AUSTRALIA 683 



members, (b) of families with less than 200 a year, divided similarly, he found that the 

 average percentage of income spent on housing was 13.70, on food 29.30, on clothing 12.72, 

 on fuel and light 3.46, on "other items" (including amusements, thrift, etc.) 40.82 %. This 

 last figure gives the best indication of a general prosperity, i. e. of a substantial margin out 

 of wages and salaries for non-essential outgoings. The percentage of income expenditure on 

 food in working class families in Australia is 36%, as compared with 57% in the United 

 Kingdom, and a general average of over 50% in all other countries for which statistics are 

 available. The indication this gives is of a good margin between wages and cost of sub- 

 sistence, and it is strengthened by the fact which cannot be supported by official statistics 

 but is apparent to every observant traveller in Australia -that the working classes indulge 

 in more varied, plentiful and luxurious food than the same classes in Great Britain. Thus 

 of a total of 45 lod spent in food the Australian apportions 6d to bread, is id to meat, 7fd 

 to vegetables and fruit, 6fd to milk, 7jd to butter, cheese etc., 3^d to sugar, 2jd to tea, 

 coffee, etc., and is to "other food." 



The Australian birth rate was 27.21 in 1911. The percentage of illegitimate births to 

 total births was 5.84 in 1910. There has been a very slight decrease in this rate during the 

 last decennium. The Australian population is predominantly masculine, the proportion 

 being 1 08 males to every 100 females. The marrage rate (number of marriages per l,ooo 

 of mean population) was 8.79 in 1911. The rate has improved steadily since 1908. (The 

 rate for England and Wales calculated in the same way is 7.30). The most favoured ages 

 for marriages are between 18 and 30. The average age of bridegrooms is, in the professional 

 classes 31.26 years, the mercantile classes 29.74, the industrial classes 28.76 and the agricul- 

 tural classes 30.93. The average age of brides in 1910 was 25.77. The celebration of a 

 marriage is more easily effected in Australia than in England. The facilities for divorce 

 differ in the various states, divorces being granted more readily in New South Wales and 

 Victoria than in the other states. The total of Australian divorces in 1910 was 451, of 

 which 254 were granted in New South Wales and 141 in Victoria. 



A disquieting feature of Australian social life is the preponderance of the urban over 

 the rural population. In South Australia nearly one half of the total population of the State 

 (380,000 square miles in extent) is concentrated in the city of Adelaide. In Victoria 44%, 

 in New South Wales 38 % of the total population, is in one city, and in the whole Common- 

 wealth 38% of the population is contained within six cities. The charm of the cities is 

 great; the conditions in the "back country" are often hard. By cheap railway rates for 

 the farmers' goods, by pushing such of the conveniences of civilisation as are under state 

 control as far forward as possible, and by other means, the states and the Commonwealth 

 strive to counterbalance the call of the cities. But all effort seems to be in vain. The 

 proportion of the urban to the total population is growing. In 1906 Sydney had 35% of 

 the total population of New South Wales, in 1911 it had 38 %; in 1906 Melbourne had 42 % 

 of the population of Victoria, in 1911 44%; and in the whole Commonwealth six cities held 

 35.49 of the population in 1906 and 38% of the population in 1911. 



At the last census 4,274,414 of 4,455,005 people were returned as Christians (Church of 

 England 1,710,443, Roman Catholic 921,425, Presbyterian 558,336, Methodist 547,806, 

 being the chief denominations). Of Hebrews, Pagans, Mahommedans, etc., there were 

 36,785; and some 25,000 were returned as agnostics, atheists or freethinkers. There is no 

 established church. :>.. 



Public Health. Though part of Australia is within the tropics there is practically no 

 tropical disease, and there is an absence also of small-pox, hydrophobia and other diseases 

 which are known in some parts of Europe. The death rate from all causes in 1911 was 

 10.66 (including the death rate for the tropical Northern Territory, 19.58). It is the lowest 

 death rate in the world except one. Lately there has been a betterment in regard to the 

 infantile death rate, which the hot summers ruling over the greater part of the Common- 

 wealth make the chief cause of public health anxiety. In 1901 it stood at 103.61 per thou- 

 sand, in 1910 at 74.81 per thousand. It is noticeable that an abnormally hot summer forces 

 up the infantile death rate; but this rate has been brought down to as low as 71.56 per 

 thousand in 1909. To lessen infantile mortality, and at the same time to encourage the 

 birth rate, there are two remarkable proposals (both likely to be carried through) before 

 the Australian public to-day. One is that of the Commonwealth government to pay a 

 bonus of 5 to the mother of every infant born in the Commonwealth whether legitimate 

 or illegitimate. The other is that of the New South Wales State government to provide a 

 free and compulsory medical service in childbirth. Apart from infantile mortality the. chief 

 foes to human life in Australia are tuberculosis, cancer, diseases of the heart and violence. 

 The deaths from malaria (tropical) numbered forty in 1910. 



Education. The Australian system of elementary education is free, compulsory, unde- 

 nominational and usually secular. Secondary education is not free, but a generous system 

 of bursaries makes education to the stage of a University degree available to the poorest 

 in most states. There is also a good system of agricultural and technical colleges. Slight 

 differences as regards religious teaching exist in the various States. In Queensland "un- 

 denominational " teaching of the Bible is allowed, and clergymen may give religious teaching 

 within school hours to children of their respective denominations. In New South Wales 



