Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-07
Commonwealth Purposes to Build Several
Vessels for Its Own Defense.
COLONIAL BUILDERS ARE ASKED TO BID
Government Bopes to Create Large Ship
Yards in the South.
RABBIT DISEASE NOT YET SUCCESSFUL
French Inventor Unable to Convince People
Of His Power,
ElG IRRIGATION PROJECT PLANNED
New south wales Undertakes to
Bring Under Cultivation Large
Tract of Land in Arid
Region.
IG IRRIGATION PROJECT PLANNED

Region.
! MELBOURNE, April e. (Special) - Eff
forts are being made to establish the ship
! building industry in Australia on a scale
which will enable the commonwealth to
build its own batteships. Eight coastal
destroyers and four first class torpedo
! boats are now projected at a cost of S3,-
$4,000. and while one vessel of each class
will be built in England it is hoped that
the remainder may be constructed in Aus
traia itself.
/ In a memorandum to shpbuilders in the
commonwealth on the subject, the acting
minister for defense says: These pro-
posals are designed to attain a measure OF
self dependence in the provision of war
vessels. Briefly the department desires to
know II anything is lacking to make this
much desired end attainable. The price is
a sufficient one dn England) to ensure
large profits to builders. What is there to
prevent Australian builders with the ad-
vantage of position, and Of acting in pur-
suance of a policy desired by the govern
ment from supplying these vessels? Your
views regarding the employment Of any Of
our workmen in workshops at home in
order to gain experience while pattern
able Builders in England have expressed
themselves as very willing to employ Aus
tralian workmen with this end in view"
Discussing Rabbit Pest.
The Australian authorities are not yet by
any means satisfied Of the harmlessness OF
the virus which the French professor, DR..
Danysz, sought to introduce into the COM
monwealth for the determination of rab-
III - rrrffl, nh oh,
the farmers have to deal 1t will be re-
membered that when DR.. Danysz arrived
in Australia with his case Of microbes at
the request of a large body Of pastoralists
the bacilli were promptly impounded by the
government scientist and the professor had
some difficulty in getting permission to
carry out the experiments. DR.. Danyszs
contention is that his virus sets up in rab-
bits a contagious disease which is fatal to
them, but that It is entirely harmless to
other animals and to mankind. If he can
prove that he will be free to deal with he
rabbit pest but the authorities say they
do not intend to run any risks. Since DR..
Danysz was allowed to land Or. Tidswell,
intercollegiate to the Sydney Board OF
Health has been carrying out series Of
tests with the virus in his laboratory; for
though sentence OF banlshment to Brough-
professor the federal government inter-
vened. and required the tests to be con-
Quoted in the first place, at all events.
within the four walls Of a government
laboratory DR.. Tidswell has since been
very active but the effect of the virus has
TO be tried on so many animals that It IS
estimated that 1t will require fully two
years to settle the question.
So far the experiments appear to have
horne out the claims OF Dr. Danysz, for no
animals except rabbits have yet been dis
turbed by the introduction of the virus
into their bodies through the ordinary chan
nels. But there is this weakness, that
fatal results have followed from direct In
oculation and the mosquito which is found
practically everywhere in Australia is
known to possess powers OF incubation
In a report on the subject DR.. Tidswell
says that in his judgment there are many
more observations needed before the Danysz
virus can be pronounced safe for distribu-
ton broadcast over the land. and two
scientific commissioners have been looking
into the matter for the government OF
South Australia remark, in a report OF their
own perhaps little unkindly: CDR
Danysz claims that his virus is innocuous
so far as mankind is concerned. As a
scientist he should be prepared to demon
strate the fact, and we would therefore
suggest that he allow himself TO be in
oculated with 1t in order to prove the value
Of his belief" However. these commits
sioners have recommended that the pro-
fessor should now be allowed to proceed
to Broughton Island 10 carry out further
trials. still under the supervision of the
authorities and that has been done.
Irrigation scheme.
A report has recently been submitted TO
the New South Wales Parliament by the
Parliament standing committee on public
works recommending the adoption of an
irrigation scheme Of great magnitude
which, when carried into effect will make
available for profitable cultivation very
large areas Of fertile country in the in
terror Of the state On either side OF the
Afurrumbidgee river Zone of the two great
tributaries OF the Murray are situated
hundreds Of thousands Of acres OF excel
lent land, admirably adapted for every
variety Of agriculture. but any very great
spread OF settlement has hitherto been
hampered by the sparsity OF the rainfall
The proposal is for the construction OF a
dam across the Murrumbidgee river at
Barren Jack about three miles below the
confluence OF the river with the Goodradig-
bee where there Is a deep granite gorge
The Parliamentary committee have now
definitely recommended that this dam be
constructed at a cost OF $3.50 OOO and that
it be at least 300 feet in height and there is