AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTRALIA
. » EMPIRE SHORT OF COTTON EXPERTS LOOK TO THE COMMONWEALTH i . , Years have- passed since experts from j England first visited Australia and pro- ■, nounced. it to bo tin excellent place for j J tho cultivation of the best quality cotton. I J Unfortunately fsays tho Melbourne . i "Ago"), the powers that be paid no heed . I In llieso statements, and tho position now ,I is that but for America's aid Great I Britain would have bcon unable to ob- • ! tain anything like tho quantity -of cotton j ' which she rcqu.rod for war purposes'. In . i the Inst i.ysue but one of the "Bulletin i of the Imperial Institute" it is stated [ I that "tho present ci'iaie had fully deiunn- • j stratc-'l tiio' vital need of developing eol> | ! tim cultivation in the British Kinpiro us , '■ rapidly as possible, and the situation had j i become so serious that it was essential ■ that much greater ell'orts should be 1 j made." At a conference'- between the . '. liiitish Cotton-Growing Association and \ representatives of the Lancashire cotton ; ! trade the tseriousness of the situation '. was aHirmed, and it was resolved, j [' '. amongst other things, "that it is essen- i 2 tial for the future prosperity of this ! ,' ; country, and a-100 for'tho welfare of tlie 1 : colonies, that cotton-growing should be . ! developed as rapidly as possible in all j suitable parts of tho Empire." Bcpreson- i iat'.ons wero subsequently made to the j Hoard of. Trade, and the Government ! > appointed a. committee to inquire into tho I, whole question. i As an illustration of the profitable j nature of cotton growing, the limited ex- I ,• ner>nce of Queeiifiland is interesting. I I During l!)l(i the State ginnery dealt with , r 20,2301b. of seed cotton, which yielded i lOjOfifillj. of prime lint, SBOIb. of second- j i class lint, and 18,2811b. of seed. The j yield of cotton, on ginning amounted to ■ i it'M per cent. The ginned cotton was , ' sold locally at B.ild. to 7d. per lb., and | the seed was purchased by the Depart- j ii ment. of Agriculture and Stock for re- | distribution to the farmers for planting | ' in 1017. The growers received- a net re-; turn of 2.5 id. per lb.' for their seed • cotton, which, at the average yield ,\ of 100011). per ; . acre, was equivalent to : JCIO lie. Bd. per acre. After allowing for tho -cost of- cultivating ,' and picking tho crop, the net profit ,] limouttted to £7 lfe. !)d. per acre. This „ ' return is bettor than that given by any j : other of tho , ordinary farm crops oi I Queensland,' with the exception of rice, I which yields an average net profit of .t8 Ids. 3d. per acre. Proof of the patis- , factory eeo6on experienced by Queensland cotton growers this season is found I" in tho fact that by May 25 the. Depart- ' ment hud taken delivery of 46,9771b. cot- ) ton, as against 10,l(i3lb. on the corre- ' 6pouding date in 1917,- As.practically tho . whole cottou- crop of the (jommonwealth 'i this, quantity, is, of course, absurdly p small. Experience has shown, that cot- „ ton can-be grown almost anywhere in i.' Australia, experts having declared, that ' we havo ideal conditions both as to eoil .] and climate. What has been done to establish this industry, which is of just ~ as much importance in peace as in war? „ In the whole of Australia there is nut J anything like' 1000 acres of cotton under l . cultivation, when there should bo mili lions of acres. , i Tho Federal Government could do a ~ ! great deal to bring about the cultivation „■ of cotton on an extensive scale. Tho I i bounty previously offered wae apparently ,| : insufficient to induce many to take up 'a ' tho industry, and, in view of its tre- • . mendous import: «'co 'to and ' ' the Empire, the Government should take 0 i the whole position into early considersr[' lion with a view to offering greater enj coiirajjciiient to growers of this most vital 1 product. It has an' excellent field in | ! ; the Northern Territory, where somej thing of the kind should hav<> been done j I years ago. One is prompted to ask What : the agricultural officials in the Terri- .. I tory havo been doing to neglect such an ( * i important industry. It should be emimlntly suitable for the employment nf • returned soldiers. Thero is no rphspn p' why. the production of cotton in Ait.-;lra-f ■ lia should not equal that of America. , , The cotton products of the United States : brins to that country from abroad !' ! .iilOfl.ooo,ooo every year. There aro 5000 " i textile factories, worth about I and over 800 cotton-seed oil mills, with a capital-of about With such prospects no effort should be spared in nn attempt to establish the industry in this country.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 263, 25 July 1918, Page 11
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794AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AUSTRALIA Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 263, 25 July 1918, Page 11
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