AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1339, 17 January 1912, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS.

A RKCENT VISITOR'S IMTRESSTONS. During the course of a talk regarding Au s traliu anil the conditions prevailing tlierc at tlie present time, iir. ,J. -\| OHagim, of Woodville, who luis boeii *i»i an extended visit to the other side, was asked it' conditions are changing there In somo respects they are, said Mr' O'Hagan, who added that lie spoke fi'-oni what he had seen during the past season, which had brought him into toue.li Willi exporter;!, and fanners engaged in the lamb export business, but things had not altered as much of late as one might have oxpectcd. The volume of exports was greater, but the qualitv generally was very uneven, ami this applied to an experience of the trade extending over fifteen years. 'Whereas good lines of lambs were confined to a few districts formerly, however, at present they wero to be had in all parts, though in limited quantity where quality was required. A Powerful Competitor. At (he same time New Zcalaiulers could not alt'oni to overlook the fact that the commonwealth was growing to be a powerful competitor, and her prices were gradually rising to a level with the best. This condition of affair?, he thought, could be expected to continue because, owing to better fanning and the better understanding of climatic conditions anil soils, the seasons tliev were having in Au.-trolia could not be consider?;! abnormal. In fact, said Mr. O'Uagnn. ] consider that they are just average season*. Owing to the vast range, of country ami climate, allowing for a partial drought in somo part-every year, just like the present' one, production and exports were still going up. Farmers wero realising now that Australian soil would not give good results in wheat-raising after the first few years, without heavy manuring. Oats sown for chaff and hay yielded anything from 110 cwt. to ton to the acre, according to the quality of the land ami weather'■ conditions, but. tays Mr. O'Hagan, when you have allowed for fallowing while the rent, interest, etc., is still being paid, the returns are nothing extra. The land gets very dirty, and sometimes wild oats spring up' thick enough to ruin the crop. This wihi oats curse was getting so bad of late that stations working 011 the sharc-crop-ping system would not. allow 'the sharo farmers to feed their teams with oaten hay or chaff under any consideration. N.Z. Horses Losing Their Name. Owing to the price of horses, wheat farmers were, of late giving preference t'l mares of a good stump.in making up their teams, so as to raise"their own .stock— hence the difference in price where geldings wero compared, which difference had been very marked of late. New Zealand lior.-es have, says 111'. O'Hagan. Inst their good name in Australia receutlv owing to the number of unsound and inferior horses shipped from this side, and a good market was being lost to New Zealand. The Dairy Industry. Dairying in favoured districts was becoming very general, and good results wero being obtained, but the cows wero only able io do their best for a short season without resorting to hand-feeding of some sort. Take the "Western District of Victoria, continued Mr. O'Hagan: I noticed even there, as early as the third week in November, and,in a fairly wet season like the one just passed, tliat feed commenced to dry ofY about one week after -tho dry or liot weather set in. As great results are expected from irrigation areas in tho future, Mr. O'Jlngan says 110 looked into that matter closely, but lie is very doubtful of the results. Money is being expended lavishly to suit' t.ho views of a certain section in power, but the average Australian will not take to a form of labour that requires such constant application to get even medium results, not to speak of tho foresight and kndwledge required to persevere in n class of farming that is both, new aad experimental. The Immigration Problem. Referring to the matter of inducing immigrants to settle on tho land, Mr. O'Hagan remarked that on reaching Australia many of tho immigrants preferred work other than on tho land. He had noticed that out of 1400 landed in Melbourne in, the beginning of December, only six' genuine land-seekers were io bo found—hence tho opposition of the Trades Halls to the whole scheme of immigration. At tho sam-s time a large number o£ oversea immigrants were heading for the Commonwealth, but the fanning conditions there were altogether beyond their ideas of such, and it was not surprising that they did not. take to farming on arrival. Mr. O'Hagan says he went, on board tho immigrant ships from time to time, and lie was confident that New Zealand would get a good proportion of these people. They all appeared to have a prettv fair idea that tannine conditions and life in New Zealand will bo vastly more to their likinsf. and, added Mr. "O'Hagan, I do not blame them, all things considered. The Land Question. . That, land is cheap in Australia goes without saying, but tlie assertion needs qualification. Taking a live or ten years' average return it is really 110 cheaper than land in New Zealand, if as cheap. That is allowing for the productive value in both case#. Several New Zealanders who crossed over with me in past .seasons to invest in land in Queensland and New South Wales, will, says Mr. O'Hagan, bear mo out in Hie above if thev care to expre.-s an opinion. Taken up'iu large areas with a view to cutting up later on, it would always attract a number of investors, but labour conditions wero 110 better there than in the Dominion. The Rural Workers' Union, backed up bv the A.W. Union, was gathering all classes into its fold, and as things were shaping it would have command of the situation in a year, or two years at the outside. As preference to Unionists was. their strong plank, a farmer's son would have to join them or experience the doubtful pleasure of seeing his father employing a unionist while he himself was waiting for a job. This, said Mr. O'Hagan, was 110 jest—anyone could easily find, that the information was correct. There were certain reasons for all this] Owing to the cost of living rising steadilv, Australia bid fair to be one of the dearest countries to live in outside America after some years, even with increased wages. All. grades of workers wero less able to save anything out of wages at the end of eacli week, and this fact "tended to make them indifferent and irresponsible to a certain extent. There was no incentive to keep plodding.