BAD TIMES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18859, 11 May 1923, Page 8

BAD TIMES

IN WESTERN NEW SOUTH WALES

STOCK ROUTES BARE OF GRASS,

The effects of th e drought in the far west of New South Wales are becoming serious, but while conditions there are grim they are not desperate, according to the Kev S. J. Kirkby, organising secretary of the Bush Church Aid Society, who has just returned from a month’s tour of tno country lying behind White Cliffs, Menindie, and Wilcannia (says the Sydney Morning Herald). The patchy rains that fell last Christmas had in many places saved the situation for the time being, he said, bait unless rain came very soon drought as disastrous as that of 1.919-20 stared the people of the far west in the face. As an instance of Uie abnormal conditions prevailing, he mentioned that, in the Wilcannia district, where the rainfall in ordinary seasons averaged' Bin, there had been 1.29 in of rain in June, 1921, and no more rain till last Christmas, when there had been a fall of 2.69 in Nearer Menindie, however, there had been no such Christmas blessing. In that parched area there had been no rain for nearly two years. Over vast stretches of country the stock routes were bare of feed, and in some cases the stock tanks were dry. Yet the people, sadly stricken as some had been, -were not downhearted. One of the fine signs was to see them cleaning out the now empty , tanks and making them deeper. It was an indication of the faith they had. There were fine pastoral areas in the far west, and the recuperative powers of the country were astonishing. Mr Kirkby noticed amazing numbers of kangaroos and emus along the Darling, which was flowing. They had evidently been forced to leave their fastnesses outback in search of water.

In the country round Cobar the collapse of tho mining industry had made itself felt. One-time thriving townships like Elouera, where the big G.S.A.‘ copper mine was situated, and Illowong, where the Bee Mountain mine was in operation, were now abandoned, with only one family left in each case! 4 Anyone might gel a shop there or a house merely on payment of the transfer fees, and blocks of land were available Jn Cobar on the same liberal terms. The .owners of the property in these deserted villages were keen to give it away to escape the liability for rates.