SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Report of Consular Agent Smith, of Adelaide, on the condition and progress of South Australia, for the year 1882–283. The past year has been one of very great depression; in fact, the colony has not often passed through a more severe crisis than that of 1883. The deficient harvest of 1882-'83, the low state of the copper market, and the want of a prosperous season for the pastoral interest, all combined to induce a very dull state of trade. Added to this there had been a good deal of over-importation and excessive speculation in land in the latter part of 1882, producing a reaction' when money became dearer, and a large number of failures amongst the lower, middle, and working classes followed. General business became to a great extent paralyzed, owing to the scarcity of money and the unpromising outlook; but as the season advanced, and a more than usually copious rainfall was experienced, hopes began to revive, and the country is now rejoicing in their realization. My last report alluded to the want of a much larger population, and to the evidence of the room there was for it in the high rates of wages prevailing and the strikes amongst railway navvies and port lumpers. Impressed with the necessity of keeping up a sufficient supply of labor, the Government brought out several ship loads of immigrants, who, however, arrived for the most part at the dullest season of the year, when work was comparatively scarce. This state of things, however, lasted but for a few weeks, and now, owing to the ingathering of the largest harvest ever grown in the colony, the tables are turned, and two or three thousand additional farm laborers would find ready employment at good wages. Indeed, the scarcity of labor is said to have been so great that some farmers have almost despaired of getting in their crops, and it has been stated that their wives have stood at the road sides to hail passing laborers and offer them 35s. to 40s. per week, with board and lodg ing. In so comparatively small a community as this such fluctuations in the labor market are unavoidable, though they are not frequently so severe as was the case in 1883. As a rule, steady and competent workingmen, whether laborers or mechanics, can generally get employment in South Australia at a fair rate of wages-sufficient to live upon with some degree of comfort. The population of the colony has not greatly increased during the past year and is roughly estimated at 312,000. The number of births registered during 1883 amounted to 11,173, and of deaths, 4,435; giving a balance of births over deaths, 6,738. The relative proportions of the sexes were as follows: Births, males, 5,677; females, 5,496. Deaths, males, 2,444; females, 1,991. Total estimated population, males, 164,118; females, 146,968. The rates of wages, as quoted by the labor agents here, are as follows: Farm laborers, 258. to 358. per week, with board and lodging and liberal refreshments in the field. Bakers, foremen, 35s. to 428., and second hands, 30s. and over, with board and lodging. Good confectioners get higher wages. Butchers, slaughtermen and shopmen, 358. to 508. per week; boys, 158. to 20s. Builders, per day, 10s.; carpenters, 98. to 10s.; laborers, 78. to 88. Brickmakers, 13s. per 1,000. Boot. makers, 40s. to 50s. per week, or piece-work. Bookbinders: forwarders 458. to 55s.; finishers, 50s. to 60s. per week. Cabinet-makers, 98. to 108. a day; second-class workmen, 7s. 6d. to 8s. 6d.; Coach-builders: smiths, 60s. to 708.; body-makers, trimmers, and painters, 548. to 638.; wheelers, 50s. to 60s.; vicemen, 308. to 40s. per week. Coopers, 8s. to 10s. per day. Blacksmiths and shoeing smiths, 98. to 128. per day. Boiler-makers, 108. to 118., and first-class workmen as high as 15s. per day. Locksmiths and bell-hangers, 98. to 108. per day. Plumbers, 10s. to 14s. per day. Painters and paper-hangers, Ss. to 98. per day. Grainers and writers, 10s. to 128. per day. Saddlers, 60s. per week; harness-makers, 458. to 50s. Jewelers, 50s. to 75s. per week. Watch-makers, 558. to 70s. Wheelwrights, 438. to 60s. per week. Gardeners, 78. to 8s. per day. RAILROADS AND PUBLIC WORKS. The general expenditure on public works in 1883 was £1,374,795, or £170,051 less than in 1882, bringing up the total for the past thirty-one years to £19,883,000. The railway lines mentioned in last report, viz, the extension from Farina, the then farthest north terminus, to Hergott Springs, and that from Adelaide to Nairne, being the first section of a line to connect South Australia with Victoria, have both been completed, the Nairne line having been opened for some time, and giving promise of becoming a very remunerative though costly undertaking. Bills were passed in the last session of parliament authorizing the further extension of the great northern continental line from Hergott to Primrose Springs, a distance of 180 miles, at an estimated cost of £1,109,000; the continuation of the intercolonial line from Nairne to the Victorian border, the next section of which from Nairne to the river Murray is now in progress; the construction of a line from Port Darwin, in the northern territory to Pine Creek, a rich gold field, at a cost of about one mill. ion sterling. The total length of railways now in operation in the colony is within a trifle of 1,000 miles in length, and this will very shortly be exceeded when the line to Hergott Springs is opened. It may not be uninteresting to give a few details of the traffic. The total tonnage of goods carried on the railway lines of the colony in 1833, was 755,120 tons, the receipts from which were £288,699. The tonnage exceeded that of the previous year by 37,000 tons, although in grain alone there was a falling off of 47,000 as compared with 1882; the total receipts also were larger by £30,000, although the tariff had been reduced from 3.12d. to 2.82d. per ton per mile. A large increase was noticeable in the carriage of live stock, the numbers for 1883 being 25,068 cattle and 533,863 sheep. The wool freight was also 10 per cent. larger than in 1882, the number of bales carried during 1883 being 149,131. The quantity of ore carried was 46,268 tons. The number of passengers conveyed was 3,810,121. The profit on the capital expended is only 2.56 per cent. The number of train miles run was 1,427,587. The casualties amongst passengers were small. Government expended on jetties in 1883 £29,043, and on light-houses £8,270. The expenditure in connection with public buildings has been £111,254, including £25,500 for school-houses. The erection of handsome new houses of parliament is being proceeded with, the tender of the Kajunda Marble Company for £102,684 having been accepted. The basement is to be built of granite