AUSTRALIA SELF-CONTAINED. 
Gi SS 
Australia Self-Contained. 
NEW INDUSTRIES. WAR LESSONS. 
By H. W. GEPP.* 
(I) 
JIE war brought about the ploughing of many new furrows 
and the uprooting of many old fallacies. Under the 
impulse of necessity, Australia was forced to rely more 
and more upon her own resources and to depend more and 
: more upon her own initiative. There is the danger, 
however, that with a return to normal conditions of trade and industry, 
and overgrown. 
We are beginning now, however dimly and imperfectly, to realize 
that in the new war upon which we are about to enter—a war for 
economic existence—that we, as a nation, must be self-contained. We 
must become more self-reliant; we must display keener enterprise. There 
must in future be no sole dependence upon other countries for the-pro- 
duction of essential commodities. Australia must make a stronger effort 
to produce the finished article from at least a portion of her raw 
materials, and that effort must be accompanied by efficiency, both 
national and individual. Undirected and un-co-ordinated striving after 
vague and indefinite objectives must give way to an organized and sus- 
tained attempt to reach a definite goal. National efficiency can effect 
this change. Individual efficiency will hasten it. An addition of 
£4,000,000 per annum in taxation to the huge financial burden under 
which we are struggling renders this effort imperative. 
The question then presents itself—what are the difficulties, and 
how shall we meet and overcome them? As conditions are at pre- 
sent we cannot survey the future without serious misgivings. The old 
order must be changed for a new. 
Australia possesses great natural resources, and all the potentialities 
for commercial expansion. It produces, or can produce, all neces- 
sary foodstuffs. It is pre-eminent in the production of wool. Cotton 
and flax can be grown in abundance. All the metals—iron, steel, 
copper, lead, zinc, aluminium, tin, chromium manganese, and nickel— 
exist in large quantities ready to be utilized, There is ample supply 
of the rare metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, osmiridium, 
and platinum. All the fuel oils—petrol, commercial alcohol, . lubri- 
cating oils, waxes; all the potash, acetic acid, acetone; and all the 
sulphur-bearing materials are available for our use. 
* General Manager of the Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Proprietary Limited, and a 
member of the Executive Committee of the Advisory Council of Science and Industry. 
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