DEPRESSION IN AUSTRALIA

Hokitika Guardian, 4 June 1930, Page 7

DEPRESSION IN AUSTRALIA

CLOUDS LIFTING. WiiKAT, WOOL, AN!) FALi’GRY D J SYDNEY, May 23. Practically every district of New Soutli Wales t-liat nosh'd rain Inis received a so,skin,; an f t!n> Stnl.r-wid ty ii ..s Inch >•, |;-:>y<d. <• ■ • {!i, ivi'Si and siinili, sLeady ra n ha,-; gAen cm;i> and | ms: arcs a ■ire stm L town ids s lie :jr Tid season. d'li > link between the rainfall id Fourku in the far-west, and unemployment in, S.diiey, may not he obviom In cver.-hody, b'lt mum tile less it ex ists; and the |.-,!U have d ne nan 1 j to d' n ■ i :■•( ssiiiiis:n. All ovr th" far j w "•! " II d's f hi f.; grass \\ here I !'e r re.thru s■ x n -n'Ls td e '■•nmiid h ’ : h '« n as lar'e arc (aide, j 'Vices cl' sheep have lev nine iii me" , 1 t'”’'’ v-M-ms arc hotter. Woo' I iaiv> nine t’a-onra'ln. 'fliesthings will means moi'p employ toGi i" the eolttdry a”d the eitv, an’ 1 ii o'i|.r of die present fiancial d<>'cession. A l from f!;e position wliich Jim arisen because .a si.ujian trade ledge, I imp.whs and exports clors not Ira no , tiie mix oi t!ie economic post ; : mi hire has hem the die line in wo> jM’ecs a nd tin* shrinkage in Australia’: wiu at harvests, and the liggost job is to increase the* total of the primarv production, ami then by of experts. On ibis task Australia lias stated in a way which gives con id- nre. Th L'-mai'.;-.; wealth (lovcrc-ment lias offered the wheat growers a federal peril with a. guarant c of -is a Jmsiiel, pin.eightjHnoc a bushel handling charges i and t!):> Prime Minister, Mr F-eullin. J lias made a nation-wide appeal to A astral in to extend its wheat area hy an -dditional 2,000,030 acres. Throughout the Commonwealth there is mi precodented activity in the wheat areas, with the promise now of a good season. Reports indicate a record cropped area of 18 300. CFO acres strikin'- ivro r hat the fine spirit of our agriculturists istill lives, despite many bitter disappointments and reverses.' Here is r tremendous leap forward, which, with favourable conditions, will give Australia a harvest of more than 203.C00.000 bushels and probably a wheat ohequo of £'53,030,000. An Australia can go on extending its wheat area by millions of acres for many years. The Federal Government Ims also assisted 80,000 wool-growers by prohibiting the export from Australia of stud merino sheep, which policy alone lias enabled South Africa to become a serious competitor with Australia in the wool industry to the extent of about 15.030,000 a- year. If and when Mr Scullin. in his overhaul of the economic

question relating to wool production, formulates .some scheme for the prot-ect-(ion of the pastoral industry ■ against drought, l::\ver wool prices—if they arc to remain will le countcr-bahuued by

great production. Added to the brighter outlook in respect to primary production arc the hi mbits that already arc accruing to l lie second.irv industries through the ii- w tarii!’. There are many overseas I companies' building or about to build j fjmlc.i-ics which apart from their perJ manent source of wealth in wages and output-, will at the outset provide mil'll employment. Rn that out of the gloom there is a new light, radiating hope and confidence. As one writer puts "f : n a stimuli! iyg article. “Australia 's l-cina- tried by f** < • lire of adversity. r v ill coaic o'D lugger, belter and inr,--;. j-.'-(.«]wror:s. a"., i-,. seem to lie at last a more solid basis for optimism.