AUSTRALIA 



At the last census in Australia there were 10,500,000 cattle 

 and 80,000,000 sheep, and in 1891 there were 11,522,000 cattle 

 and 103,260,000 sheep, but droughts, tick, red water, and 

 harassing legislation have brought the numbers down to the 

 lower level. It may be taken, however, for granted that, 

 given the State politicians do not persist in their antagonism 

 to the stock-owners, the number of stock in Australia can easily 

 be increased very largely. In the case of cattle this is particu- 

 larly so, because not many men are required to handle a cattle 

 station, whereas the amount of labour required on a sheep 

 property is large. 



Australia is a vast country, with magnificent grasses for 

 stock, and, with a good supply of labour, would be hard to beat 

 by any country in the world. The State ownership of railways 

 is a drawback, however, as under this system, unless continual 

 British loans are forthcoming, railway enterprise in opening 

 up new country is stagnant. Again, democratic governments 

 never think of constructing railways unless there are sufficient 

 votes along the proposed line to encourage them to do so. 'Tis 

 votes that count all the time under State ownership of railways. 

 Nearly £500,000 per annum is given the highly paid railway 

 and tramway employees in New South Wales alone in the shape 

 of free passes and concessions. This is passed on to the pro- 

 ducer in higher freights. Another drawback is that it is almost 

 impossible to get Government employees to take care of live- 

 stock, and they consequently depreciate enormously between 

 their fattening grounds and the meat works on the sea-board. 

 The Australian railways are years behind the times in the 

 matter of refrigerated wagons, and to all appearance nothing 

 will wake them to the necessity of equipping their systems 

 with means of bringing meat down to the sea-board dead rather 

 than alive, also to the importance of making country life more 



27 



