QUEENSLAND NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9455, 10 March 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

QUEENSLAND NOTES.

[BY BIMU.] We Queenslanders are in the midst of our usual sultry season, and as a consequence, life is something of a burden for those who have to work hard, while those who do nothing find they have " melting moments" also. ' THE FRUIT SEASON. One redeeming feature in these days is the plentiful supply of fruit. First, we have peaches in November and December from local orchards, and for two months longer by supplies from New South Wales, and although tho fruit is not so large as New Zealanders are used to, it is sweet and juicy. About Christmas time the first of the grapes come to market, prices opening about 9d, bub before the week is out 3d and 4d is about the retail price. I bought splendid " Isabellas" at Id, while " Black Hamburgs" were retailed at 3d this year, the lowest I have seen them at. One lot of 50 tons from the Roma district was sold at £4 per ton for wine-making. Pineapples have been a failure, partly owing to a disease in the old plantations and the want of rain. The fruit is small and can be bought in the shops for 4d to 8d per dozen. The cheapness of grapes, bananas, and pine apples, which were in former years looked upon as the chief fruits of Southern Queensland, has caused fruitgrowers to plant oranges, lemons, and | plums extensivoly, but with a limited market even these do nob realise the profit expected. The coming fruib now is the mango. Once a person acquires (I say acquires advisedly) the task for this delicious fruit, his interest in other fruib is small. Tho skin is tough, and the stone large, with a fibrous covering. A new chum at mango eating requires to be in possession of a toothpick and patience, to extract the hairy material from his teeth. After a little practice one can manage without difficulty to eat them quite rapidly, and enjoy them. In Queensland we have over a hundred varieties, so tho grower tells mc, and with a little care in the winter time when tho tree is small, they are easily grown. From what I know of the Bay of Islands district, I should think the mango would do well there, especially in tho wellwatered lowlands with a rich soil. Care must be token that only good sorts are planted, for unless this is done a man may wait three or four years and then find that he has nothing but skin, hair, and stone.

AN EXPERIMENT IN SOCIALISM. During the past two months the communal settlement groups have been busy, and altogether there are 12 associations on the land and in course of preparation. The members enrolled are about 500 men, besides women and children, and about SO,OOO acres of land at present lying idle or used only as sheep runs, will be put to practical use. I find that by some mistake I put the term of purchase as 20 years, instead of 10 in my last letter. THE SUGAR BOOM. The great boom at present, however, is the sugar industry, and no doubt those who are growing sugar now are making fortunes'iin comparison with what they have been doing with other crops. The influx of coloured labour from all parts of the world enables the large plantation holder to grow his cane cheaply, and the farmer anywhere within cartage distance of railway or sugarmill can obtain 13* or 14s per ton for his green cane at the rollers. This means a clear profit of about £20 per acre a year. With proper care and attention to cultivation and ordinary rains, one planting does for five or six years cutting. In districts where farmers will combine and provide cash for preliminary formation expenses of a company, guarantee to grow so many acres of cane, and give the Government a mortgage over their land, funds will be provided; from the public treasury, for the erection of a mill.

Under thesecircumstancescan you wonder that sugar lands are being sold at big prices, and the speculator is to the fore. Kecently the metropolitan papers gave particulars of one sale of 160 acres, which a tradesman, who was unable to obtain work in town, took up, and for which he paid £40 seven years ago. Ho did well by growing sugar, and in December last he sold the Farm for £3000. Of course people are rushing into the business, and no doubb during the nexb two years fortunos will be made, bub I fear we are in for a repetition of what took place eight or nine years ago if this " booming" is persisted in. Sir Thomas Mcllwraith is credited with owning 10,000 acres in one block of the finest sugar lands in the Bundaberg districb, which he bought in the good old days when land was bought for a penny an acre, or leas, according bo the friends one had in power. Sugar lands with the scrub still standing are selling at from £3 to £30 per acre according to distance from a mill. BLACK VERSUS WHITE LABOUR. During this month tho labour traffic has been brought before the public in rather an unpleasanb manner owing to quarrels, in one case between the captain, agenb, and recruiter, and in the other between the shipowner who contracted to supply so many Kanakas, ab so much per head, and the sugar planter who ordered good sound articles, which on delivery were found to be anything bub healthy. In both cases grave irregularities, in recruiting were proved. It is only when such quarrels take place thab truth in regard to the traffic comes to light. You may be sure those opposed to Dlack labour are nob slow bo make use of these little " incidents."

One of the benefits derived from the increase of the growth of sugar during the last season has been the proof given of the ability of whites bo work in the cane field. This season quite a number of young fallows—tradesmen, retrenched clerks, etc.—found their way to the Bundaberg district, and contracted for cutting bhe cane on some of the larger plantations, where enough coloured labour was nob available, and from some of the published reports they were satisfied, and the planters convinced that although white labour is nob so " reliable" as black, which simply moans white labour cannob be bought or leased for so many years, and the wages paid are much more than Kanakas receive, yeb the quantity and quality of the work is better. One plantation employed over 100 white men last year, and promises work for more next season. This has been a great; help to some men, and shuts the mouths of those advocates of black labour who continually cry out that the only hope of the sugar industry, or in facb any tropical enterprise, is bo imporb cheap coloured labour. THE SEPARATION MOVEMENT. During January the separation movement lies been again to the fore. A petition has been prepared and signed by all the members praying that Central Queensland may be constituted a separate colony. Of course this is a movement which the Northern division is helping, for if Central Queensland can work the oracle with the Colonial

Office, the Northern people will have won their own case. The financial question is the bogey used by the opponents of separation, for they say the Southern parts would have the heaviest burden in regard to the public debt. The Northern trade is nob the profitable thing ib once was to the Brisbane merchants, for steamer communication from Torres

Straits with Great Britain, India, and the East has diverted Northern orders direcb to these places, while the competition between the Sydney and Melbourne steamship companies has reduced through freights from these ports so low, that despite the duty, produce is landed cheaper than from Brisbane.

At one time we had direct steamer communication with New Zealand at irregular intervals, but since Turner, of Christchurch, withdrew only an occasional schooner has visited us with flour from your ports.

FINANCIAL TROUBLES. The Queensland Deposit Bank, at) on© time looked upon as the most successful institution of its kind in the colony, and which re-constructed in 1892, has again called upon its creditors for extended terms, and is likely to pass through the ordeal with possibly a litblemore opposition than before. Australians are getting used to this, however, and I note that the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company

have made a most successful arrangement— for the company. The developments during the next ten years, in regard to the re-constructed banks and pastoral companies will be an interesting study for those not involved, may it be pleasing to the creditors.