Australia Seen As Land Of Struggle

Chronicle (Levin), 5 September 1949, Page 5

Australia Seen As Land Of Struggle

(N.Z.P.A.-

—Reuter.

Copyright)

Received Sundav 7 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 3. Australia would t'ail to pull its fml potential weight in tlie next erucial 2i) years unless there was more of the team -spirit tlian was being displayed and praetised at present, said the Austraiian Sir David Rivett, when addressing tlie British Association at. public meeting at the Xewcastle City Ilall tonight. lle said Australia 's contrilmtion towards feeding the world was disappointing. "The rate of development is so slow, handicaps so many and results so disappointing, that we are conscious far more of a sense of failure and even frnstration, than any glow of suceess. ' ' He said the idea that Australia was a young land of vast potentialities and ca^able of superlative development, should be abandoned. "Australia is geologocially old with most of thv weaknesses that old age brings to soils aggravated bv our publie enemy Xo 1 • — shortage of water," he said. "Australia is a land of struggle and the struggle grows liarder with everv ad vance. Aforeo^er, many Australians prefdr a well paid urban industt'ial life to a rural agrieultural elfort often in iso lated areas." iSir David Rivett said 48,000 tons of export beef miglit be expected from tlie huge areas of Northern Australia in 10 to 15 years. • ' ' Bimple arithmetic shows that 5(1,000 tons of beef distributed among 50,000,000 people, gives an' approximate (iguro of only 21 lbs annuallv per liead with appropriftte niodifiration for th«j fact that babies don 't eat beef and beef inclutles bones, " he said. Complacency over the world food situation was impossible. Australia's main cause for anxiety was not douu! of eapacity to grow more food but doubt in ahilitv to do it in the timo available bejfore disaster overtook tly world. "It is to scientiiic men working with all aid available that we must look for the needed help. They pnist be given the utmost froedom to determiue and follow their own traeks."