The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-01-30
Australia Is on the Verge Of Financial
Ruin and Disaster.
A MOST DlsTREssFUL COUNTRY
Sheep and Cattle Perish in Myriads
Before Awful Dry Season Of Past
Four Years-New Zealand and So.
cialistic Government Prosper-Sa-
means Great Fellows.

bic drouth of the past four years,
said c. N. Thomas, who is recently
back from a trip to Australia, where
he managed Cyrus Brownlee Newton,
humorist, who will appear here
February 2.
-Four years ago Australia was
wonderfully prosperous. During the
past four years they have had little
or no rain. Their interests are chief |
ly sheep and cattle raising. Mill
ions of sheep and thousands Of cattle
starved during the past two years.
| Conditions are pitiful with no feed.
no water and. unfortunately, it is
daily growing worse. When l left
the country was on the verge of finan-
cial ruin. Men who four years ago
were rich are today poor Yet, with
all their losses. they possess that
| trait that is so marked in the Brit
| ish ability to suffer losses and defeat
with remarkable fortitude. Even UNI
der most favorable conditions, it will
take Australia five years to recuper-
| ate.
81 was pleased and delighted to
find such a decided friendly feeling
of those Australian people towards
us Americans. They seem to look
upon the Americans as truly a great
people. and the sentiment among
them almost seemed unanimous for
a closer alliance between Great Brit
ain and the United States.
THE Hawaiian isands are very
prosperous. That is due to various
causes. Chiefly. however. because
since the islands have been annexed
the sugar planters cannot import
Chinese contract labor. Five years
, ago nearly all the laboring men on
the sugar plantations were China
men. They received about Sc to So
| and board per month. Sugar plant
ers all claim that they are the best
laborers for plantations. Since an
7 nexation no longer are Cinnamon al
lowed to land on the islands To
day nearly all the labor is performed
; by Japanese. One Chinaman does
, as much work as two Japs, yet the
: latter receive 500 to $24 per month.
Furthermore, a serious drop in the
price of sugar. several dry seasons,
plague in Honolulu and general re-
, action after a boom, which common
ced Immediately after annexation,
} have produced serious financial
crisis. 1t is probably safe to say
that today the native Hawalians &c
not own one-fifth of the property
while they are more numC rous than
: the white people, including japanese
: and Chinese combined
In speaking of the native Samoan
Mr.. Thomas said: "They are with
out doubt the largest people and fin
est specimens of physical manhoo'
, that | have ever seen. Many OF then
y are six foot three inches in height
we'll proportioned and like their kins
. men, the Hawaians, are good natul
ed and rather intelligent. Nature
generous and supplies their necessa
ries of life, and their wants are 81
=. few that they take life very easy
n In speaking of New Zealand, wher
= Mr.. Thomas and Mr. Newton spen
N some three months touring the large
it cities, Mr.. Thomas became quite Ell
,r thusiastic, both in regard to the pee
,r pie as we'll as the country. 40
N beautiful and varied scenery, splel
st did climate, productiveness and ricl
It, ness of soil, New Zealand is slmpl
I'd unsurpassed" he said. "The peopl
with few exceptions, are of BIRTHS
decent They are remarkably refill
III ed. intelligent, progressive and vel
)" prosperous.
Their recent prosperity is NJ
due so much to advanced econom
!. legislation, as is frequently elaine
81 by socialists, as to the demand an
| increased value of their product
| The discovery of the frozen meat pl
! cess, enabling New Zealanders
| ship their meat in cold storage shil
| to England, and the introduction
diversified farming has aided Ne
Zealand very materially to it's pre-
emit prosperous condition. The go
eminent in New Zealand owns II
railroads, telephone and telegral
systems, carries on both life and II
insurance, owns large tracts Of Ian
operates some coal mines; in fac
4 it's tendency is strongly towards
cialism. While the government ow
and operates the mines, yet freig
and passenger rates are higher the
than here in the United States, al
men employed by the railroads a
not nearly as well paid as in o
country.
Ill In my travels in New Zealand
learned that in such sections whe
they carry on diversified farml
there the farmers are more prosp'
GUS than in other sections"