The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1909. THE POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2499, 12 May 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1909. THE POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA.

The'•vvorlc of peopling our neighboring Commonwealth is making but slow headway. The returns for last year, which have recently become, available, show that during 1909 the total .population increased to 4,275,304, the total increase being 78,267. J.t is with respect to the proportion of increases to the population of each State and to the whole, however, that the seriousness of the position is shown. These increases were as follows:

Commenting upon the situation the “Pastoralists’ Review” says:—Without a doubt this is one of the most severe comihents on our progress as a community which could possibly be made. For Australia to increase at the rate of less than 2 per cent, per annum is out of all proportion to the conditions which should exist in a growing and virile community such as ours is . supposed to be. It reads almost like a statement of the position of France than of a young nation which aspires to become a second America, and to be strong enough to keep back the flood of Asiatic emigration which theratens it, without tlie aid of Great Britain. But what are we doing to remedy this condition of things ? Practically nothing. Even when men like Mr Kidman propose to bring out suitable immigrants they are at once met with the rebuff by the Minister for External Affairs that these,are contract immigrants, and, as such,. cannot be landed.

The Melbourne “Argus” is greatly concerned over the facts thus disclosed and draws special attention to the lowness of the birth rate. In this connection the figures speak for themselves. For each thousand of the population in 1908, 26.35 infants were born in the Commonwealth. ' Better averages than this are presented by every other country whose birth-rate is recorded in Mr Knibb’s statistics, excepting only Norway and Sweden Belgium, Ireland, and France. The birth-rate for- the State of Victoria is still less, 24.71; that for South Australia 24.59; and beneath •these two in the list remain only Ireland and France. As for Ireland’s birth-rate, .its low figure, 23.6, is accounted for by tlie emigration of men and women before or shortly after marriage. France, notorious for its infecundity, with its rate of 20.6, is Australia’s only inferior in this important comparative table. In comparisonj Germany’s birth-rate of 33 per 1000, and Japan’s 30 and England’s 27, arc so many reproofs.

After bewailing these facts, the '“Argus” voices the following conclusion :

Two policies are needed; and needed urgently, as the statistician’s figures prove. The one is a policy of encouraged, even assisted, immigration. The fact that our only Immigration Act is an Immigration Restriction Act is a scandal. The other policy is one of sturdy opposition to all dangerous plans, however plausible, for improving the position of any class by an interference with sound economic laws. Australia’s .potentialities are great, but are not limitless, as these statistics show. They show conclusively that Australia cannot, any more than any other country, afford to risk her. future prosperity and growth by legislative experiment'and risk. They sli'SWi. that the labor loads’ attempt to make of Australia at all costs “a working man’s paradise” can never succeed by acts of

Parliament alone. But acts of Parliament can raise the cost of living for all, can by a restraint herb and a restriction there, increase, the , difficulties of securing a' living, and' diminish the reliability of a man’s livelihood. Everywhere the tendency is for the’ standard of comfort'to rise, and with a rising standard of comfort the age of marriage is postponed. So it has come about that the concessions wrung from employers over and above a fair wage and fair working conditions are paid for in toll of unborn children. Perhaps those demagogues. Who would have the ports closed to the immigrant, that the working men in Australia may have a privileged field, rejoice in the thought of a lower birth-rate, imagining a lesser competition within, the ranks of the next generation of workers. Such narrow conceptions are not to he tolerated for . a moment. Room there is in this wide land for millions and millions more than at present it is permitted.to support.. The interests of all classes depend upon the . steady growth of Australian population, developing all its,resources for the good of all. When in tho early youth of the country signs of arrested development so indubitably appear, is it hot time to f pause and’seek 'for what is wrong? We-scheme to publish abroad our country’s advantages, but must, we not also remove, the causes of those disquieting phenomena which advertise Australia so 'ill and so unjustly? . ’

, The .“New -Zealand Times”-says that Madame Melba has consented to give a series of sittings to Mr Nelson Illingworth,: the well-known sculptor, of Wellington. i

Mr John Cooke, a well-known meat operator of Victoria, says the export of lambs from Argentina will increase in volume and become a permanent feature in the meat trade of that country. 1 ■ . '

A party of Mastertonians bagged 120 ducks in two days at the Wairarapa Lake, states the “Age.” The Danne--virke “Advocate” reports that six guns have secured no less than 295 ducks at the Wavpukurau Lake.

