Australia is growing exten, and does not want the world's markets to forget it. Queensland is the of jsouree of production at presry* and. this year its production may be something in the neighbourhood of 20,000,000-Ib., having a value of, say, $1,000,000. Now this looks as if the industry were making headway—partieularly under a Soeialistic Government. But the Detween Socialism and Individualism! is that the first aims at perfection and the second at what is profitable. If Abbé Hue did not point this out definitely at least the history China, as written by him, placed it beyond question. The Queensland cotton industry, being encouraged by Socialist government; which rush-fed in and offered to erect. ginning mills, guarantee crops and #0 forth, seemed to be on the high-road to Success. Unfortunately the Socialist controllers demanded that only the theoretically best cotton should grown. When the growers said they could make money out of "'ratoons 'oF second growth (every person who has lived in the Bust "knows what this means), the Socialist government, being on the side of per fection said "No" in large capitals. Tt insisted upon the cultivator doing his absolute best, even if it cost him money and labour. " Regulations were passed, and growers threate ed with the' destruction of their ratoon crops at government expense. Te was even hinted that they. would be expropriated of their holdings, and be lucky if they were not sent gaol. Happily the threatened cotton-growers had friends at court.
England at recent cotton meet ings there were those to say that the aroon cotton was useful and that the Queensland Government regula tions were over-strict. The end is industrially and politically, in this ease we may sec "great. trees from little acorns
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.