THE DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 20

THE DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA.

THE GRAIN AND FODI>ER DUTIES. REDUCED RATES FOE FODDER. MELBOURNE, May 29. In the Federal House Mr Fuller, urging the necessity for suspending the duties on fodder to save stock, said •previous drough-ts' supplies were obtained from New Zealand. The duties prevented this. Ha understood New Zealand had a larger quantity of fodder on hand than for many years. Other members pressed the urgent necessity for action. Mr Deakin .said the Government fully recognised the gravity of the situation, and were prepared, if asked, to take unusual steps to meet it. The difficulty in the way was this : This was a union of States whose circumstances were not all similar. They could not touch the duties without the consent of all the States. Steps were being taken to ascertain the views of the States, and the supplies available, including New Zealand. SYDNEY, May 28. An influential meeting of representatives of the pastoral and commercial interests resolved, in consequence of the disastrous effects of the drought, to ask Mr King- tou to suspend the duties on fodder and grain, and request the railway commissioners to further reduce the rate.s for the carriage of fodder for starving stock. The speakers gave a fearful picture of the widespread disaster caused by the drought. Mr "Crick, Minister of | Lands, said if the Federal Government refused to suspend the duties it would be the duty of the State Government to pay the duties to keep stock alive. May 29. Some of the speakers at yesterday's meeting declared that the present was the worst drought for the last 60 years. New South Wales during the last 80 years had lost 20,000,000 sheep, Victoria 7,000,000, and Queensland 2,000,000. All the large stations are feeding iiiheir stock, spending thousands of pounds in this way. Mr Crick, who recently visited the back country, declared that there had been nothing like the present disaster since 1840 ; even the gum trees were dying for want of moisture. The obtaining of New Zealand grain, potatoes, and other produce is advocated. From to-morrow pumping will be necessary to supply Sydney with water, the gravitation limit having been reached. j May 30. In reply to Mr Deakin's inquiries, the State Premier strongly advocated the suspension at once of the duties on grain and fodder in order to save starving stock. May 31. \ Owing to the terrible state of fche country the Railway Commissioners have agreed to reduce the rates of carriage on fodder for the starving stock. BRISBANE, May 31. i The Premier, in reply to Mr "Deakin, favours the suspension of all duties on . forage during the dronght, and that a time limit of at least three to four months t>e given to enable importers to ' Last jjtgjfe item if ttsceaaiT* I

A letter received by a member" of ou* staff from Moree, New Soufli Wales,, gives the following gloomy description of the state of affairs there: — "We are in the midst of a most appalling drought that will devastate this State and Queensland of their stock. We expect to lose quite half tho sheep whether it rains or not, as if it rains it will certainly pet cold, and in the poos condition of the sheep at the present time they will go down like ninepins. It is har-r rowing to witness the poor creatures in theiff desperately low condition." The drougKt in Queensland is creating a position unprecedented. In the case tjf tha Railway Department the greatest difficulty is being experienced in providing for traffio owing to the scarcity of water for locomotive supply. At Dalby. and several other places, on the south-western line, water haa given out. It is very low at Caboolture._ am important station on the north coast line, and a similar state of things prevails _on several branch lines in the southern division*