AUSTRALIA’S YEAR

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 314, 21 December 1936, Page 4

AUSTRALIA’S YEAR

“PROSPEROUS AND HAPPY.” AVIATION PROGRESS. Impressions Of Visitor To Stratford. “There has been a drought in New South Wales and in some of the other l States for ejghft momtlhs but recent rains have relieved the situation. In the catchment area supplying Sydney with water, rain had not fallen for over two years and the four big dams were less than half full,” said Mr W. P. Kirkwood, Sydney, in an interview with a Presss representative, this morning. Mr Kirkwood, who arrived at Stratford last Wednesday, is spending Christmas here with his family.

“However notwithstanding the drought and other drawbacks Australia. to-day is prosperous and the people in a happy' frame of mind,” continued Mr Kirkwood. “The prices for both wheat and wool were very satisfactory. Japanese buyers did not buy at the wool sales in Australia on account of the restriction placed on importation of goods from Japan but nevertheless prices for wool were excellent. Aviation.

“Aviation in Australia has recently taken a forward move and this coincides with the ban lifted on bringing foreign planes into the country'. Several Stinsons, Douglas, and Lockheed Electra planes are now in use and have proved very popular with the flying-minded public. These planes have proved very fast and comfortable. On the Sydney-Bris-bane route it was found necessary to put on extra machines to cope with the business offering. The Holyman line from Melbourne to Tasmania ahe using Douglas machines. “To foster the use of British planes for some time foreign machines were debarred from entering the country but with the knowledge now gained it seems a pity thft. the advice of the late Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was not taken to introduce the best type of planes procurable irrespective of where made. “While cn the subject of aviation I venture the opinion |gs a layman but looking at it from a commonsense point of view that land planes would be eminently suitable for the Tasman crossing from Sydney and landing at New Plymouth. “The development of electricity in Victoria is both unique and a great credit to that State.

Eight Thousand Factories.

"There are in and around Melbourne some eight thousand factories manufacturing articles from matches to harvesters. The electricity for these factories is generated at Yallourn, about a hundred and fifty miles from Melbourne. “Soft brown coal is made into briquettes and this fuel is used for developing electricity-. The coal is useless as fuel until treated chemically and it then is a valuable product. The open cut from which the soft brown coal is taken is perhaps the largest open cut coal mine in the world and the supply’ is estimated to last for 50 years or more Viewing the open cut from the rim at the top a brown sloping face can be seem and this face looks as smooth as a billiard table. Mechanical shovels shear the coal from the 'face into trucks beneath and when filled the trucks go off on a cable urjittended, to the top of the mine, and thence to the briquette-making yards. As well as 'beang - used for electricity briquettes are also sold to the public for household fuel.

Fast Motoring. “Motoring in many parts of Australia has become a pleasure with' the good roads that have been made during recent years. Motoring from Adelaide to Sydney’, I passed over roads that enabled cars to travel at a minimum speed of forty miles an hour for practically the whole of the way. The road from Melbourne to Sydney via Albury and Canberra is a fine highway with plenty' of width, and the Prince’s Highway on the route from Melbourne through Gippsland by the coast is another line road of some seven hundred miles.

“While in South Australia recently I took the opportunity of observing the betting shops in Adelaide. .There are many of these places, some more pretentious than others, but none of them are very conspicuous outwardly. A betting shop is indicated by the only writing outside “Licensed by the 5A.8.8.C. (South Australian Betting Board Commission,) only tne letters are used, not the full wording set out above in the brackets. The best betting shops are as luxurious as a club. Patrons can lounge in comfortable chairs while listening to the radio conveying the latest betting moves

from courses where races are being held and these races include the Melbourne Cup meeting. Deciding to make a bet, the patron moves over to a counter and can make a bet on. the odds as indicated by the latest radio messages or at starting price. After the race is run the patron can collect immediately 7 on a winner. Huge Turnover. “The turnover in the betting shops Australia runs into some millions of pounds per annum with considerable benefit to Government revenue. Racing flourishes in South Australia (both galloping and' trotting) but it remains to be seen whether the betting shops will ultimately benefit racing or hurt the sport. It may' be said that bettors are treated with more tolerance in Australia than is the case in New Zealand, and as an indication of this a totalisator was opened in Perth (W.A.) under official supervision on the Melbourne Cup.

"Anything Once.”

"South Australia is apparently a State that will try anything once and it must be said that at least some of the experiments have proved highly successful. In South Australia, • near the border of Victoria, is the town of Renmark, on the banks of the River

Murray. “There is one hotel in Renmark and there will not be another, as this hotel is owned by the municipal- . ity and all the profits are spent on improving the town. The hotel is modern and up-to-date in every way. In the dining room there is a minimum and maximum charge, and at the maximum charge a hungry person could satisfy the most voracious appetite for 3s Gd. I was informed that profifits from the hotel ran into high figures per annum. Renmark is the centre of a fruit growing district, mostly citrious fruits.”