BACK TO THE LAND

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 213, 2 September 1908, Page 4

BACK TO THE LAND

AUSTItAUAX ACTIV'JTV. BRIGHT PROSPECTS. "Go on the land, young man," hii> often been the subject of jokes, but the I phrase is very seriously revived now by thinkers in Australasia, who see cause for national alarm in the increasing congestion of the cities and the declining popularity of country life. A <|iiarter ot Australia's population is lecked up in tro'o cities —Sydney ami Melbourne— Innd vast tracts have not a single in--1 habitant. The State Governments, especially Xew South Wales and guceusI land, are realising that the backbone lof the country must be i '.rengthened | to ensure health for the whole body ■ politic, and therefore the authorities a.e .bestirring themselves to recruit the ranks of settlers. .Mr. Alexander .Macintosh, who has just returned from Australia •to act as superintendent for ■Messrs. Dalgelv &, Co., states that the Government of Xew South Wales is applying itself most niiciiuously to the land question, and is evidently making a very great ell'ort to encourage closer Settlement. Some large estates have eilrvtxlv been resumed ami cut up. and others, in the best parts of the. country for pastoral or agricultural purposes, are to be acquired. " There seems to be no MM'stion to my mind," commented ■Mr. Macintosh, "that with closer settlement Xew South Wales will become a ■very extensive wheat-producing country 1 in the not d'slant future." Mr. Macintosh noticed a distinct te'idency on the part of young men in the , cities to go on the land. I'aveats were ■beginning to place some of their sons in the country in preference to entering' .them on a mercantile or other professional career in the city. An obstacle was the advancing price of land, whi.-h in some districts was mounting up pcr'haps too rapidly. However, with tli ■ large areas that would shortly be avail- ■ iible for settlement he did not think ■that the jumping of values would go o.) to any dangerous extent. Moreover, he believed that probably an ell'ort would be made by financial institutions, and those'who had money to invest, to cliciX, this tendency to inflate values. The increasing price of country land was noticeable both in Queensland and Xew South Wales, lml more particularly ;n the "Mother State." lie knew of lands •there, very excellent country, no doubt, ■which could be had twenty years ago for £1 to £fl 10s an acre, but they could not be ptfrchased' to-day under £(> or '£B, or even to £lO, an acre, unimproved. The pastoral outlook in Australia was very bright at present,' resumed Mr. Macintosh. Very nice rains had fallen over nearly all the country. The lamb- j •ing season had been good in,most instances, and the harvest prospects were very encouraging. Regarding wool, the general expert opinion seemed .to be that though there might not be any immediate change, the tendency of prie w was likelv to be in an upward direction. ■That opinion was not based upon anything in particular, so far as he could see, but on occurrences of the. past. It was believed that an improvement was coming, even if it was only a gradual

s iMonev appeared to be plentiful. U'iicre seemed to be no dillieult.v in meeting the requirements of people engaged ,iu trade and agriculture. Altogether. •Australia had every appearance of urosjierity.