COTTON TN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18244, 10 November 1922, Page 14

COTTON TN AUSTRALIA.

THE LABOUR QUESTION. A REASSUKING REPORT. [fbok ocb own correspondent.] SYDNEY, Nov. 1. Among several interesting matters considered by the visiting delegation of British cotton experts was the question as to whether or not cotton can be grown throughout Australia solely by white labour. There is an idea prevalent that Australian "white" cotton could not campete successfully with the "black" cotton of rival lands. But that notion was exploded by the visiting experts, and has also been proved wrong by the experience of cotton-growers in Queensland. Mr. Daniel Jones, the Queensland Government cotton expert, pointed out at a conference at Jtockhampton that in America the negro is employed to some extent to sow and harvest, cotton crops, but that coloured worker has lo be well paid, while his work is never of tho highest quality. He claimed that the cotton crops in Queensland surpass in many ways-those of other countries. The Queensland harvest season . extends from five to" eight months. In, Queensland the cotton return per acre is more than tho average yield in the United States, he says, and he gave instances' of cotton crops belonging to returned soldiers, which realised as much as £30 per acre-crops which had not cost more than about £8 to sow and harvest. In the Lockyer district last year two ex-servico men produced £470 worth of cotton and £100 worth of other products from 22 acres. This success in Queensland, Mr. Jones asserted, is partly due to the fact that the plantations have boon worked on the family share system, independent of outside labour. He added. " There is no need to worry "about the maintenance of the White Australia policy so far as extension of the cotton industry in this continent is concerned." "Maiiy thousands of acres of cotton are being planted in Queensland and northern New South Wales and next season's output should be considerable.