The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-21
AUSTRALIA TODAY.


G. Sheridan Dowell, in Ainslees.
Turn TO the picture of Australia as she
Is to-day. The land which these men
opened Is nearly fve-sixths the area of the
miles. against the 100000 square miles of
our country. But, while in extent Aus
tralia STANDS as % TO sc. in population she
is only 4 to 20. OF her 100000 Inhabitants.
only UO,OOO are abOrlgines, whose number
has been steadily declining. not because of
hostility on the part of the settlers, but
as II by inherent degeneracy in the face of
the new conditions Moreover. there are
1900 Cinnamon and haif-caste chinese, and
IN recent years restrictive measures have
been adopted to prevent the ingress of
Hlndoos and other Asiatic immigrants.
1ne bulk Of her people, of course, are col
OnistS from England.
''Twc-thirds of the Australian continent
is desert, and yet her productveness is
hundred million sheep. between thirty and
tnirty-hve million head of cattle and
horses. 1t has given to the commerce of
coal and tin. The two provinces of Bal
larat and Bendigo alone have produced
4lW.OOOOO of gold, and much more has
come from the great Tambaroora and
Landing flat i'm New South Wales Ii
sends TO England annually over 10000 900
worth of metals grains, wool, beef. tallow.
hides and mutton.
Consider the sheep alone Forty years
ago the output of wool amounted to 5000. coo
bounds. Now, with a record of 70)00O0O0
pounds. Australia furnishes one-fourth oe
the worlds wool. and of such a quality as
to make it one-thrd of the total value
1t is recorded that the early colonists used
to Kill their sheep simply for the fleece
and tallow. leaving the meat for the dogs.
i alter they began TO export canned mutton
10 the home country; but when cold stor-
age was introduced. Australia began her
shipments of frozen mutton, which have
grown amazingly, until in 1900 these ex-
ports amounted TO 225,00O000 pounds. Mean
while ner shipments of timed meats
steadily advanced, reaching last year as =
00,0e pounds
wealth for year. Because of the war in
the Transvaal and an immense mining de-
xelopment in West Australia. the new
led the world in product Of gold. BY con-
slant gains. her silver product has come
to equal one-ninth of the worlds supply.
For the past year her total mineral prod
net amounted to $780, 100000 or s25 to ev-
cry inhabitant. Her mineral possibilities
In copper. tin. lead, antimOny, iron, quick
silver and coal cannot be overestImated.
LAS a result of her astonishing fertility,
Australian shipping mas reached the total
Of 2O000.000 tons Her first railway-tha
from Sydney to Paramatta-was opened in
1855. 1t was only fourteen miles in length.
To-day she owns 1900 miles Of railways.
a curious light on her prosperity is the
tact that she has million items In her
daily mail, in proportion TO her population
the highest average in the world.
What is more remarkable is that this
colossal national wealth has heen built up
by only 100000 people. AS a consequence.
average Individual wealth in Australia is
the highest in the world. For instance,
let us compare the child with the parent
nue. for this year will probably exceed
$50 600 900. which is nearly one-third of
England's. But with only one-tenth of
England's population. Australia is. there
fore, individually three and one-third times
richer than the mother country. Then.
there arc the savings banks with 800 CO., 900
in del osit. This gives $50 per mead to the
People Of Australia, again the highest av-
crage in the world