MENACED BY DROUGHT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13491, 21 September 1914, Page 6

MENACED BY DROUGHT.

.POSITION IN AUSTRALIA. A well-known farmer, Mr A. W. Rutherford, ex-M.P.- for Hurunui, has returned, to Christchurch from Australia. He says: that drought hangs over the Commonwealth as. a great menace. "In South jAristralia," ho said, "I took a run up to' fGoiino.wio, a noted stud station to .the' iiorth. :•, Surrounding the station, were "a considerable . nurnher of farms, ahd > ..re'ally things were m a terrible state. There was "no grass at all. We heard that stock on the farms was dying* and. that some of the farmers had shot -half their stock m order, to conserve Ahe food for the remainder. Cows and horses, were just turned out on the roads to take their chance.

"Hundreds of thousands of acres further north had been abandoned. It is said to be the worst drought for 40 years, and must havo a serious effect unon tho crops. In South Australia the wheat crop over a Considerable area is a complete failure, and m more favored districts it will be considerably below normal. Inv parts, of Victoria, where many; of the great' runs havo been cut up,. ; : or "perhaps subdivided and let/ on the share;:'' system, the farmers haye rea-lised-.that'the' crop is past saving, and have turned 'in the stock to feed jt- off. Generally speaking, there -- must. .be a great shortago of grain m Australia. Rain now. would be too la.te to save the crop. „. '-'Naturally I ' had many ' talks with station-owners, business moil, and others regarding the wool market. Australia expoirts a lot of merino wool, and with Germany, France, and Belgium— the three best customera for that class of wool — out of the market, the: outlook is not too bright. Austria, and Russia also buy, but to a limited extent. .In many cases tho wool is not being forwarded feu* shipment; it is being stored on the stations. Ono company I know has a clip of 30.000 bales, which it has decided to hold , and stack • m station sheds."