Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/408

 356

THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — AUSTRALIA

tons, 19 knots ; submerged displacement, 182 tons, 9 1 knots. The Australian Navy also includes two sloops and a few old vessels of no value.

Air Forces.

It is proposed to establish a combined Naval and Military Air Corps, io be organized under a Board composed of Hying, equipment, and finance officers. This organization will facilitate an all-round training of personnel in naval and militaiy Hying, and focus the results of the experience to be gained in the development of a combined service. For the present it is proposed to establish the following units: — Headquarteis, Australian Air Corps (including representation in London) ; three station headquarters, with land, buildings, store and repair lacilities ; one central flying school ; one aircraft depot ; one squadron of flying boats ; one squadron of ships' sf a- planes ; one squadron torpedo carriers ; two fighting squadrons : and two corps reconnaissance squadrons. There will be both permanent and citizen force units. The permanent units will be required for service with the fleet, for squadrons so isolated that citizen personnel cannot be utilized, and for training squadrons. The Minister will be assisted by a representative War Council, which will include officers of the Navy, Army, and Air Board, and an independent controller of civil aviation. A sum of 100,000Z. has also been placed on the estimates for 1920-21 for the purposes of civil ariation. It is proposed to use the permanent section of the military air force largely in surveying and other necessary work, and in arranging routes in Australia which will eventually be used lor the purposes of commercial aviation.

Production.

Up to the year 1918, 858,600,345 acies, representing 45"10 per cent, of the total area of the Australian Commonwealth, were either unoccupied or occupied by the Crown; only 5 '63 per cent, had been actually alienated (107,093,317 acres) ; 2 - 92 per cent. (55,672,578 acres) was in couise of alienation ; and 46 '35 per cent. (SS2,'J65,600 acres) was held under the various forms of leases and licenses.

The area under crops (distinguishing the principal crops) in the Common- wealth, and the yield in 1918-19, were as follows : —

Crops

Total acreage

Total yield

■

Yield per acre

Acres

Husllt'ls

Bus 1 io Is

Wheat

T.iMXMt ;,

75,63*

9-47

Oats .....

708, 1V2

10,441,080

13-59

Harley .....

J54.660

4,703,721

18 09

Maize .....

LiS0,S12

0,'J12,168

24-10

Tons

Tons

Hay

2,692,90*

S,8ft,0O8

1-07

Potatoes ....

111,169

800,416

2 34

iMiL'.'ir-cune ....

17 1,02-1

1,780,0«8

15-83 2

Beet Sugar ....

1,010

12,292 1

Grapes (tons)

11 07

Vineyards ....

70,058

122. 198 »

219»

Gallons

Gallons

Wine

—

8,692,sJ7

876*554

Orchards ami Fruit Gardens

1,751

£5,080,431

£19 :

i Heels worked. The sugar manufactured was 1,263 tons. 2 Tons per acre of productive crops. - Including 57,141 tons for wine from

31,433 acres of productive viueu. * Gallons per acre of productive vines.