A Land That Asks For

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1922, Page 3

A Land That Asks For

Women. (By Sir William Beach Thomas). SYDNEY, Now South Wales One of the signs of the now am! eager interest taken liy the people of New South Wales in migration is a rigorous discussion in the newspapers ■n the word “Pommies.” Some indifferent humorist of the past called immigrants “Pomegranates,” shortened later to “Pommies,” a word commonly opposed to “Aussies,” or Aus-tralian-born. . The conclusion of the discussion is (hat “Pommies” has become a term of endearment rather than of scorn. “Pommies,” in short, are wanted, and everv vear more is done to make their first steps easy. To-day, for example, a ship arrives at Sydney—that loveliest harbour in (he world—with 500 British immigrants on board. Many of the boys will be taken off to Seheyville. where an admirable training farm is in being. They will be trained in whatever branch, of agriculture they please. Some few Wlm have more money will go to the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, where, if they will, they eau earn their keep and £1 a week during the vacations bv light and easy work. The most immediately popular of the immigrants are women who are willing to go into domestic service. Half the world is short of slieh. service, hut Australia must ho at the top of the list.

A Sydney lady, who lives with her only child in ci charming bungalow, provided with every sort of laboursaving device, told me that she had been advertising in a number of papers i'e>- a servant, offering 30s a week, all found, and had not received a single answer of any sort.

Australia has many fewer women than men, hut this deficiency is much less in the towns than the country. Indeed, Sydney has more women than men.

■ Many country places are as nearly an may he womanless. Even the rich dairy lands up the coast north of Sydney are. so to sav, without women, though (ho farms are close together and life is not without social attrnct ions.

The soil there is so rich and well wntered tlisit land rises to €l2O an acre and even more. Farther inland, on the wheat holt, where still the rainfall is considerable. the purchase value may fall to €<) or less an acre. For land-women, who tire very rare, the best opening is certainly in the dairy districts. A very enthusiastic account of life on these farms has reached me from it Futon hoy who is eoneludiim: his first six months' experi < nci

I/ike every wise immigrant, he is serving first ns a labourer. Tn utmost very detail the part of New South Widen that is near Sydney gives the lie direr-.t to preconceived ideas of Australia. Instead of thousand or ten thousand acre farms the land is largely occupied hv what, we .should call small shnirehoklerrs. who own some ten tn twenty acres of citrus orchard oranges, mandarins and lemons—off which they make a fair income without excessive Inhour.

lii place nl mill regions is :i vast coaslhmil arra mid behind it n tuhlelmul of hills th.it enjoy twice tin rainfall of London. as well as twice the sunshine.

T journeyed today to one of the farms where young migrants arc- received. and again to a largo experiiiiental farm on the ifawkeshury River. The distant scenery was magnificent and at the farm the variety of display altogether baffling. The orchards carried oranges, maud; ii-ins. lemons, pears, plums, ami peaches. There was a nourishing vineyard of Mark and white dessert grapes. The slock included ostriches, a purebred Jersey herd—kept out of doors without shelter all the year round—merino shot p, pigs, poultry (one black Orpington lam had laid 111 l eggs in the I■_> months'), and bees.

Resides the commoner farm plants were grown maize, lucerne (cut six times in the year); even cotton, sugar and bananas—•these tor instructional purposes. It is characteristic ol a self-help country that students are taught- the arts of the carpenter, builder, blacksmith, and tanner. Tin- fees for a native born are £3O a year and -Sod foi others thought £3O may he returned if proof is given that the student is settling on New South Wales land. For one class of migrant no firststep could be better than a year or two’s 'instruction in such a college, where students are accepted from 16 years up.