RAIN IN AUSTRALIA

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 19 October 1914, Page 8

RAIN IN AUSTRALIA

EFFECT .ON AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SITUATION.

CONFLICTING! NEWSPAPER OPINION.

GY GABLE—PEESS ASSOOIATTON-fIOPYIiIGHa

(Reoei-cesKOct: '19, 12.30 p.m.)

SYDNEY, Oct. 19

(Eastern sa«id .■Borthern parts of Australia will by the /mon-fioonalrains'-vvhieh began on Friday and are still 'falling- 'All':fears of a drought west 6f the mauntains has been dis■pelled, -and'this has"ha!d a wonderful effect in stimulating the financial position. Stock'has'been-saved and a reasonable 'harvest; is-assured.

The Telegraph, in a leader, says the rainstorm means much more to the 'State than can "be expressed in bushels of wheat, tons of hay, or' head of stock saye9 'from the drought, and tends to relieve the 'finflneuil tension and act as the 'best possible tonic "for -public confidence., -counteracting the adverse influences of the war. "It is too late to give the State a good aggregate grain harvest, but -fhere are possibilities of a reemrery over -a third or half the area sown, sufficient to give a considerable exportable surplus over internal requirements for food -and seed. There is a prospect of a record dairy production.

The' Herald is -still pessimistic regarding the wheat and pastoral outlook and says that on the whole the rain will have little value on the wheat crops, and has come too late to save the situation even where the falls are greatest. Very little has fallen in the -Riverina and it is doubtful if pastoral -prospects could be more serious.