THE PROGRESS OF NEW SOUTH WALES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 6052, 9 November 1906, Page 11

THE PROGRESS OF NEW SOUTH WALES

FACT. FIGURES, AND ANTICIPATIONS. AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. Mr R. Houston McNieee, who is the country representative of the important Sydney musical house of W. 11. Paling and Co.. Ltd., is at present on a visit to Wellington in connection with certain family matters. As it was known that tliis gentleman, in the course of his ordinary business, has to visit most of the nooks and comers of the mother colony, and as it was also known that Mr McNcice was recognised in Sydney aa one who takes a very keen interest in all matters having reference to the material progress of this and, indeed, every other portion of the Commonwealth of Australia, one of our representatives yesterday had an interview with him. Mr McNeico was asked if ho could say anything in reference to the drought in New South Wales in 1902 aud compare the then conditions in that Skate with what z*eports show iethe present flourishing appearance of things generally. A DEVASTATING DROUGHT. Mr McNeico said: "Well, I suppose it would be a very difficult matter to convey to tho mind of any New Zealander even tho slightest: impression of what the actual conditions of tho drought of 1902 were in New South Wales. X’can only toil you this, that with the exception of a few scattered parts of tho State, absolute devastation prevailed everywhere. Tho parts that were comparatively prosperous during that memorable drought season were tho Hunter Valley, the North and South Coasts, aud a few patches in the Central Division of tho State. Tho whole of the Rivei’ina and practically the entire central aud western portions of New South Wales were drought-stricken. The wheat belt only yielded an average of half a bushel to tho acre. Formerly the average was from sixteen to. twenty bushels! The western territory in the main—that is to say, tho territory through which the Macquarie, Bogun, Castlereagh, Darling, and Namoi rivers run when they do run—was a veritable desort, tfdibie scrubs and even the bark of trees were at a premium. It was a dreadful state of things. Of course, at a time like that you can readily imagine how reciprocity - between New' Zealand and Australia would have benefited us. I know it would have immensely benefited New- South Wales, and I am sure it would also have been a great advantage to New Zealand. New South Wales would have had the advantage of receiving your products, and this colony would have reaped advantage through a market being opened for your surplus produce at good prices. Wo have mad© application to New Zealand, Tasmania, and Argentina freely for fodder, and plenty offered. But, owing to the rigid nature of the Federal tariff, the purchase of that fodder was made almost impossible. We lost about 20,000,000 sheep in consequence of that drought, and also great herds of valuable horses and cattle, notwithstanding the fact that wo carried fodder as much as 500 miles on the railways at 2e per ton! We need not have lost anything like that number of animals had it not been for the rigid nature of our Federal tariff, which New .bouth Wales tried to, but could not, have set aside for the time being. "Of course, in the following year,-1903. the country was transformed from what was practically a desert into an absolute Garden of Eden. This shows the wondrous fertility of the land_ and tho ready response which Nature gives when a little moisture falls upon the soil. Wo had aa a result of the bountiful season of 1903-4 all home food requirements abundantly supplied and a surplus of 16.000. bushels of wheat . which was exported. We had a net increase of over 12.000. sheep; and although the seasons of '.901-5 and 1905-6 were only moderate as compared with_ that of 1903-ls the increase has been going on in almost a similar ratio. This present season of 1908-7 premises to be mare prosperous than any we have experienced for the last sixteen years. But now, you must observe, our difficulty is to find a. market reasonably near to our ports to which we can send the large quantities of produce we cannot consume within our own State. We anticipate a very heavy crop of fruits such as cannot profitably be grown hero in New Zealand, and in that respect, of course, if we had any kind of reasonable reciprocity existing between this colony and New bouth Wales we would naturally be considerable gainers. POSSIBILITIES OE RECIPROCITY. "There is a strong feeling in New South Wales that the proposals of the Federal Premier, the Hon. Alfred Deakin, are altogether too one-sided, and are in the interests of only a comparatively few Australians. Tho idea prevails there that a reciprocal treaty based upon lines more mutually beneficial might readily be drawn up; and, especially in Sydney, we are looking forward with great and steadily increasing interest to the discussion in the New Zealand Parliament that will .take place upon Sir Jtseph Ward’s reciprocal pro- : positions. And here’ I may mention that for sum© reason or another there is now an exceptionally kindly feeling m the mother colony for New Zealand aud everything pertaining thereunto. IRRIGATION AND PRODUCTION. “Aa to the question of competition between New South Wales and New i Zealand in tho matter of dairy products, I can only say that it can scarcely be realisable to anyone who has not studied the matter what the extent of that competition is bound to become. In our State we have really only got our drairyin"- industry decently started. It is true that wo have had an expert at work there for some considerable time, but it is practically only during the last ten vears that we have broken ground on tho possibilities of our country in this regard. You must understand, that we have only had a very limited area of land open for tho men who desire to devote their energies to this form ot industry. X say 'a limited area advieeuiy, for I mean a limited area compared with what it is likely to be later on. In order to facilitate dairy farming and closer settlement, great—l may say enormous —irrigation schemes are being undertaken. . The most important of tnese works is what is known as tho 'Barrenjaok Scheme’ at the head of tho Murrumbidgee river. There our Parliament has decided to construct a basin capable of conserving three. times ns much water as is now held in Sydney Harbour! When This scheme is.comdieted it will mean that there will be a permanent water supply throughout tue whole of the driest of summers for all. tho countryside along the course of tho Jturrimbidgee river—practically the whole of the Riverina district, and as tho soil is eminently suitable for dairying purposes it is expected that 25,090 additional farming families will be Bottled upon the land situated upon the banks of that river. It is expected that this scheme will be completed in about three years. It is proposed to carry out a similar scheme at the head of the Lachlan river. When that undertaking is finished it will bring about 400 miles of excellent dairying country into use. That land is now only employed for wheat growing and sheep-raising. ARTESIAN WELL-BORING.

