On a previous occasion I pointed out that the weather in Australia is not a subject of conversation so much as a_ vital national issue. The whole continent has been suffering under a high pressure system, which spelt dry weather. In the pastoral and dairying districts valuable stock has been hand-fed, while in the wheat areas sowing has awaited moisture. Since the end of last year the sole"exception to the dry period has been on the York Peninsula, and in the Northern Territory. Things were looking very bad, but the last few days have afforded some relief, if not a great deal of optimism. The North and South of Queensland have experienced some rain, though the Central districts are yet compelled to live upon hope. New South Wales and Western Australia—especially the latter—have had scattered rains—the actual daily quantity being small, but the total spread over many weeks. South Australian wheat districts have lately benefited, and, as I write, Victoria at last believes that her wheat plantings will be successful. The whole country is so huge that it is impossible to definitely forecast the immediate future. In this connexion it is interesting to recall the fact that several years ago a man had a block of country in central*west Queensland, with plenty of grass and water, and his stock rolling fat. Yet he was practically ruined because he could not cross" the dry stages to get his beasts to market. This is no unusual thing. About 15 years back the South African Cold Storage Company (as it was called, I believe) stocked the north-east of the Northern Territory, with every appearance of good results. The time came when the dry weather south of the arca prevented the moving of the stock, heavy losses were incurred and th: country was abandoned.
To-day there is evidence enough to make us hope that the wheat crops will get a good start, while many pastoral areas are recovering from the long dry spell. Along the Queensland coast the sugar and cotton industries are safe, if not prosperous, but in -the south-west of Western Australia there has been steady and continuous rain for some weeks which means real prosperity. Of course, in the cooler parts of the country the complaint is that the rain has come too late, and not in sufficient quantity; but these complaints are as common as that of the farmer who said that the fine growing weather was a terrible help for the weeds. Whether the dismal prophecies.of the late Clement-Wragge, as already mentioned by me, will be fulfilled remains to be seen. There is no reason to think that Wragge was right in his long-distance forecast. At the best it must have been for great areas only, and as of the 3,000,000 square miles of Australia only an infinitesimal portion is permanently occupied we may hope that, if the forecast is to prove correct, it will find its justification in nine-tenths of the country still awaiting settlements.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.