The Rotprua correspondent of the Auckland “Star” states that the Ist of May saw about every second man in the place carrying a gun. “In big game, one man, mounting his horse with gun at full cock, -accounted for the horse.”

Sir Joseph Ward stated last week that there was no intention of calling Parliament together earlier than usual. Previous sessions had Degun on June 23, June 25, June 28, and other dates in that neighborhood, and he knew of no special reason for a departure from the custom. The exact date for the opening of the coming session was not yet fixed.

* ' The theatre management ask that all holders of reserved sejat tickets for tonight’s performance of the “Merry Widow” shall attend as early as possible, otherwise the local staff will find it exceedingly difficult-to give satisfaction to the- large crowd which will be present. It may be added that ticketholders who do not reach the theatre well before 8 p.m. may be compelled to submit to some discomfort and inconvenience in consequence.

Probably the secondary schools of tho dominion, says the “New Zealand “Times,” will some day be equipped with phonographs for language-teach-ing, and the Education Department is experimenting with a machine with that end in view. Accompanying the supply of conversation records is a lesson-book, in which the conversations are printed ,«nth marginal notes. All the student has to do is to comfortably seat himself, turn on the machine, and watch tlie / book. The accent comes in time. Education experts believe that tho system is excellent, and the method seems to be easy for the pupil.

“Salmagundi” was the item down for tlie Y.M.C.A. Literary and Debating Society’s meeting last night, and large numbers rolled up to see what or who Salmagundi was. What was presented kept the audience in roars of laughter from start to finish. A representation of camp life was what the entertainment might he called. A miniature stage had been erected., and as tlie curtain rolled back a realistic camp scene was revealed, with tent, fireplace, and all other camp requisites. Five members took part, Messrs G. Dick, C. Webster, P. Saunders, D. Miller, and A. Tuckwell. With popular songs, Scotch reels and selections on the violin and mouth organ the performers kept all nr esc lit in fits of laughter till the curtain was rung down on a very enjoyable entertainment.

An amusing incident occurred on the Feilding racecourse recently (says an exchange). The racecourse, with its beautiful lawn and artificial lake, is a favorite promenade for the townspeople on Sunday afternoon, and the imported fallow deer, which roam there at large, givo the grounds an added attraction. A few days ago a girl of sixteen approached one of the deer which was standing near the lake, and caressingly patted it, what time she murmured some of the soft baby-talk which comes so naturally to the fair sex. The deer had the bad taste to dislike these attentions, and promptly knocked the girl into the lake, whence she rose dripping wet only to be once more sent back into the limpid depths. At this stage her cries attracted attention, and the deer was soon driven away, and the maiden rescued safe, hut very wet and not a little frightened. One of the elephants employed at Wirth’s Circus in Sydney narrowly escaped losing several joints of his tail one Saturday night recently, when they were chewed by tho big brown bear. The elephant was engaged in hauling the bear’s cage into the arena, when a fly led to his swishing his tail through the bars. The bear instantly pounced upon it, and, holding it in his paws, proceeded to try to eat it. The elephant pranced wildly, and his roars were pathetic. The attendants seized animal forks and all sort of implements, and the peanut boy dexteriously juggled a whole basket of nuts near the bear’s.nose; but only the severest proddings compelled him to let go. Fortunately, the elephant is an animal that takes" troubles philosophically, but the following day he spent gazing dejectedly at his tail, which now resembles a piece of ancient rubber hose.

A correspondent recently telegraphed from the BluffOn April 29, 1881, the Tararua was wrecked on Waipapa Point, and over" one hundred lives were lost. To-day I visited the cemetery, where in one long grave sixty' of the victims of this tragedy of the sea sleep heir long last sleep. The grave is surrounded by a picket fence, and a tombstone erected by the school children of Fortrose school and district marks the spot. The cost of the funerals and the 'erection of the fence was paid for by the Government of the day, it being understood that the local authorities were to see to the spot being kept in order. The-place is in a disgraceful state, and is all overgrown with a dense growth of coarse grass and weeds. The fence has evidently not been painted for years, and a spot which should the deepest sympathy in the breast of the •itor in it® present condition can only rouse a sense of indignation at tlie_ indifference of those who are responsible for the preservation of a sacred spot. Considerable mystification scorns to have been caused, in connection with the title, Salmagundi, which Mr; C. ;Webster, secretary of the Young Men s Christian Association, bestowed upon the entertainment which was given at the rooms of the-.-Association last nigh . Now that the nature of the entertainment in question has been revealed, it may be stated,, without fear of tin Mr. Webster’s plans, that Salmagundi is the name of a'dish, tlio ingredients of which, according to one authority, * are chopped meat, pickled herring, oil, vinegar, pepper, and onions, or, according to another, chopped meat, eggs, anchovies and cabbage. However unattractive such combina- , tions appear to British palates, they are,''doubtless* a s acceptable to Spanish or Italian tastes as Mr. Webster’s programme was to that of last night s audience, who' doubtless realised, that the mysterious word was, as used by the secretary of tho Young Mon’s Christian Association, only a synonym, for a jncdley of. .miscellany. , ; ' •. hi■. h-'' •v/.y■ ;. v n-u: ■ .... • ■

