New-York tribune., 1919-10-19
Australia Has
Trade Boom,
Says Sheldon
Commissioner Claims Arbi-
tration system Has Re-
duced Industrial Unrest
TO a Negligible Factor
Calls /. W. W. a Failure
government Ownership Is
Successful; Food Prices
and Rents Extremely Low

IN comparison with the rest of the
rorld. Australia is apparently enjoying
oreat prosperity according to figures
c;ted and statehents made by Mark
Sheldon, High Commissioner for the
Commonwealth of Australia in the Uni
N States, who arrived here this week.
Mr.. Sheldon said that a state of
ontimism prevails in his home country,
where labor despite experiments in
rarious new legislation puts the coun-
trv's welfare before its own and where
industrial unrest as a result of the ar
h;tration system is almost neglible.
He said that rents are cheap, food
nrices low, and that there is no un-
employment problem.
The fact that a considerable number
Of American tinanciers and business
men are at present in Australia laying
the foundation for an extensive com
mercial and financial intercourse be-
tween the two nations, was touched
upon by Commissioner Sheldon.
In this connection he said: eve
trust that We will see more of them
In the Commonwealth Australia will
answer gladly any inquiries as to her
resources and conditions. She is at
+
perity in her history-a prosperity that
she is wiling to share with the word.
Her success is butt on severa features
recognized as invauabe by American
captains of industry. These are natur-
al resources that are vast and easily
accessible, nearly uniformly English
speaking popu alton. and room for
many more millions of ineomers"
Commissioner Sheldon in discussing
the labor situation in Australia said
an view of the general industrial un-
rest throughout the world, it will be
interesting to examine the status of
the labor movement in Australia. The
arbitration system has been tested
probably more thoroughly in Australia
than anywhere else The system itself
is largely the work of labor govern
ments, in Australia. It has been par
putes, which otherwise would have
eliminated in strikes. While the Aus
tralian system has not always proved
preventive of strikes, it has been
entirely satisfactory in settling them
when both parties have agreed to sub
nit their disputes to the Arbitration
Court. The present seamer's strike
vas only a question of arbitration.
The government demanded aha. the
courts should decide the matter in dis
pLte and the government won"
"The 'onebig union movement" the
commissioner continued, "whc ch has
been before Australian labor for eigh-
teen months has collapsed completely.
The greatest individual union in Aus
.ralia-the Australian Workers. Union
has turned 1t down. This is due to
the. fact that the rank and file Aus
tralian workingmen look upon their
union az an instrument to better con-
ditions and not as means for politi-
,al power. the avowed purpose of the
one big union whose lines of pro-
cedure are similar to those of the Rus
sian Soviet.
Nor" he went on, "has the W. W.
movement been allowed to gain ground.
year and a half ago law was
passed making it illegal for any such
organization to exist. Avowed mem
hers of the |. ". w. are subject to
imprisonment, and if not Australian
oorn may be deported. consider the
". ". as an utterly defeated organi-
sation."
Mr.. Sheldon went on to say that four
and five room houses rented in Aus
sraila for four or FIVE dollars a week,
ihd that the cost of living had only
gore up about 80 per cent.
10 give you an idea" he continued
OF the extent Of our natural resources
need merely tell you that we are i'm
mediately ready for 10 100000 more OF
po.opuiation. That is twice the popu a
ION we have to-day. Our agricultural
output for the 1919 fiscal year, DESPITE
.ur united popu alton, was valued at
A;44o,OO0 600. Wheat in our country
sells for 81 10 bushel; the price Of
staples of life is very much lower than
hsewhere in TIE world "
~ should be rememb bered" he said
n tnis connection. "that great deal
tn's money is represented by rail
:ay construction. All the railwavs in
aussraha are state owned, and this as
sct ~ increasing in value daily.
'ehture to say that whereas the ex-
'ehditure under this headline has been
'omewhere between 60 and 10 per cent
tne actual money borrowed from
treat britaln-apart from loans for
ar expenditures-the market value OF
me railways would now represent q
:o'ai OF more than the pre-war debts
- .auer oIher words, if we realized on our
an,way sa,'sy assets the public debt Of Aus
siped out"
Commissioner Sheldon continued that
us'lalia is now taking Is per cent OF
s.s. s.s entire imports from the Unitec
s'es, but Is sending 20 per cent ot
sr exports to this country. 9TH.
.ona9, avno OF trade" he said, "at present is
.bbnsiuerab'y aided bv rates of cx
HIH;se winch on goods sold 10 Aus
iaVor the American exporter K
''e extent of Is. per cent"
,s,,n. ,. oneidon spoke of the friendship
he S"eeh English-speaking nations tina
NJ, n;r.s; war had brought about and the ad
AN ,o,,.h'rh ~h'rh Australian and Ameri
'''ossrs have for each other.