Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 March 1877 — Enormous Growth of Australia. [ARTICLE]

Enormous Growth of Australia.

That a great English-speaking empire is fast growing up in the Australias is apparent from the marvelous showing those colonies already make. Their total amount of trade is $450,000,000. dag from tfae bcwels of the earth or gathered from it* surface. Of that total one-half, or $225,000,000, consists of the precious metals. There are gold, copper, tin and iron in all the colonies, and silver in Hew Zealand. In miscellaneous products they have wool, tallow, sugar, hides, preserve# meats and wine. In all the colonies there

were last year 05,000,000 sheep and 7,000,000 cattle. The population of Australia and Tasmania numbers 2,000,000 and New Zealand 4(0,000. The public revenue of the whole group is fM,000,000 annually. Comparing there colonies with Canada we find that the population in the New Dominion is 4,800,000 and her total trade amounts to #325.000,000, as compared with #450,000,000 of the Australias, which gives the latter double as much, with apopulstion only one-half as numerous. The Dominion’s exports are but #95,000,000, against #225,000,000 from the Australia*, and the Dominion reven,U6 is but #25,000,000 against their #06,000,000. ■ Going further afield, we find that the Indian Empire, with a total population of 240,000,000, has q total trade of #435,000,000, and her exports are #275,000,000 against #225,000,000 from the Australias. The colonies have borrowed considerably, but every cent, except in the case of New Zealand, has been spent in useful and well-copceived public works. Victoria has borrowed #70,000,000 at a little over four per cent., and has nearly 1.000 miles of railroads and numerous water supplies to show for it. Already the railroads are paying their working expenses and the interest upon the cost of construction, beside which her public lands are worth at least ten times her total indebtedness. The same is true of New South Wales, Sueensland and South Australia, and *is so true, though in a less degree, of New Zealand, Tasmania, and Western Australia. These figures indicate the unmistakable elements of a great empire.— San Francisco News Letter.