A sitting of tlie Industrial Arbitration Court is to open here to-morrow morning.

Tho first railway across the United States of America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was opened on May 2nd, 1869.

A Mayoral banquet is to ho hold on Friday evening. It is expected that the Hons. J. Carroll and It McKenzie will be present.

Employers of labor are invited ) to hear an address by Mr. Pryor, secretary of the Employers’ Federation, at the Farmers’ Union rooms, Masonic Hotel, at 8 p.m. to-morrow.

Twelve trucks for use by the Public Works Department on the GisborneRotorua railway were landed ex 6.6. Holmdalc, which arrived from Napier yesterday.

A Maori named Honani Tangaitutu was brought to Gisborne by coach 4’om the Coast yesterday living been, at Waipiro Bay, committed to the supreme Court at Auckland for sentence on a charge of theft.

Mr. F. W. Riach, J.P., presided oyer a sitting of the Police Court yesterday morning, and fined a first offender, who pleaded guilty to- a charge of drunkenness, 5s with costs 2s, m dofault 24 hours’ imprisonment.

The Stock Department wishes to remind pastoralists that the annual sheep returns must be sent m by Friday next, May 14th, and that persons who owned sheep last year but do not own sheep now must send m a return marked “nil.”

Only two or three New Zealand entries have been received so far for the Schumacher Cup rifle shooting match, organised by the London “Daily. Mail, and but one entry for the Empire Cup match. The matches will be fired throughout the Empire on May 24 next.

The following passengers arrived m Gisborne by Messrs J. Redstone and Sons’ coaches yesterday: Miss Reeves. Miss Craig. Mr. Lovell Mrs. Reid, and Mr. Wimble, from Tologa Bay, and Messrs Jenson. Porter, Schmidt, Harrison. Swainson, and Sheen, fiom W a piro Bay.

While one of the Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ carts, with a heavy load, was crossing the railway line at the wharf yesterday afternoon, the horse had the misfortune to catch one of lus feet on the line, causing him to the ground. After some the driver succeeded in unharnessing e horse, which fortunately had not sutfered any injury.

The first section of the report of tlie Chief Health Inspector (Mr. Scliauer), who visited Gisborne m March last to make an official inspection of the town, lias been received by the Mayor ana was considered by a meeting of the Sanitation Committee of the Borough Council yesterday afternoon. Tlie section of Hie report to hand is very detailed in describing the sanitary condition of various premises, and consequently it is! not desirable that it should he published.

Messrs Douglas Bros, proprietor of the Strand Cafe, being desirous of flaying their establishment more up to date, have had considerable alterations effected, the principal one being the conversion of a part of the dining room into private luncheon rooms eight of which have been provided. The cafe now affords sitting accommodation tor 20 person*. The proprietors have encm<md a first-class chef, and as they h a ve an adequate staff of waiters, customers are assured of recoil ing ei ery civility and attention.

A most unfortunate accident occurred early yesterday afternoon, by means or which Mr. Duncan Hepburn had his Jeer broken in two places. Mr. Hepburn set out from his home on horseback to brjng another horse from le Arai, but had only got as far as tlie cemetery when his horse slued at some object on the road, and fell heavih, coming down on Mr. Hepburn s leg. A passing buggy conveyed Mr. Hepburn to his home, from where ho was removed to the hospital on medical advice. Inquiries at the hospital late last niglit- elicited the information that the sufferer was progressing as satisiactorilv as could be expected, although naturally experiencing considerable pam.

State. Percentage Increase, to Whole. New South Wales 22,730 1.3 Victoria ... 23,079 1.3 Queensland ... ••• 10,580 1.9 South Australia .. 14,575 3.4 West Australia 5,547 2.07 Tasmania ... .. 1,816 0.9 Total .. 78,327 1.8