The New York herald., 1870-01-03
AUSTRALASIA.
Telegraphs Extension and Electric Com
munieatlon 1T the Amtipodes-Me
sages to and frOm India.

To TIE ED,rol OF TIE LONDON TiAne:-
In an article reviewing the remount service OF
India and tas proposal submitted 10 the viceroy by
the South Australian government for the establish
ment Of renount depot at PORT Darwin, In the
northern territory the LonaOn Times Of the Goth OF
November renarked:--
msnt lss miles TO India than ten years
graphic Negotiations are now 10 proS,sass
directed 70 somepoint ON the northwest coast
B 70 be hoped that these antcipations Will soon
be realized for no one can doubt that communica-
cation by means or telegraph s as pressing want TO
the colonies az to the mother country. But, SIN ce
there s y very general impression that the p0pula-
tion Of Australasia ~ TOO limited TO AFFORD scope for
some years 10 come for dividend paying line being
laid beg yOa Will permit me To draw attention ~
certain statistical facss taken from official sources,
connected with the colonies OF New South Wales
ana New zeaand; ana these iacts think, viii tend
TO show the erroncousness OF the impression. Wess
ern Australia has been omitted ~ nave been una
tries and progressive strides. IL would be convenient
10 state that the estimated population OF the Blk
colonies above named amounted 10 1897 $3.50 on the
3lst December 1857 aad had 100 s5S acres OF land
under cultivation with wheat, maize, barley, oats
hay, potatoes, tobacco. cotton, sugar cane grape
vines, orchards and gardens; also occupied
$40, 100000 acres OF land under pastoral leases on
which were depasturng bl, 4s3 live stock, con-
sisting Of horses, horned cattle and sheep, and,
moreover held tens or thousands OF acres under
mineral leases rom which gold. copper, coal, ker0-
sene shale lead, silver, bsmuth, cobalt and other
substances were raised and valued az several
millions OF money. TO supply the necessities Of this
population there were no less than $50 vessels en-
gagged with total tonnage inwards OF ,964, $780, In
which were taken imports valued at E2S, 72S, ,s0S;
while the products OF their Industry were repre-
carr,sa " IN sso vessels with ao,si tonnage Of
20762i3. The several banks engaged IN facilitating
this large commerce showed total assets OF
&i6, ,066, III, with total liabilities not exceeding
f23, lO00 600. glance at the STATISTICS bearing
the two other main agencies employed III their
daily transactions, namely-tne Post once and
interest. The total OF town and inland ana
ship letters which passed through the Post Once
numbered 26, 1895 566, aud the Inland anu ship
newspapers stated at 16, 80a The postage OF
these letters and newspapers gave an income OF
expenditure OF f459,Sll was incurred, exclusive 0f
the ocean subsidies granted by the imperial ana
clal ad social activity that Ii unprecedented for II
take young and growing country like Canada |
ind THAT tno DOMINION, with population more than
double that OF Australasia showed, IN 1865, only
20 200, 900 OF inland and ship letters as having
passed through Its post 0lces and ~ having yielded
q revenue barely exceeding El5O,O00.
With regard to the electric telegraph have con-
nned myself TO the four colonies OF New South
Wales South Australia Victoria and Queensland
OF wire, and along which 570672 messages
were transmitted III 1867, and from whicn
An income OF tSv3S7 was derived. JneSc
ngurcs do not represent the present ex.
tent OF internal telegraphic communication, al
some thousands OF miles OF new lines have SINCE
then been constructed and more are being extended
every day. Within the last year submarine cable
has been laid connecting Australia with Tasmania.
comparison between the number OF inland ana
town letters passing tn rough the post Office ana be-
tween the kilograms transmitted shows tnat for
every thirty-seven letters there is one teegrapnc
message sent II the same ratio were maintained
between foreign or external letters and between
foreign external kilograms, there would be 1873
messages annually Sent-a number, presume quite
large enough 10 hold out prospects OF the ine being
dividend-paying one; but assume that the taril
on the Atlantic cables VIII be adopted, ana Will be
shilling for every twenty words per nILy n&uu
cal miles Of the distance trayersed.
