WHAT DROUGHT MEANS,

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13666, 6 February 1908, Page 3

WHAT DROUGHT MEANS,

CONDITIONS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. The recent splendid rains in New South Wales did not fall before they were needed.

For the first time in the history of the district tho Sydney milk distributing companies were purchasing all the fresh rnilfc .available at lOd per gallon, which is a price much in excess of any ever paid before. The whole of the milk produced! in the past, especially in the fehoalhaveii district, was turned into butter, but the milk supplies to Sydney by the usual dairying centres diminished to such an extent that the companies were compelled to go further afield for supplies, they never having; gone below Gerringong before. Tho factories consequently were making very little butter, and celebrated dairying centres, such as Daptu and Wollongong, were undergoing the unique experience of having butter forwarded to th«m instead of sending- it away. In-, dustrial centres in and arouud-Wollongong were dependent mainly upon the local water works for their applies, while the miners wore kept going by soakage through the mountains. The position at Comma! was most serious, business men in a small way being compelled to pay £1 each per week for water to be carted from Wollongong, a distance of four miles, virile householders were dependent upon waterhoies, which, owing to their iinprolecled' l state, had become filthy.* At Ikrrv. the water supply had given out,, and the Council had decided to .cart; water from the creek for the. use of ratepayers. The country round about was terribly burnt up, the farmers' plight being a ..very sad one. More dry feed was being carted "out daily than had ever been the case before. In regard to Nowxu the town water supply gave out,. . "