"But perhaps the most far-reaching recent development in New South Wales is in connection with the artesian water areas. Only four years ago there was bnt an occasional bore put down hero and there over a vast area of country, and tens of thousands of sheep died for want of water. Now there are upwards of 200 artesian boras yielding from 500,000 to 6,000,000 gallons of water per diem! These bores have practically over-

come the water difficulties eo_ far ns the Norlh-wefetern portion of New South Males is concerned: but of course it in questionable whether that part of tho country will be suitable for dairying. It has always been regarded as a sheep carrying country, mainly no doubt because there have been no facilities for doing anything else with the land in past years. But it is also known that tho country there grows fruits—especially citrous fruits—most luxuriously. In this connection I may remark that only a short while ago when I was in Bourko I visited tho Peira artesian bore. There I saw an. orchard which would have gladdened the eyes of anyone, who- takes interest in such matters. The orange trees were overladen with fruit, EO also wore olive trees and Egyptian date palms.

NORTHERN NEAV SOUTH WALES. "Again New Zealanders will scarcely be able to imagine the extent of tho progress that has been made comparatively recently in what ie known as the ’Northern Fivers District’ in New South Wales—that is to say in the valleys of the Maolcay, Hastings, Manning, Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed rivers, the last named of which ie right on the borders of Queensland. Sixteen years ago this extensive belt of country was densely scrub covered. What is called ‘scrub’ up there is real heavy jungle, which contains many fine giant timber trees. Now parts ot this district have been completely cleared, are thickly settled, aud are well-organised dairy farm districts. The town of Lismore, which is right up in the north of the State, contains a population of from 7000 to 8000 souls. The soil in these districts is mainly a rich alluvial, but in parts it is volcanic; as for the rainfall T. should say it is one of the best in Australasia, aud of course it is very well watered by numerous streams, which get their supply from the Liverpool and Macpherson mountain ranges. Then I may speak of tho New England district which ia a oart of the territory of New South Wales, which very closely corresponds in its climatic conditions, and in its products with New Zealand. Here very great progress indeed has been made in the matter of dairying. BREAKING-UP BIG ESTATES. "The principal influence contributing to the success of close settlement and the dairying industry in New South Wales has been the opening by private individuals of some splendid estates, as, for example, Myall Creek estate, near Xnverell, Banguroo estate, near Cowra, on tho Lachlan river, and a great area of country on the northern rivers, known as the Don Dorrigo Scrub—the lastnamed tract of country is a magnificent forest, composed for the greater part of cedar, and is said to have been named after an old Spaniard who settled there a good many years ago, and who was the first to discover tho wealth of timber growing in the district. I merely mention these estates as typical cases, but many other properties have been similarly opened up, and this fact has given quite a fillip to close settlement wherever it has taken place. The work that has been done, and the prospects for the future, are such as enable one to say with confidence that ten years hence the condition of these lands will be something for New South Wales to be proud of. DEVELOPMENT OF MINERAL RE-, SOURCES. "While the State has been steadily developing its agricultural industries it has been by no means neglectful of the advantages to be derived from the full utilisation of the mineral deposits with which almost every district of New South Wales is more or less bountifully provided by Nature. At Cobar, the great copper centre of the State, during the past six years no less than five new townships have sprung into existence. These are named respectively Drysdale, Shuttleton, Oneen-bee, Canbellego, and Bndgeree. There are gold mines at Drysdale and Canbellego—from tbe Mount Boppey mine, which is situated at the last-men-tioned place, there is a fine specimen of gold now on exhibition at Christchurch. Copper is found at the other three places. These townships have grown ■ around the mines, and each carries considerable norralation—l should say from 1000 to 2000 persons. Yet you must remember that only three or four years ago a rabbit could hardly live in these districts.

