C,70G for the first nino months of 1931. Births during the first nine months of 1932 showed a falling ,off in numbers of 6053 compared with 1931. The birth rate fell from 18.51 in 1931 to 17.14 in 1932. The death rate rose from 8.55 to 8.78. There was an actual increase in marriages, the marriage rate rising from 5.88 to 6.52.

At the end of 1932 the deposits in the savings bank totalled £197,000,000,, and the average was £30 9s lOd per head of the population. There was a slight decrease in the total of the deposits. The depression was'better reflected in th.3 civil aviation figures. In almost every branch covered there was a serious falling off. Flights had been fewer, and there were fewer passengers. However, there was ; an increase from 71 to 103 in the number of public aerodromes. A total of 392 trades unions returned a mombership of 409,902 and an unemployment list of 115,042. The percentage of unemployed was 25.1, a slight reduction, but still far above the percentage at' the end of 1928, when it was as low as 9,9. The number of strikes during the third quarter was 36, involving a loss Of wages* estimated at £37,000. These figures at least. are. unusually ligh* fou Aut^alia* _'__~_l