“NEVER FEEL ILL.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 17, 18 January 1913, Page 3

“NEVER FEEL ILL.”

A PROFESSOR’S TRIBUTE,

TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

Melbourne, January 10

Professor Baldwin Spencer, in his Northern Territory lecture at the Town Hall, in connection with the Science Congress, remarked that the one thing which struck a traveller most forcibly in country was the extraordinary emptiness and loneliness of the great/land. At present there were, fewer than 4000 people, apart from aboriginals, in the Territory, though it had an area of 523,000 square miles, or 335,000,000 acres. If the land was divided among the people who were there, each person would got 440 square miles, or 285,000 acres. Danger at the Cates, There were only 340 white people in Darwin, but crossing northward over the water not many days’ sail to a Small island there were 37,000,000 people. Seeing these facts one had fears of what might happen in the near future.. His own idea of the,number, of aboriginals in the Territory was at least double the 20,000 estimated by Mr. Knibbs. Water Conservation. There was nothing more notable than the enormous size of the river beds, which showed that, in times past, there had been a much greater rainfall than there was at present. That and other evidence pointed to the conclusion that the climate was getting drier. The only way to combat that would be by a careful and extensive system for the conservation of water. No rainfall such as there was at present could possibly account for the of the rivers.

| Climate Not Unhealthy. “The climate of the Territory is,” lie continued, “at times undoubtedly trying, especially to the women and ‘ i children. But, on the other hand, it is not at all an unhealthy climate. (Loud cheers.) It is different at Darwin, but as soon as you go inland 300 ft. or 400 ft. high you find that the people never feel ill at all. That is an important feature of the Territory in regard to its future population. (Cheers.) Not Tropical. The most striking feature of the whole country is the gum tree. The Territory is pre-eminently not tropical either in 'vegetation or in climate. In all, except the coastal districts, you have a really cool and delightful climate for three or four months in the year. (Cheers.) The recuperative efj feet is very great indeed. (Applause. Professor Spencer paid a tribute to Dr. Gilruth as an Administrator.