AUSTRALIA'S POPULATION

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 187, 4 July 1919, Page 3

AUSTRALIA'S POPULATION

Tlw attaanmen-ii by the Commonwealth of Australia, of a population of 5,000,000, was celebrated recently by tho Millions Club of Sydney. The Comm>onwealth Statistician- (Mr G. H. Knibbs) said that if the population of Australia continues to increase at the present rate their© would be in the year 2000,. only 18,824,000 persons in the Commonwealth. . Thit! ■statement'should arrest the attention of anyone who cared at. all)-ficfr! Australia's destiny. It was seilf-evident, said Mr Knibbs, thait< a. handful of. five millions, one part in 340 partfcs. of the world's population, could not determine the economic policy of the other 339 parts. However much they might desire in. Australia to raise uncial conditions to a higher plane than had characterised^ the past, it would bo national suicide to forget that the only safe • course was the path of competency and strenuousness. If the world's population of say 1,700,000,000 in 1919, increased only one per cent. per_ annum v its population would have increased ftwo and a quarter times when the year 2000 was reached. Thus it would then be 3,844,000,000. Australia's little 'population, of 18,000,000 would still be a negligible qusunrtity. Such a fac^/ was very , significant, and showed the necessity for re-examin-ing their posiidon 'amjong the nations. No one who had seeii much of , the world's activities could fail to realise That for an. isolated cquntiy like Australia there was great danger—a danger of failing to attend to advaiwe elsewherei, a danger of tor/ readily resting upon past achievements.