and three sides of the building faced with marble. The cost of the deep drainage of the city of Adelaide by the construction of sewers was £287,953 up to June 30, 1883. WATER CONSERVATION. A new department has been instituted by the government, called the water conservation department. The act of parliament authorizing this department and providing for its working provides for the establishment of water districts and the formation of local boards to carry out works for water conservation and irrigation, subject to the approval of the government, who will loan money for the construction of the works on the security of the ratable property, the boards having power to levy rates from those parts of the districts benefited, such rates to go to pay interest on the loans at 5 per cent. per annum. Should the scheme be carried out, the borrowing power of the boards from the gov ernment will exceed £2,000,000. Under the water-conservation department a good deal of work has been carried out during the year. Seven reservoirs have been completed, with a capacity of 22,000,000 gallons; eleven wells have been sunk, six well borings completed, besides many smaller works, and repairs to old reservoirs, wells, &c. Six new reservoirs are being constructed, with a total capacity of 12,000,000 gallons, eight well shafts are being sunk, eight wells being bored. The expendi ture for the year was about £64,000. The machinery employed for excavating the reservoirs comprises six sets of John Fowler & Co.'s steam scoops, each set having two 16-horse power traction engines, with all appliances complete. The machinery is being employed in the construction of reservoirs at intervals in the dry country of the far north northeast, and northwest. Boring machines are also in use, and some good springs have been struck in country hitherto waterless. No very great depth has yet been reached, most of the springs having been met with within 300 feet of the surface. The deepest bore at present in the whole country is only 1,100 feet. In one case the water has overflowed the surface, and in others it has risen to within a few feet of the same. Boring has not hitherto received that attention which its importance deserves in such a country as this. Great results are anticipated from its operations. TELEGRAPHS AND TELEPHONES. The total length of telegraph lines in the colony is 5,278 miles, and of wires 8,824 miles, including telephone lines. The line across the continent to Port Darwin is 1,973 miles in length. The additional length of lines erected during the year is 185 miles, and of wires 7533. The Telephone Exchange has been established during the year, and a large business is being done. Many merchants and others have private telephones connecting their offices with their private residences, miles distant in the suburbs. The work of the telegraph department comprised the following for the year 1883: Local messages transmitted, 490,074; intercolonial, 164,596; cablegrams to and from South Australia, 6,425; gross number of cable messages forwarded by all the colonies, 21,691; received by all the colonies, 21,364. The value of the international traffic forwarded, £128,527, and received, £122,269. Six new stations have been opened during the year. The local and intercolonial messages show a considerable falling off from the previous year, which is accounted for by the great extension of the telephone within the colony, and by the diminution of business in breadstuffs, owing to the deficient harvest. The cablegrams, however, show a large increase, and the value of the international traffic has increased more than 10 per cent. over that of the previous year. LAND AND CULTIVATION. The total area of land in the colony, including the northern territory, is 903,690 square miles, or 578,361,600 acres, of which only 10,337,596 are at present alienated, and 2,875,410 acres are under cultivation, the largest portion being occupied by wheat, viz, 1,998,746 acres, which this season has produced a crop estimated at from ten to twelve bushels per acre on the average. In round terms we may fairly expect 20,000,000 bushels, or about 420,000 tons for export, after providing for seed and home consumption for the year 1884. In the northern territory, Port Darwin district, a fair start has been made with the cultivation of sugar-cane, and the first shipment sent to the Adelaide market was of good quality and sold well. The area of land leased for pastoral purposes in the colony is 209,589 square miles. The acreage sold on credit last year was 564,252 for £715,225, and for cash, 68,591 acres for £77,851. WINE AND OLIVE OIL. The acreage occupied in the growth of the vine is 4,312, carrying 3,164,598 vines in bearing, and 388,996 young vines not bearing yet. The quantity of wine was 347,340 gallons, and of grapes sold for the table 36,260 cwt., besides 416 cwt. made into raisins. The wine-making industry is steadily progressing, both as to the quantity produced and the average quality of the wine. Fortunately our wines are healthy, and though phylloxera has made its appearance in the adjoining colony of Victoria, it has not been seen in South Australia. The production of olive oil is still carried on in a small way by a few individuals, but at present not more than 1 per cent. of all the olive trees in the colony are utilized for the making of this valuable product. The total number of trees is 39,896, and the number of gallons of oil pressed was 1,780 last year. Of this quantity, 52 trees produced 1,120 gallons; this shows what might be done if proper attention were paid to the manufacture. LIVE STOCK. The live stock, according to the last returns, shows a falling off in every item, except horses, which number 162,400. Other descriptions of stock are horned cattle, 306,046; sheep, 6,388,366; goats, 9,512, and pigs, 100,015. BANKING AND FINANCE. The latest loan raised by South Australia for the purpose of carrying out public works, such as railway extension, was for £1,438,535, the odd amount being for a balance authorized by an act of parliament to be raised. It was placed on the London market on October 1, 1883, the minimum being fixed at £98 10s., without coupons, bringing the price nearly up to par. It was floated at once, the total amount subscribed being £3,306,600, or more than double what was wanted, and the tenders ranged from £98 16s. to £100 12s. 6d. Messrs. W. Westgarth & Co., the great colonial financial agents in London, tendered for one million sterling. The latest banking returns are to September 30, 1883, and may be thus summarized: There are ten ordinary banking establishments doing business in South Australia, besides the savings bank, which is under government supervision. The banks are, the Bank of South Australia, |