One Is apt IN dealing with large figures, to fail to
appreciate their full vaue and when state that the
total value or the imports ana exports OF AUSTRALASIA
vz.f59, 1882 sN little IN excess OF one-elghtn Of
| the gigantic trade of the United Kingdom
| Just sense Ot the astonishing progress or tht
Australian colonies and OF their commercial value u
this county will De lett on the mind OF the reader Tnt
fact may be stated III another 1orn which equally
forcibe, that the wealtn-prodacrg power OF every
person III Australasia equivaient TO the wealth
producing power OF thirty persons IN the United
Kingdom. But II must be remembered thar TIM
| colonies nave no Rotnschids or Marquses OF West
minster-that their wealth IL OF tins half century
that 1t Is not inherited nor accumulated wealth.
that 1t merely represents the enterprise and indomt
able perseverance, OF a single generation. Shoulc
the population OF This group Of colonies continue Il
increase at The same normal rate as 1t has Increased
during the past thirty years before the year lyo
| there Will be over l5,o0o,ooO souls OF the Anglo
severance be unchecked and be retained with tht
same elasticity and vig0r they Will possess ut Lha
period an Internal and external trade 10 be only
measured by the present colossal trade OF Grea
| Britain. But the latest intelligence with reference
TO the discoveries of goldbearing quartz so argel,
distributed over each Of the colonies indicate
future Development OF mineral resource.
| which must lar surpass all that ha'
been already brought 10 ligaG reference
/ Is made, tine alter time, TO Inc energy AM
go-aneadness' OF the American nation as II ther
there were other people on the face OF the gloD
whose commercial activity and individual enterpris
| would bear comparison with theirs. But J say ina
the glance at the official statistics Of the Aus
traasan group of colonies Will snow that the Ango
Saxon race III the Antlpodes nave IN ratio 10 popu
latiOn far outssrpped the Americans in commercIa
and industrial progress.
have yentured TO dwell on these facts win III,
hope that some scheme may be devised by which tn
tide OF emlgrants now weekly flowing into the state
OF America may be turned 10 Australasia Ihe.grea
drawback to emigraLlon TO Australia and New Zea
land has been the idea Of distance ard il s TO b.
hoped tnat as soon as direct telegraphc communlca
uOn mas Deen established, ana that the mind OF th
nation can be broughI into frequent contact witt
their fellow countrymen In the Antpodes by reading
| IN the newspapers every morning the telegrapni'
summary OF occurrences IN those colonies, tins lde;
OF distance wll little by LITTLE melt away until
last voyage To Australia Will be Thought as trlln.
| AZ trip to the Channel islands.
me same idea OF distance acting as a bugbear pre-
vented the Australian markets from being resorted
to for the purpose OF horses, hour, hay, AM
Goals for the North CHINA expedition OF 1901 and 10
the Abyssinian war TINS other day. Had that Inarke
been used, as 1t no doubt woud nave been used mac
uiIeCb tclckTdpHC COMMUNICATION DccH lueu cSJlD
lisned an economy would have Deen erected IN tn,
management OF those wars That would have repre-
sented sum almost Large enough 70 defray the
| OF a line joining Inula with Australia.
Among the many plans submitted TO the pubic
FOR knitting closer TIE connection between Tia,
| mother country and che Australian dependencies
know none 80 likely to accomplish the end ~ tee
| graphic communications for then the msconcep
| lions which distance and time now only exax
| gerate Will be few aud far between, and, v
| use y modern phrase be preventbie. l trus
| that any telegraphic scheme which may be pro
posed for uniting England with Australia viii In
cude Port Darwin as its main terminus on the Con
tinent, with q line stretching some 100 miles acrOs
TO COOper's Greek, whence branch lines would radi
ate 10 each OF The colonies. BY It's proximity t,
India, and by the exeltons being put forth by th(
South Australian government to settle 1t, Port Dar
win must sooner or later become An important por
| ana outlet for trade.
perusal Of the foregoing statistics cannot fall u
| impress every dispassionate man that no European
| standard OF productive power, as represented b
| mere numbers or population, should 0s permitted
TO hamper or warp the mind when thinking OF enter
| prses connected with Australasia because the In
dustrtai energy and wealth OF It's settlers are .
| great as 10 be comparatively unrlyalled Your obe
! dent servant, X. ID. ROSS,
Assistant COnmIssary General.
Albemare street, w, Dec. y: 1860.