NEW STATES IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18953, 29 August 1923, Page 4

NEW STATES IN AUSTRALIA.

WHAT STATISTICS SHOW. SYDNEY in 1971. There is much jubilation among New Staters in the Federal Parliament, following the assurance of +h© Prime Minister l (Mr Bruce) that proposals .to amend the sections of the Cor-riitucion relating to the creation of new States will bo considered by the Legislature next session. Whatever the personal views of Mr Bruce may be, it must be remembered that Dr Earle Page, who is the leader of the New State movement, is an equal partner in the composite Ministry. Confidence is expressed, too, that the New South Wales Ministry under pressure from Mr Bruxner and his followers, will be forced to appoint a boundaries commission during next session. Meanwhile the Now State propagandists are continuing th© work of educating public opinion to their point of view. In pursuance of this object, Mr V. C. Thompson, M.P., the general secretary of the movement, recently addressed a series of questions to the Commonwealth ' Statistician, Mr Wickens. The statistics furnished in answer to these questions proved to be a horrible nightmare -of what Australia may be in 1971 if the present policy of centralisation and drift to the cities is continued (states the Sydney Herald’s Melbourne correspondent). The first question is; If th© same rate of increase of_ population’during the past 50 years continues for' the next 50 years, what will be the population of each of the six _ capital cities at the end of 10-year periods? Sydney’s progress will be by leaps and bounds, as the following figures show: —l93l, 1,314.000; 1941, 1,921,000; 1951, 2,808,000; 1961, 4,105,000; and 1971, 6.000. Whilst Melbourne will be lainy close to Sydney in 1931 with 1,294,000 people, she will be quite left behind in 1971, with only 2,841,000 people, compared with 6.000. in Sydney. Brisbane and Perth ■will be in roughly the same position witft 2,588,000 and 2,211,000 people respectively. Adelaide will have dropped back in the race. By 1961 she will not even have the million mark, and in 1971 t.ne population _ will be onjly 1,183,000. Hobart’s traditional peace and quietness will be undisturbed, for by 1971 her inhabitants will number only 112,000, compared with 40,000 or 50,000 to-day. Assuming, the same rate of increase as in the foregoing figures, the percentage of population of each capital city gives the following results:— Census Mel- The sit year. Sydney, bourne, capitals. 1931 47.08 56.21 ' 46.99 1941 ... ■ ... 51.89 63.06 51.19 1951 57.10 70.82 55.56 1961 62.87 79.52 60.06 1971 ; 69.24 89.28 64.60 What was the percentage of population engaged in primary production exclusive, of mining in each of the States for certain census years since 1891, and if the same rates continue what will be the percentage at the end of 10-year periods until 1971? Mr Wickens has another depressing picture to reveal. The percentages for New South Wales are as follow:—1891, 10.33; 1901, 9.92; 1921, 8.37; 1931, 7.85; 1941, 7.38; 1951, 6.95; 1961, 6.51; 1971, 6.12. In Victoria, on the other hand, there will be a slight tendency in the other direction, but all the other States show declines. NIGHTMARES OF TAXATION. Statistics of the public debts of the States, quite irrespective of the war debt and of ordinary commonwealth debt and the direct taxation per head of the population, are.equally amazing. Whereas the public debt of New South Walks was £18,796,323 in 1922, it will amount by 1951 to £850,000,000, or approximately the same as the pre-war debt of Great Britain. Even Mr Wickens shrinks fjom pursuing the statistics beyond 1951. By th© same year 1951 Victoria will have a debt of £341,400,000, Queensland £514,800,000, South Australia £313,000,000, Western Australia £371,700,000. and even Tasmania £92.500,000. All other statistics fade into insignificance compared with the possibilities of direct taxation in Queensland in 1971. By that time either the whole population will be earning fabulous incomes to enable them to pay the tax, or perhaps everyone will lie compelled to hand his entire income to the, Stale. The following are the statistics: —Direct taxation in Queensland, 1901, 10s lid; 1922, £4 8s lOd : 1931, £ll Is lOd; 1941, £3O 4s; 1951, £B2 9s; 1961, £225; 971. £613 16a per head of the population. The figures for New South Wales are not quale so terrifying:—l9ol, 16s Id; 1922, £3 8s 2d; 1931, £6 6s 7d; 1941, £l2 11s lOd; 1951, £25 Is; 1961, £49 16s; 1971, £99 2s per head of the population. Fortunately, Mr Wickens has explained that figures are largely academic, and has_ added that they must be read “with caution.”