PRIMARY PRODUCERS.

From the foregoing table it will be apparent that the principal source of employment in Australasia is in its primary producing industries, no less than 645,057 persons being engaged therein. It is difficult to ascertain the numbers engaged in these industries prior to 1891 as the census returns of earlier years were not compiled on the scientific plan now in use, but from the information available the following statement has been prepared, showing as far as possible the employment since 1871, and the figures may be accepted as giving a fair idea of the extent to which employment in primary producing industries has expanded.

Persons Engaged in

Aus- New Aus- New Aus- New Aus- New tralia. Zealand. tralia. Zealand, tralia. Zealand. tralia. Zealand..

In 1901 there were 602,199 males and 42,858 females engaged in the primary producing industries of Australasia. The employment afforded by the different branches may be seen from the following table.

PERSONS ENGAGED IN THE CApture of WILD ANIMALS OR THE ACQUISITION OF PRODUCTS THEREFROM.

PERSONS ENGAGED IN MINES AND QUARRIES, OR IN THE ACQUISITION OF MINERAL PRODUCTS.

19,835 5,466 118,260

3

1

29

38,382 31,447 16,854 6,301 19,839

Of the primary producers by far the largest proportion is engaged in agricultural pursuits, and, in fact, persons so employed outnumber those in any other calling. The persons engaged therein numbered 343,907, and as the total area under cultivation in Australasia at 31st March, 1901, was 10,456,538 acres, this would give an average of 30·4 acres to each person engaged. The number of persons engaged in agricultural pursuits and the area under cultivation in each state on the 31st March, 1901, was as follows:

The number of females engaged in agricultural pursuits is large in Victoria in comparison with the other states, as in that state a number of females, relatives of the farmers, who were partly engaged in agriculture and partly in domestic duties, have been counted as engaged in agricultural pursuits, while in the other states they were classified as performing domestic duties, and, consequently, as dependents.

Persons engaged in pastoral pursuits numbered 84,732, and of those in the Commonwealth nearly one-half were in New South Wales. The live stock in Australasia at the end of 1901 consisted of 92,358,824 sheep, 9,827,433 cattle, 1,905,172 horses, and 1,171,381 swine, the total being equal to 209,684,874 sheep, or an average of 2,475 sheep to each person. The number of live stock in each state, expressed in terms of sheep, and the number of persons engaged in pastoral pursuits during 1901 are shown below:

In Western Australia the number of primary producers was 35,572, and of these no less than 19,838 were engaged in mining pursuits.

The timber industry has not been specially dealt with in this volume. The interests involved, however, are somewhat large, especially in New Zealand and in the states of Western Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales. The total annual value of the timber industry of the Commonwealth is £2,251,000, and of New Zealand £972,000. This represents the value of the rough timber as it leaves the forest saw-mills and the bark stripped for tanning purposes, the value added to the timber by further treatment in the saw-mills and joinery yards being included in the manufacturing industries. Amongst the states of the Commonwealth, Western Australia stands first as regards timber production. In the year 1903 the value was £807,000, for New South Wales the return was £600,000 during the same period, and for Queensland £517,000. The other states show much smaller amounts, viz., Victoria, £143,000; Tasmania, £148,000; and South Australia about £36,000.

The fisheries of Australia comprise the ordinary coast and river fisheries, and the pearl-fishing industry of Queensland and Western and Northern Australia. The pearl-shell fisheries of Australia have assumed considerable dimensions, and in 1903 the production was valued at £419,000. In Queensland waters there were 301 boats engaged during 1903, and the industry gave employment to 354 divers and 124 other persons, the divers being principally Japanese. The total take of shell for the year was 908 tons, and the exports were valued at £162,547. In Western Australia there were 423 licensed pearling boats, and the persons employed numbered 2,839. Most of these persons belonged to coloured races, only 250 being of European descent. The export of shell during the year was 954 tons, valued at £174,322, while pearls to the value of £50,000 were also obtained. From the Northern

Territory, pearl-shell to the value of £28,391 was exported in 1903. Reckoning the home fisheries of all the states and New Zealand, as well as the pearl fisheries, the total production of the industry may be set down at £1,078,000.

In several of the states, fish have been introduced from other countries, and trout may now be taken in many of the inland rivers. A notable feature in this connection was the introduction, during 1902, of English plaice, sole, and turbot, which were successfully landed in New South Wales, and liberated at Port Hacking.

THE INDUSTRIAL CLASS.

The persons engaged in industrial pursuits numbered 527,387, being only exceeded by those engaged in the primary producing industries. The largest proportionate number is to be found in Victoria,, where 146,233 persons were engaged, being only 455 less than in New South Wales. Of the total number engaged in industrial pursuits 328,545 were employed in the manufacturing industry, and the following table has been prepared so as to show the number of persons engaged in the different branches thereof :

Males
Females

Persons

PERSONS WORKING IN TEXTILE FABRICS, DRESS, AND FIBROUS MATERIALS.

9,451 10,664 | 3,146 2,492 1,088 1,269 28,110 8,173 36,983 21,644 28,450 6,606 6,243 2,024 2,099 67,066 14,237 81,303 31,095 39,114 9,752 8,735 3,112

1

3,368 95,176 22,410 117,586

The number shown above as employed in manufacturing industries exceeds that given in the chapter dealing with manufactories, since the factory returns relate to employment in industries coming under the provisions of the Factories Act, and take no account of places where less than four hands are employed, unless machinery is used. In the Census figures also are included casual workers and all single workers engaged on their own account, both of which classes are omitted from the factories returns. The case of New South Wales may be cited as an example to show the difference between the two returns in the number of female workers. According to the Census there were 18,000 dressmakers and tailoresses, many of them on their own account. According to the factories returns there were under 7,000.

At the census of 1891 the persons engaged in the manufacturing industries of the states which comprise the Commonwealth numbered 214,220, so that there has been an increase of 53,506 persons or nearly 25 per cent. during the ten years. The largest increase was in New South Wales, where the total was 74,559 in 1891, and 94,119 in 1901, an addition of 19,560 persons or more than 26 per cent.