"Then, in addition to the progress that has been made in regard to the primary industries, it is to be remembered that not only in the cities of Sydney and Newcastle. but also in many other places, there have come'into existence numerous industries and manufactures which have called a considerable amount of skilled labour Into use, and although the Government has not held out any special inducements beyond those I have mentioned the population has been steadily and permanently increasing. We had an increase' of 30,060 for the nine months ending 30th September last. THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

“As to matters political New South Wales, like all the other .States of the Commonwealth, has had a good many difficulties to deal with, and, its progress has to some extent been retarded. But since Mr Carruthers and his party—which is known as the 'Liberal Party’ in New South Wales—has taken office, tho legislation has been of a judicious and farreaching character. For instance, for tho first time in the history of tho country we have established Shire Councils throughout the Central Division. This will relieve the ordinary Toads and bridges member of Parliament’ of tho necessity of always bein'* found standing at the door of the Under-Secretary for Public Works. That is one thing it will do, but another is that it will give the residents of New South Wales a keener interest in the development of their districts,'as the measure enables them to Initiate works and impose taxation upon the ground values throughout their Shires to meet the cost of those works. That,’ to men who know tho difficulty of administering the affairs of the interior of New South Wales from the Government offices in Sydney,- means an immense benefit and an enormous relief. It is really a devolution of Government. ’’ Then we have copied you in New Zealand in regard to our Municipalities Amendment Bill in the direction of making it optional for ratepayers to levy taxation either upon ground values alone, or ground values and improvements combined, or upon improvements alone—they may hare, three options. As far as,,the people of Now South Wales are concerned it is likely they will revert to one system of taxation, and that will be the taxation ou ground values only. A POSSIBLE COTTON INDUSTRY. " There is one matter I omitted to mention in connection with agricultural affairs that may prove to he of great interest, and of some commercial account later on to New Zealand. That is that experiments in the growing of cotton on a small scale which have been made in New South Wales have proved to be entirely satisfactory. Tho experiments have been carried out in the North-western portion of the State at the back of Coonamble. Of course this is a prospective asset. Just as you in New Zealand have a fine market for flax in the North of Ireland, bo do, we anticipate a future trade with the cotton-spinning districts of England.

"It docs seem that New South Wales at, the present time has reached a state of prosperity to which she had not attained for at least a quarter of a century, and it is generally agreed that if the present Government has another term of office, and legislates on lines similar to those which have guided it in the past, the internal development of the State will be considerably enhanced. If yon New Zealanders can possibly ar. range a reciprocal treaty with our Federal authorities it will be hailed with welcome in New South Wales, perhaps more so than in any other part of the Commonwealth."